The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (VDEQ) visited Lake Anna February 18 to investigate two incidents of reported sedimentation and run off. Precipitation and melting snowfall contributed to each.
Heavy rains around Lake Anna the prior week caused a pond dam to breach on property located off Johnson Road between the intersection with Kentucky Springs and Buckners Lane. The resulting wash of water and sediment impacted a half mile stretch of creek and caused a heavy sediment flow into the back of Elk Creek in Cooling Pond 2.
Anglers first noticed this issue and reported it to Louisa County Community Development and a County Code enforcement officer was sent to inspect this site. After the initial inspection DEQ was contacted.
Louisa County is waiting on the results and recommendation of the DEQ inspection to the site.
During the week of February 10 Clarke Construction self-reported a release of turbid water from a containment pond constructed at the Lake Anna Technology Campus. Residents of Aspen Hill and Eagle’s Cove communities in Pond 1 of the WHTF and anglers noticed silt-ladden water flowing into the lake from a creek that drained the AWS site and contacted Cuckoo District Supervisor Christopher C. McCotter.
After inspection, DEQ made three recommendations to Clarke which included re-flagging a wetland area, seeding grass in March and April and installing turbidity screens in said ponds. Clarke also made upgrades to the outflow of the containment pond that created the turbid water issue.
“I think it admirable that the issue at the Lake Anna Technology Campus was self-reported. That is what a good neighbor does. The pond dam break and subsequent release of flood water, mud and silt at the site off Johnson Road is the opposite. It has severely impacted a stretch of stream and a section of the lake that has been stable for years and will now require a significant investment from the property owner to mitigate,” noted McCotter. “Thank you to everyone that texted and emailed me photos. I know how much we all care about the lake and incidents like these need to be addressed quickly.”
