Corps, state to hold Gathright Dam stakeholders meeting June 5

Published May 29, 2019
Updated: June 3, 2019
Gathright Dam in Alleghany County, Virginia, impounds water flowing down the Jackson River to create the 2,500-acre Lake Moomaw. Since opening in 1979, the dam has prevented numerous floods, saving countless dollars and lives.

Gathright Dam in Alleghany County, Virginia, impounds water flowing down the Jackson River to create the 2,500-acre Lake Moomaw. Since opening in 1979, the dam has prevented numerous floods, saving countless dollars and lives.

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Norfolk District, in conjunction with the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries and Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, will host a stakeholders meeting this week to present results of the recent targeted bug study conducted to address data gaps in the Jackson River upstream of Smith Bridge.

The meeting, which is open to the public, takes place 10 a.m. to noon Wednesday at the Gathright Dam Visitors Center near Covington, Virginia.

USACE will provide an update on the science and effectiveness of pulse releases, while state officials discuss Jackson River monitoring results related to environmental and fishery impacts.

Other agenda topics include dam safety and water control. Presentations will also cover water quality, algae, benthic zones and a special dissolved oxygen study.

Representatives from each agency will be available for questions after the meeting.