NORFOLK, Va. -- The Norfolk District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced a change to two pulse release dates scheduled in August and early September.
The six pulses, and the amended dates, are scheduled for the following Wednesdays:
June 25
July 23
Aug. 20
Sept. 10
Sept. 24
Oct. 15
All dates are subject to change based on weather conditions and rainfall.
The pulses, conducted by the Norfolk District in cooperation with the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality and the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, will begin at approximately 6 a.m. and end at 1:30 p.m. and will increase levels 3 to 4.5 feet in the Jackson River.
The agencies advise people who use the river to be aware of the river fluctuations caused by the pulses, which are a deviation from the Dam’s existing water control plan.
The releases will not have negative effects on the water levels at Lake Moomaw; levels are expected to remain slightly above where they would have been under the existing water control plan. The water reserved in the lake from the reduced flow will be used for the pulse releases, similar to how the Corps conducted the pulses in 2013.
“The pulses will allow us to gather another full season of monitoring data,” said Owen Reece, Norfolk District hydraulic engineer. “The data will help to document the water quality and environmental benefits of an alternate water control plan for the dam.”
A recording of daily Gathright Dam information – release rates, water temperature and more – is available at 540-965-4117.