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Leesville
Lake Association Newsletter
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Greetings to all and welcome to what we hope is a COVID-free Summer 2021! As we enter the summer season, we have much to be thankful for in enjoying the many opportunities here on Leesville Lake. Whether you live here full-time or just visit, this is a great place to be.
I want to thank our Directors and Committee Chairs for their continued diligence in keeping all aspects of the Association’s various roles moving forward throughout the pandemic. Great job everyone! One such area of responsibility is Beautification Day, which we just held on June 12. After a year with an unplanned and unavoidable break, it was great to see everyone united in cleaning debris and thereby improving the
aesthetics and most importantly the safety on the lake. The total tonnage of debris removed was 73.4 tons; many dumpsters were filled and the AEP barge was loaded by the end of the day. Great work!
I’d like to introduce Pam McMillan as the new Committee Chair of the Debris Committee. Pam and her husband Gary have been avid supporters of the Association and our efforts associated with debris management for many years. We appreciate her leadership in this area.
Other committees are also busy with activities. The Water Quality committee is sampling and analyzing results. The Navigation Committee has installed new hazard buoys and paperwork is in process for more. The Water Safety committee is available for individual boat safety inspections. If you’d like to have your boat evaluated from
a safety perspective, just contact us. This just covers a few; the other committees are working hard at their tasks also. The work of the Association does not happen without a
great team of volunteers. I mention this every chance I get, and this is another …. Please consider offering your talents by joining a committee or expressing an interest in becoming a Board member. We can always use more help. We have several leaders
that have led this organization for years, some since the Association was founded. Several have expressed that they will be “retiring” over the next several years. Your help is required. If you have any questions or desire to help, please contact any Director and we’ll try and answer any questions you may have.
Finally, our Annual Meeting is scheduled for Saturday, July 10 from noon to 2:00pm. Please plan to attend and register in advance on our website. We have not had the
opportunity to meet in over a year and it will be great to see everyone. The meeting will be at the Leesville Lake Marina and we will have a catered lunch. That’s why registering in advance is so important … we sure don’t want to run out of food. We will take care of our routine annual business, your annual dues invoices for 2021-2022 will be available (saves on postage), we’ll have Beautification Day t-shirts for sale and
we’ll have a guest speaker. Hope to see you there.
We look forward to a safe and fun summer on the lake. Take care ….
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SAFETY
ON THE LAKE
We are well into the boating and recreation season on the lake. This is a great opportunity to remind all of us and our families and friends about the need for safe
boating. Please review these speed laws taken from the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR). Speed Laws | Virginia DWR
“No wake” is defined as the slowest possible speed required to maintain steerage and headway.
It shall be unlawful to operate any motorboat greater than no wake speed in areas marked with regulatory “No Wake” buoys.
It shall be unlawful to operate any motorboat greater than no wake speed when within 50 feet or less of docks, piers, boathouses, boat ramps, and people in the
water. This definition does not prohibit the pulling of a skier with a rope of less than 50 feet, nor a person accompanying the motorboat (wake surfing) provided the motorboat is propelled by an inboard motor.
Operators shall reduce speed to avoid endangering persons or property by the effect of the motorboat’s wake when approaching or passing vessels under way, lying to, at anchor, or made fast to the shore; or, when approaching or passing piers, docks, or
boathouses; or when approaching or passing persons in the water or using water skis or surfboards.
A safe speed is a speed less than the maximum at which the operator can take proper and effective action to avoid collision and stop within a distance appropriate to the prevailing circumstances and conditions.
In establishing a safe operating speed, the operator shall take into account: visibility, traffic density, ability to maneuver the vessel (stopping distance and turning ability), background light at night, proximity of navigational hazards, draft of the vessel,
limitations of radar equipment, and the state of wind, sea, and current.
Please,
for the safety of all who use our beautiful lake, remain aware of
your wake when boating, fishing, jet skiing, etc. This will
help protect individuals and their property. And remember that it
is YOUR responsibility to make sure your guests know and obey boating
laws!
The six hazard buoys proposed for the Bedford County side of the lake have been installed. There are now a total of nine (9) Hazard Buoys installed to mark hazards such as shoals, rocks and tree stumps. These locations may not seem like there’s a
hazard below, especially at higher lake levels however, please be advised that while navigating the lake you should steer clear of these locations at all times.
We are in the process of getting necessary approvals for the installation of the next and final set of four Hazard Buoys. These buoys will mark hazards in the following
locations:
Shoals at 12 Mile Island (mile 11.8)
Shoal at the Pigg River (mile 13)
Rocks at the Runaway Bay point (mile 1.2)
Rocks at the Heron Landing point on the north end (mile 1.6)
NOTE ABOUT RECENT INCIDENTS ON
THE LAKE:
“When the sailors came around the bend, the lake started flowing like a
river.
See the graph where AEP started generating hard around that time.
There was a 10′ lake level difference from one end to the other.
For future reference, advice for sailors might be to sail upstream in
the late afternoon because of the potential for a heavy
current.
Now, that has been assistance given to 1 breakdown, 1 fisherman’s
wreck and 1 sailor’s stranding.” Dannie Smith
As always, please navigate our lake safely!
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Happy summer 2021! It’s so much different and better than 2020, isn’t it? Beautification Day was a huge success in that, first, we held it and second, we did our part to make Leesville Lake safe and beautiful.
I hope to see you at the Annual Picnic on Saturday, July 10 at Leesville Lake Marina from noon to 2:00 PM. I will be there with invoices for member dues for the upcoming fiscal year. If we don’t see you at the picnic, the remaining invoices will be mailed shortly thereafter. Dues
have remained at $25 and are due before August 31 for the fiscal year of September 1, 2021 through August 31, 2022.
We recently created the membership policy and it’s on the LLA website. If you’re confused about when you paid and why you’re being billed or not being billed, the answer is there.
In addition to handing out invoices at the picnic, I will explain the current and upcoming fiscal year budgets and members will vote on them. If you want to see where our money comes from and goes to, join us for food, fun, finances and more!
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Just a reminder: dues for fiscal year 2021/2022 will be due during the July 1 to August
31st window. You can pay on-line at www.leesvillelake.org or send a check to PO Box
68 Altavista, VA 24517. Alternatively, you can bring your check or cash to the Annual Picnic on Saturday, July 10th at Leesville Lake Marina. Dues are a bargain at $25 per household for the year. Please encourage your non-member lake neighbors to join thus helping to keep Leesville Lake a wonderful place to live and visit.
Currently the association has 264 members but we can always use more as it
makes our voice louder when we engage the powers that be. Also consider becoming active in the organization by joining a committee and or becoming a member of the board. We can always use more hands and brains.
The board is always receptive to your views and ideas, so please share them with us. You can do this by coming to one of our quarterly General Membership Meetings. Check the website for dates, times and location. You can also just drop any board member an email or bend their ear if you see them at the local marina. I hope to see you at the Annual Meeting Picnic July 10.
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A big thank you goes out to everyone who participated in this year’s
event on Saturday the 12th!
From chainsaw and loader operators to drop-off site workers and boat
crews, we had a good day.
Over 70 folks registered with location and job preferences and many
showed up that didn’t sign up.
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Dave
Rives reportedly gets the big catch of the day award by towing in the biggest log.
*Leesville Lake Marina’s folks loaded and weighed in 15.4 tons.
*Runaway Bay’s HOA- 2.52 tons
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Tri-County Marina’s crews loaded a 30 cubic yard dumpster with 4.75 tons.
*AEP’s barge collected (with some help from a couple boat crews) a whopping
50 tons.
That puts this year’s tally at 73.4 tons!
Keep up the good work, Leesville Lake Association, in helping keep our lake safe and beautiful!
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Thankfully the lake is in much better shape than it was this time last year. Instead of traversing through fields of debris, there are larger sections throughout the lake’s 17 miles in which boat operators can almost relax.
Although our region could use more rain, we should be grateful for the limited high water flooding and debris discharge from the Pigg River this past winter/spring.
On April 1, 2021, APCo filed their 2020 Debris Management Annual Report with
FERC. The LLA Debris Committee, as members of APCo’s Debris Management Technical Review Committee, had the opportunity to review and comment on the report.
APCo continues to believe they are in compliance with their FERC license and LLA continues to challenge specific areas where we believe they are not.
Our main contentions are until the bulk of debris is stopped at the Pigg River confluence, more personnel is needed to control 13 miles of scattered debris.
We repeatedly recommend the addition of a skimmer and separate crew to collect debris in wide range areas that are not productive for the barge.
LLA’s submitted comments on this report are attached at the end of report : “Appendix C, Consultation”, pages 48-54. Click here to review.
Appalachian has informed us that engineer studies on the Pigg River diversion/devise are still in the beginning stages and the target date for completion may be late 2023. Meanwhile we are in a holding pattern. Completion of the new offload site at Myers Creek
(public boat launch MM12), has been stalled. The ramp is installed, however clearing for debris storage area will not take place until this fall. Apparently it is the Northern Long
Eared Bat’s roosting season, up until late September.
The “Appalachian Debris Management 2021 Overall Plan” has been reviewed and published. It calls on the APCo crew to work four(4) 10-hour days (Monday through Thursday). The contractor will continue to be shared with Smith Mountain Lake and
utilized here as needed. Our Committee expects to continue participating on monthly lake surveys and consult on needed areas of attention.
Our Debris Committee could really use some help. If you’re interested in becoming a member, one of us will be happy to fill you in. If not, please help us by doing your part in
reporting any debris floating or stationary on the shorelines. It will make a difference!
The following link will lead you to the debris form and can be found anytime on the LLA website homepage under the “Quick link”drop down.
Have a great and safe summer.
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With the impact of the pandemic waning, it is great that many of us can begin socializing and enjoying the many benefits of LVL.The appearance of the lake this season has been excellent. Our Debris Committee has worked with Appalachian Power to keep the lake relatively debris-free and the Water Quality Committee continues its efforts to protect the lake by identifying threats and developing management strategies to cope with these threats.
The health of LVL remains very good and exhibits the characteristics of a maturing lake. However, LVL faces challenges from outside forces, and the Water Quality Team has focused its attention on two of these external challenges. The first is the influx of low-quality water from the Pigg River. Particularly after rain events, inflow from the Pigg River contains a great deal of sediment and increased levels of bacteria; levels that exceed state standards for recreational waters. This water quality has declined in recent years, and it has been impacted by removal of the Pigg River dam and increased rainfall. Hopefully, the
impact of dam removal will decline as the riverbed stabilizes. However, there are areas where runoff will continue to pose a problem and we strive to identify these problematic
areas.
Although contamination in Rocky Mount did not impact the health of our lake, our water monitoring efforts identified human waste contamination at Rocky Mount. In collaboration with the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, that work resulted in identification and elimination of the source of contamination.
The second issue of concern is low oxygen levels in the upper region of LVL (corresponding to the region roughly above mile marker 11.) This situation is impacted by SML dam operations. Because the dam’s turbines are located at a water depth with low oxygen content in the SML forebay, water released during power generation contains low oxygen content. This situation is most evident in the fall, and we have observed fish in the upper region of LVL piping at that time. Because release of water with low oxygen
content violates Appalachian Power’s federal license, they will be working with our committee and the technical review committee to develop strategies to correct this issue.
Our water monitoring for the 2021 season is well underway. Dr. Shahady (University of Lynchburg) has been monitoring water quality in LVL since April and our Water Quality Committee began its monitoring of LVL in June. With financial support from the Tri-County
Lake Administrative Commission (TLAC), we will continue our water monitoring of the Pigg River in September-October. Furthermore, we maintain collaboration with the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality on our investigations of the Pigg River.
At the conclusion of this season’s work, it is my intent to relinquish chairmanship of the Water Quality Committee. Although I will continue to serve on the committee, I find it necessary to reduce my involvement. I encourage those with an interest in our committee’s
activities to consider volunteering to serve on the committee.
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Fire extinguishers are an often neglected item on our seasonal check list. Here are some tips of what to look at:
*check extinguisher gauges monthly
*make sure they’re at full pressure; gauges can sometimes be unreliable
recharge size I and II rechargeable extinguishers at a qualified service center. Rechargeable extinguishers have metal, not plastic, heads. Get them inspected
annually.
check for corrosion or mechanical damage to the extinguisher case
check and clean the discharge nozzle. Insects love to build nests inside.
slowly rock dry chemical extinguishers from an upright to an upside down position several times. If you feel a thud, chemical has stuck together. This means
the extinguisher won’t function properly.
never test a marine extinguisher by partially discharging it. It could leak and become unusable. Always make sure to recharge or replace partially discharged
extinguishers.
purchase only Coast Guard approved extinguishers designed for marine use.
And while checking your Fire Extinguishers, put an eye on your Life Vests. Are they in GOOD condition? Remember, if there is a fire and you need to abandon ship, grab a Life
Vest. They float when you don’t.
Recently, groups of young people have been spotted in the lake, on tubes, without PFDs. Please remind your guests that wearing flotation devices while tubing is required, and just makes good sense!
Gerry is conducting Vessel Safety Checks again on a “call me” basis. My dock, your dock, driveway, garage.
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Native Plants of Leesville Lake
This quarterly column will be about native plants that live at or below the 613 foot contour level of Leesville Lake, which fluctuates between 600 and 613 feet. Each issue will feature a different species.
Helenium autumnale, a member of the aster family, is a 2-5 ft., erect perennial with many elongate leaves and numerous flower heads. It has a winged stem bearing yellow, daisy-like flower heads with fan-shaped, drooping rays. The disk flowers form a conspicuous, greenish-yellow, ball-like structure at center of the head. The
flowers have raised centers and have wedge-shaped, yellow petals that end in three teeth. Its common name, Sneezeweed, does not derive from the effects of its pollen, but rather, it is based on its former use; its dried leaves can be made into a snuff and then inhaled to cause sneezing that would supposedly rid the body of evil spirits. Perhaps more practically, it was also used as a way
to loosen up a head cold by sneezing.
Sneezeweed is also known as Helen’s flower and false sunflower. The genus
name, Helenium, refers to the famous Helen of Troy. There is a legend that these flowers sprang from the ground where Helen’s tears fell.
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The Sneezeweed’s yellow blooms can be seen from July thru October in moist, open areas along streams & ponds and wet meadows. The plant attracts butterflies and is of special value to native bees capable of attracting large numbers. It grows in sunny areas above the 607 ft contour of Leesville Lake, scattered among the other plants or on its own. It is native in all of the lower 48 states and the southern half of Canada. The local varieties have more yellow and less green in the center ball.
By the way, in the background of the picture is an invasive weed named tall lespedeza. Destroy them whenever you can!
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OK folks, 2021 LAKE TIME is here! The sun is shining, families are back loving to come visit so get out those phones and cameras as it is time to start taking pictures and sharing with the Calendar staff for the 2022 calendar. Please
make your memories part of the Leesville Lake family by sending in your pictures. As long as we get plenty of photos, the calendar should be available by the October General Meeting.
Upload your photos here.
Thanks for your participation and we look forward to seeing you on and around the Jewel of the Blue Ridge, Leesville Lake.
Phyllis
Garlick
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“Leesville Lake Life” magazine, a twice-yearly publication of the Womack Publishing Company, publisher of the Altavista Journal, is out and
available at over 30 local merchants and restaurants in and around Leesville Lake.
Pick one up and enjoy the articles and photos featuring our lake and surrounding area.
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Have you seen it? We’re back. The
LLA Facebook page is featuring regular posts again. Check it out,
follow it, invite your friends to follow. We welcome your
contributions (photos, information, alerts, comments, likes, etc.)
regarding the lake. Let’s build the lake community page together!
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