Newsletter July 2025

Table of Contents

Presidents Letter

Beautification Day Report

Treasurer’s Report

Safety and Education

Debris Committee

Water Quality Report

Nominating and Calendar Committee

Navigation Committee

Help Wanted

From the President

Roy Kelley 



Hello Leesville Lake Association and welcome to summer! 

The temperature is up and the lake is calling. It’s time to get out on the boat, drop a fishing line off the dock, take a swim or just sip a cup of coffee and enjoy being at the lake. 

We had an amazingly beautiful spring. The weather had been incredibly mild, and the lake has been welcoming. I had the opportunity to participate in a lake survey just before our Beautification Day (June 14th) and the lake was pristine. The rains throughout the spring had been light enough to not trigger high flow rates on the Pigg River, so our lake has had one of the lightest debris levels on record this spring. As of my typing this newsletter, the week of the first day of summer arriving, that has all changed. One heavy rain pushed the Pigg River over 9 feet and our lake got hit hard with debris.

Of course the timing on this was not good as we had just finished our Beautification Day and our lake was looking soooo good. The good news is, the crew from APCo was out immediately and began cleaning up… once again.

Your Leesville Lake Association Volunteer Board continues to work hard for you and as the summer closes, we will be saying thank you and farewell to a few of our current board members. With the influx of new neighbors, I encourage you to invite them to join the Leesville Lake Association and some of you, to join us as board members. We will need to replace the two we are losing this year. 

For those that haven’t signed up for the Annual Picnic, please do so quickly. We need an accurate count to ensure we have enough delicious food for all to enjoy. As a reminder, the Leesville Lake Annual Picnic will be Saturday, July 12 at the Leesville Lake Marina. Lunch starts at 12:00.

Roy Kelley

Beautification Day

Roy Kelley

A huge thank you to all the boaters, front loader operators, chainsaw operators, wood haulers and financial supporters who contributed to the 2025 Leesville Lake Beautification Day. This year’s lake cleanup day was another big success. Even with a spring with minimal debris on the lake, we still pulled a new record number of 55.19 tons of debris. Just barely beating last year’s number of 55.17 tons. 

Of note, this year APCo used both their barge and the new skimmer to help remove debris on our Beautification Day. A fantastic and much appreciated contribution from the APCo team.

For those who participated, but I was not able to get you your T-shirt, please visit our T-shirt booth at the picnic and pick yours up. If you couldn’t participate in our Beautification Day but want a T-shirt for you and your family members, stop by the booth and buy what you like. We still have some carryover from previous years at highly discounted prices.

Treasurer’s Report

Edwin Hanson



I wish I could be at the picnic with you this year, but I will be in Arizona enjoying a little warmth and sunshine. However, I have finished the proposed budget for FY2025-26 for everyone to vote on during the picnic. I will have a packet available for members to pick up along with your invoice during sign-in. 

We have changed the scope of the Pigg River Studies which reduced both our Income and Expenses in the coming fiscal year. In FY24-25, we budgeted about $81K in income and $78K in expenses. In the upcoming FY25-26 we are asking you to approve about $74K in income and $70K in expenses. The packet will have more details, and the Committee Chairs will be available to answer questions prior to the vote.

As we enter the last quarter of our fiscal year, the Association is in great health financially. This past year, we saw increases in our donations for both general use and beautification day. There is no need to raise our membership fee at this time, so the membership fee remains at $25.00 a year. Several members have already renewed for the coming year and you are all welcome to renew online or in person at the picnic. Leanne and I hope to see many of you on and around the lake this summer.

Edwin Hanson

Safety and Education Report

Jeff Markiewicz

        With the completion of Beautification Day, Leesville Lake is in an improved state (from a water safety perspective) to support your summer boating activities!  A review of the last four years of water incident reports from the Virgina Department of Water Resources (DWR) (2021-2024) Leesville Lake has not had any fatalities or incidents reported to DWR. Continued vigilance while on the water is still warranted as debris may still be present especially with the recent rains and in the future, after water level increases.

              The Water Safety Committee performed Vessel Safety Checks back on May 17^th and several boat owners have already taken advantage. We will be performing Vessel Safety Checks again at the Membership Appreciation Picnic on July 12 at the Leesville Lake Marina and Grill. The Safety Checks are a voluntary check to ensure that you have the required safety equipment on your boat, personal watercraft or paddle craft. If all the required safety equipment is present a decal can be attached to your craft so that others will know you are a safe boater. If any required equipment is not present or not operational you will be notified of the issue and have an opportunity to correct it and have your craft be rechecked. The checks are independent of Law Enforcement, conducted by Local US Power Squadron vessel safety examiners. Not passing a Vessel Safety Check is not reported to DWR or any other law enforcement agency. If you cannot make it to the Membership picnic or it is inconvenient to bring your boat there, reach out to the Safety committee by email at safety@leesvillelake.org to arrange a safety check.

              If you have not had a chance to take a boater safety class or just want a refresher there are still a few classes being offered by DWR and the local US power squadron (America’s boating club) in July. The DWR administers registration for their class in addition to power squadron and coast guard auxiliary. The link to class registration is available on the Lake Associations website in the boating safety tab under Resources. If you have any questions or need help finding a class, please contact the safety committee by email at safety@leesvillelake.org  

              Thanks to our teammates at Smith Mountain Sail and Power Squadron, Virginia DWR and the Local US Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla for all their efforts to improve boater safety and education on Leesville Lake.

              With the hot weather of summer be sure to stay hydrated, be Safe and I Hope to see you on the water!

Jeff Markiewicz

Debris Committee

Pam McMillan



Hello Members – Welcome to Summertime!

As of mid-June (when this update was originally prepared), the lake was in very good condition. We’d benefited from steady spring rains without experiencing any significant high-flow events from the Pigg River. In fact, for the first time since I’ve been involved with the Debris Committee, Smith Mountain Lake had seen much higher debris loads than Leesville—especially this early in the season.

Unfortunately, that brief reprieve did not last. Shortly after submitting our original update, the Pigg River experienced a significant high-flow event that delivered countless tons of debris into Leesville Lake. This sudden influx has reversed the earlier trend and serves as a sobering reminder of how quickly lake conditions can change. AEP has already begun cleanup and monitoring efforts, and we’re grateful for the continued diligence of those on the water.

Earlier this year we were informed by Appalachian Power that the proposed Pigg River boom containment project, submitted last year for agency permitting, was initially rejected due to design concerns. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is requiring a more comprehensive navigational study. While this is not a final denial—thankfully—it does represent a frustrating delay, especially in light of this recent high-flow event. At this stage, LLA can help move the process forward by submitting letters of support to the reviewing agencies, emphasizing the critical safety and environmental benefits of this project.

In the meantime, we urge boaters to remain especially vigilant. Debris can appear in unexpected areas even under calm conditions—and even more so following a high-water event. Please continue to help us—and AEP—by reporting debris sightings using the Debris Report Form, which can be easily accessed via the quick link on LLA’s website.

Wishing you a safe and enjoyable time on the water,

Pam McMillan – Chair

Rob Johnson

Dave Rives

Tom Galvanek

Gary McMillan

Roy Kelley

Safe Boating!

debris@leesvillelake.org

Mythical Beast Sighted

The long awaited AEP Skimmer has been sighted on the lake numerous times this summer! We are all excited to see the ongoing efforts to keep the lake clean!

Water Quality Report

Lakeside Gardening Tips

Charlie Hamilton



Happy Summer! Leesville Lake Water Quality is very good and will support all of your swimming, fishing and recreational activities. One way to help keep Leesville Lake Water Quality great is to create Buffer Gardens. I’ve excepted from an article by John Rupnik, Chairman, SMLA Buffer Landscaping Committee to describe how to create a Buffer Garden:

Buffer gardening is one of the easiest ways that lakefront homeowners can improve the water quality of our lake. The slowing of rain coming off the shoreline reduces erosion and also provides a filter for water that does enter the lake.

What Is the Best Size for a Buffer Garden?

The ideal size for a buffer garden depends on the slope of your lot and shoreline. The steeper the shoreline and lot, the deeper (wider) the garden should be.

The goal is to reduce water runoff. The steeper the lot, the faster the water wants to drain off it. Your garden should be sized accordingly – as wide as needed to capture flow – from 10 feet deep in gently-sloped shorelines to 30 feet or more on steeper lots.

Landscaping for Gently Sloped Shorelines

 Many gently sloped shorelines have planted lawns from the home down to the riprap. Heavy rain will cause water to flow over the grass and bring lawn fertilizer and/or pesticides directly to the lake water. This unintended introduction of nutrients is one cause of harmful algal blooms.

I have heard concerns that a buffer garden will inhibit the view, whereas the grass will not. Gardens can be created using low lying vegetation that do not interrupt the view.

Should I Use Mulch Near the ShorelIne?

 Mulch presents a consistent, well-maintained look for the shoreline and can help inhibit nutrient, pollutant and sediment runoff. But during high-water events much of this mulch may end up in the lake.

Mulch can be used on gently sloped lots since the gentle slope does not trigger heavy runoff. The mulch will help to capture this runoff along with the deeply-rooted plants within the mulch bed.

The more recently the mulch was laid, the more likely you will lose some of it. The older the mulch, the more likely it has settled and firmed up. Also, if under a permit, mulch is the only material authorized to use at the shoreline.

Landscaping for Steeply Sloped Shorelines

For steeply-sloped lots, the choice of plants and size/density of the garden become important. The steeper the lot, the deeper and denser the buffer garden needs to be. Larger plants are needed.In many cases, the buffer garden can incorporate foliage that is already there, such as mountain laurels and existing trees. No mulch is needed when plants are dense and planted right to the riprap.

Planting Below the 620 Foot Elevation Line

AEP supports plants that are native to Virginia. Natives are deep rooted and are hardier in our climate. In fact, native plantings are required if you are removing vegetation and therefore need an AEP permit.

The Buffer Landscaping section of the SMLA website offers a list of native plants to consider. You will also find more resources for planning and planting your buffer garden.

Many thanks to our LLA Water Quality Committee : Debbie Oliver, Kathleen Giangi, Dave Waterman, Tony Capuco, and University of Lynchburg Limnologist Dr Tom Shahady for all their efforts to keep Leesville Lake healthy!

Charlie Hamilton

LLA Water Quality Chair

Nominating and Calendar Committees

Teri Thomas



Happy Summer to all our LLA members! 

The Nominating Committee is in search of members who may be interested in volunteering on our board. We have open director positions and a need for those who would be interested in serving on a committee.  

Board members meet monthly on the 2^nd Thursday in Altavista, where we discuss our beautiful lake and what can be done to make it even better.  If interested or for more information, please contact Teri Thomas at 703-895-0256 or speak to any board member.

Calendar Subcommittee



SALE!! The board will have 2025 calendars available for sale for $5.00 at the July 12 Annual Picnic and General Meeting. Pick one up and enjoy all the wonderful pictures submitted by our membership from all around our lake.

Remember you can upload photos throughout the year so don’t miss sending in those beautiful pictures from around the lake for the 2026 calendar! Photo size should be at least 1Mb and can be uploaded at Picture Upload – Leesville Lake Association.

Navigation Committee

Glenn Coleman

The Navigation Committee has three issues we are working on in July 2025.



1.   We will continue to check the mile markers and hazard buoys as we are able.

2.   Glenn will be working with Barry Guidry, GIS Systems Analyst, Pittsylvania County to develop a towed watersports map of Leesville Lake in accordance with guidelines approved by the LLA Board.

3.   The process has been initiated to gain approval for a hazard buoy at the upper end of the island nearest to the Toler’s Ferry bridge near mile marker 12. Continued sediment buildup has created a hazard there.