Press Releases
- 07-24-2008Craney Island Mosquito Spraying July 27
- 07-22-2008Corps, NOAA Deploy 'Smart Buoy' in Chesapeake Bay
- 07-16-2008Lake Drummond Reservation reopens; Dismal Swamp Canal to reduce lock openings to 2 per day
- 06-13-2008Lake Drummond, Reservation temporarily closes due to wildfire threat
- 06-02-2008FNOD Advisory Board Meeting
Last updated: July 21, 2008
News
Stolen truck discovered by Army Corps vessel!
January 31, 2008
By Brittany Brown
Norfolk District Public Affairs
CHESAPEAKE, Va. – In preparation for the anticipated reopening of the lock operations on the Dismal Swamp Canal, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Norfolk District discovered a 1999 Ford 150 truck on the west side of the canal near the feeder ditch while performing routine debris removal operations. The Army Corps Vessel Elizabeth crew quickly removed the truck before it caused significant damage to future boaters navigating the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway. Subsequent investigation by the city of Chesapeake Police Department revealed that the truck was reported stolen in 2003 by Marine Environmental Corporation of Portsmouth, Va.
The suspension of the locks at the Dismal Swamp Canal has been in effect since October 30, 2007, when the water levels dropped to 3.6 feet from its normal controlling depth of six feet. Since the lock closure, the water level at Lake Drummond, which feeds into the Dismal Swamp Canal, has raised 10 inches. The current lake level of 4.4 feet is expected to increase due to rain forecasted over the next two weeks. The Corps will announce the canal’s reopening once a firm date has been set. Since 1977, the Dismal Swamp Canal has been temporarily closed 15 times due to low water levels in Lake Drummond.
As two important facets of the Army Corps’ civil works mission, debris removal and dredging operations ensure that vessels from the smallest recreational boat to the largest container ship are able to safely transit local waterways. Over the years, Norfolk District crews have removed pieces of pilings and piers, abandoned vessels and even a dead whale.
Boaters are also encouraged to contact the Norfolk District to report hazards to navigation. For more information on contacting the Norfolk District to report hazards to navigation, visit www.armyengineersnorfolk.com/navigationhazards.