URGENT - VIRGINIA - OCCOQUAN RIVER DAM AT OCCOQUAN IN DANGER OF FAILURE

National Weather Service Forecast Office - Sterling, VA ^ | February 23, 2003 | National Weather Service

[leadpenny]

I can't get over how big that water treatment facility is. It's been under construction for about three years and by the looks of it, has at least that much more to go. The Occoquan Reservoir is big but not that big. I wonder if there are plans to raise the level of the dam again?

[Chairman_December_19th_Society]

The Occoquan Reservoir is big but not that big. I wonder if there are plans to raise the level of the dam again?

If true, that'll bring the eko-wackos out in force.

[Bill Davis FR]

several high-price housing developments have been built...some land has been reserved for parklands...

[Delphinium]

Do you have any snow over there? We have almost none in North Idaho. I am kinda worried about what the summer will bring.

[CJinVA]

Lorton Prison is where the Cold War Legacy Museum is going to be located (hopefully). The old Nike site on the prison grounds. Francis Gary Powers Jr. heads up the organization.

www.coldwar.org

[StayAt HomeMother]

A couple important details: The Occoquan Reservoir is the major water source for million-person Fairfax County. (Twenty years ago the County downzoned over 40,000 acres just above the dam to one house per five acres. VERY nice houses, of course, are in this Occoquan Watershed area.) On the Fairfax side, the land right next to the river is almost all parkland.

Also worth mentioning is that just downstream of the dam are three bridges: Route 123, US Highway One, and Interstate 95, the main freeway up the East Coast.

The Feds (greatly motivated by Tom Davis, Republican congressman for this area) have given a lot of the former Lorton prison land to Fairfax County. (DC prisoners have been relocated further away, but that story could make up its own thread.) Lots of recreational uses are planned for the former prison land, as well as some houses and schools. In any case, this site is not right next to the river.

The Occoquan above the dam is the site of a lot of crew regattas. Yesterday afternoon a high school crew official visited the site about a half mile above the dam and observed the dam was open with a lot of water flowing downriver. Still a lot of snow on the ground. The river was completely frozen over as far he could see, except for about a football field size area right off the boat launch area. Thickness underdetermined. The river was high with the launching docks underwater and / or frozen in.

Above freezing today, and more rain.

[IGOTMINE]

I have a condo high up on the Occoquan Reservoir. Maybe I'm crazy, but is sure seems like the ice is moving downstream. Am I imagining things, or has something happened at the dam?

[abnegation]

We have no snow, right now. I've never seen it this dry myself either.

[AnAmericanMother]

Flash floods are very scary.

I'm a kayaker, and I won't go on a river that's flood stage or anywhere near flood stage. The power of water moving downhill in volume is AWESOME! Even when the river is just in its normal flow, I've been flipped, dumped, busted in waves, washed out in holes, etc. and I don't fool around with floods.

But I have been at rivers when I didn't even take my kayak off the roof of my truck, and watched total idiots pack their beer and fishing rods in their Army surplus rafts and shove off.

[TheRightGuy]

This is what I love about FR,,there is always someone who knows alot,,we even have dam experts

Everybody on FR seems to think they're a dam expert about somethin' or 'nother. That's what we got, too dam many experts.

< inane humor = off>

[Corin Stormhands]

Water is not supposed to top a dam.

It actually depends on the design and structure of the dam. Some are actually designed to restrict the flow of water, but still allow water to flow over the top.

Bosher Dam in Richmond, on the James River is one. The dam height is about 20-25 ft. and there is normally a nice waterfall there. This morning the water was rushing, but there was no dam, the water level on the lower side had reached the top of the dam.

[Corin Stormhands]

You okay bro?

[Corin Stormhands]

Kelley Barnes Dam in Toccoa, GA. 1977. 39 people were killed.

I remember that. I was in college in Kentucky and it was a prayer request in chapel. Some (all?) of the people lost were associate with Toccoa Falls college. Several of our faculty knew people that were lost.

[AnAmericanMother]

Everybody on FR seems to think they're a dam expert about somethin' or 'nother. That's what we got, too dam many experts.

LOL! Ain't that the truth! My dad always says that an expert is just a damfool with a briefcase from out of town. And here, we're ALL from out of town!

I'm no "dam' expert", just an old insurance fire investigator with an interest in structures and disasters.

[AnAmericanMother]

That's right - Toccoa Bible College. IIRC, the campus was right below the dam, and they had modified the spillway at some point to generate electricity for the college.

I remember it was a terrible shock to that little school. Our church has a camp/retreat fairly nearby, so our priests knew a lot of the folks over there. Toccoa's not a big town and it was an awful blow to all the people there. Everybody in that town STILL knows everybody else.

[Interesting Times]

Ping.

[fella]

"It's prime real estate land - hopefully something nice will be put there."

Yeah! Like a mosque ad INS deportation center.

[fella]

My dear depated Mothe was born in Taccoa in 1909.

[g'nad]

yup... if my hill goes under, then the whole East coast is in trouble...

[katykelly]

My hubby and I made a trip to Idaho to see the remains of that dam and visit the museum. Amazing more people weren't killed.

BTW, I'm on the western slope of Colorado. We've had no snow.