Public hearing on how much water should be released from Smith Mountain Lake to the Staunton River.

GRETNA - Nearly 2,000 people turned out for a public hearing Thursday night on how much water should be released from Smith Mountain Lake to the Staunton River.

Lake property owners and river supporters quickly filled the 450-seat auditorium at Gretna High School, forcing officials to move the meeting outside to the school's football field.

Lake groups, homeowners, and businesses want Smith Mountain Lake kept at or near full pond to ensure safe boating, recreation, and marine fire and rescue services.

Landowners downstream want enough water released for recreation, canoeing, stream bank conservation, and fishing.

Both had an opportunity to present their sides at a Virginia Department of Environmental Quality public hearing on Appalachian Power Company's water protection permit.

The permit, which is issued by the State Water Control Board, will regulate the discharge of water from Appalachian's hydroelectric turbines at Smith Mountain and Leesville dams.






Both dams are in Pittsylvania County. Smith Mountain discharges water from Smith Mountain Lake to Leesville Lake and to the Staunton River downstream.

The pump-storage project, which began more than 40 years ago, also pumps back water from Leesville Lake to Smith Mountain Lake.

The permit is part of Appalachian Power's relicensing by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

Appalachian's current permit, which expires in 2010, calls for a minimum water release of 650 cubic feet per second.

However, the power company has been granted variances in recent years to further reduce the flow in drought conditions.

Appalachian is presently operating under a variance that cut the release to 550 cfs.

The new permit includes three "drought triggers" that would automatically reduce the amount of water released by Leesville Dam into the Staunton River.

Triggers are based on a complex variety of factors, including the time of year, and were developed by DEQ in consultation with the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries and Virginia Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.

"Basically, we're trying to balance the releases and trying to mitigate things in the Staunton River," said Joe Hassell with DEQ's Water Division in Richmond.

Hassell, who held a brief information meeting before the public hearing, said under proposed permit, the minimum release during the most severe drought would be 375 cfs.

According to Hassell, the first trigger would typically occur in early July, followed by the second in August when the lake level drops by about two feet.

The third trigger - the most severe reduction in water releases - might only happen about once every 15 years, he said.

State Water Control Board member John Thompson said the board will decide the permit at its Oct. 16 meeting in Richmond.

River supporters - many wearing red "Friends of the Staunton River " caps - outnumbered lake property owners by as much as two to one.

More than 50 people spoke during the two-and-a-half-hour hearing. Speakers were pretty evenly divided for and against the permit.

J.T. Davis, president of Friends of the Staunton River, the oldest "river keeper" group on the Staunton, supports the proposed permit, but suggested some "tweaking" may be needed.

"While we have some reservations about the predictive model, we are willing to give it a try, " he said, noting the permit calls for a review after five years.

Davis and others also spoke on behalf of Staunton River Watch and Citizens for the Preservation of the River.

"When the Staunton River was offered for scenic river status and accepted, we equate that to us taking her hand in marriage," he said.

"We vowed to honor her, cherish her, and protect her till death do us part. We will not stand by and see her violated. We have defended her in the past, we will defend her now, and will continue to defend her in the future."

Brenda Guthrie Short of Brookneal reminded lake residents of the importance of sharing water.

"Hoarding water is selfish and wrong," said Short, whose family also owns property at Smith Mountain Lake.

"The river was here long before Smith Mountain Lake," she said. "We should all share in the pain and make sacrifices."

Short said she has heard some lake residents refer to river supporters as "tubing rednecks."

"If tubing and recreation on the Staunton River means you are a redneck, then I'm proud to be one here tonight," she said.

Nine-year-old Brittany Roller of Clover said it is almost impossible to enjoy the river when water levels are low.

"There is not enough water to launch our boat or even get to our favorite fishing hole," she said.

"God gave us the Staunton River," said Roller. "It is our job to protect it. Please do not kill our river."

Roy Bradley agreed. "The river is dying and dying quickly," he said. "If we don't do something to improve the quality of that river, it won't be there."

Billy Davis of Brookneal offered some homespun advice to lake property owners.

"There is an old saying in the South that it's hard to run a dog off his own porch," he said.

"I was born and raised on the Staunton River; so was my father and my grandfather before me," said Davis. "People like me, who have been here for generations are not going anywhere.

"Others made a conscious decision to buy property on Smith Mountain Lake. If they are not happy, they can choose to move on."

Lake property owners and supporters also had their turn.

Franklin County Board of Supervisors member Russ Johnson, chairman of the Tri-County Relicensing Committee, said the permit is not ready to be approved.

According to Johnson, the permit doesn't take into account drinking water or fire and rescue safety on the lake.

He suggested delaying approval until stakeholders can hold a roundtable discussion in September moderated by the University of Virginia's Weldon Cooper Center.

"We believe there is too much at stake," said Johnson.

John Lindsey, a member of the Tri-County Lake Administrative Commission, also asked the board to postpone its decision until more information can be obtained.

"I support fair and balanced," he said "but share the pain has different meanings on different sides of the dam."

Lindsey noted that water is low at lake because Appalachian Power is required to release more than is coming in.

"In a normal year, we will gladly release all the water they want," he said. "But we can't make water. We should not have to give them what we don't have."

Dr. David Lortscher said the permit penalizes lake residents and businesses.

Thousands built homes and docks on Smith Mountain Lake with the understanding that lake levels would be kept constant, he said, but low water is "leaving the waterfront high and dry."

Lortscher cited the economic impact of low water levels on businesses and home values, and said lake homeowners should demand new property assessments, which would cut tax revenue for Franklin, Bedford, and Pittsylvania counties.

DEQ is accepting public comment on Appalachian Power's permit through Aug. 22. Comments may be submitted by email, fax, or postal mail.

Written comments must include the writer's name, mailing address, and telephone number.

Comments may be emailed to jphassell@deq.virginia.gov, faxed to (804) 698-4327, or mailed to DEQ, 629 East Main Street, Richmond, Va. 23219.

For more information, contact Joe Hassell with the DEQ's Water Division at (804) 698-4072 or by email at jphassell@deq.virginia.gov.