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Riverkeeper and technical witnesses say campground lacks groundwater and wastewater analysis
Summary
The Shenandoah Riverkeeper and other technical speakers told the Planning Commission the campground application omitted key studies — groundwater impact analysis, long-term water demand estimates and a cumulative watershed assessment — and urged denial until scientific evidence shows the project will not harm Naked Creek or downstream waters.
Environmental professionals at the July 14 hearing urged the commission not to approve the Naked Creek campground until independent analyses demonstrate the project will not damage groundwater or degrade surface water quality.
"The application provides no comprehensive analysis of long-term water demand, no groundwater impact study, no assessment of impacts to neighboring wells and springs, and no meaningful drought contingency plan," said Mark Frondorf, Shenandoah Riverkeeper, summarizing technical gaps that, in his view, are central to evaluating the project’s feasibility near an already impaired stream. Other witnesses with experience in wastewater and septic systems said a typical private drainfield is unlikely to be appropriate for the scale proposed without engineered central treatment, and they asked for a quantitative gallons‑per‑day estimate tied to the resort amenities (pool, laundry, bathhouses) and to seasonal peak staffing.
Staff noted the applicant provided a turn-lane warrant analysis and other materials and recommended that agency comments be incorporated as permit conditions, but commissioners unanimously tabled the matter to let staff and the applicant provide the requested hydrogeologic and wastewater documentation at the July 28 work session.
