Gathright Dam to conduct fourth pulse release of 2013

Public Affairs
Published Sept. 20, 2013
Gathright Dam's intake tower stands out in Lake Moomaw Oct. 13, 2010. The dam and Lake Moomaw Project provide flood protection of industrial, commerical and residential properties along the Jackson and James rivers with immediate impact on Covington, Va.

Gathright Dam's intake tower stands out in Lake Moomaw Oct. 13, 2010. The dam and Lake Moomaw Project provide flood protection of industrial, commerical and residential properties along the Jackson and James rivers with immediate impact on Covington, Va.

NORFOLK – The Norfolk District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, will conduct a pulse release at Gathright Dam, near Covington, Va., on Tuesday, Sept. 24, beginning at approximately 6 a.m. 

The water release will gradually increase and peak at 3,500 cubic feet per second by 9 a.m.

The maximum surge will last two hours, begin to gradually decrease at 11 a.m., and return to 240 cfs by 2 p.m.

People should be aware of river fluctuations caused by the pulse: the water level downstream in the Jackson River is expected to rise up to five feet in some sections and up to three feet in the upper James River, but will remain several feet below flood stage. 

In some areas, the rate of the river rise may exceed two feet per hour.

Releases from Gathright Dam are normally at a constant height and flow during this time of year.

The controlled release will help determine whether the pulses effectively remove algae and improve water quality in the lower Jackson River.

The final pulse release of 2013 is scheduled for Oct. 15 and is subject to hydrological conditions.

The pulses are part of the Low Flow Augmentation Project for the Gathright Dam and Lake Moomaw Project to improve the overall water quality and ecological resources in the lower Jackson River. The series of pulses was developed, in cooperation with the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality and the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries.