Category Archives: News

Construction Starting – Impacts to Access.

Construction will be starting soon – Water access is closing on Oct 17, impacts to trail access:

Reservoir Park Construction Getting Underway!

After many years of community input, stakeholder feedback, careful planning and design, construction for Reservoir Park is finally underway! Reservoir Park will be situated on the southeast side of Beaverdam Reservoir. The park is being funded and constructed under a partnership between Loudoun Water, which owns and maintains the 300-acre reservoir as a source of drinking water for Loudoun County residents and NOVA Parks, a regional park authority in Northern Virginia.

The innovative park design includes an entrance road, parking lot, welcome center, restroom building, crew facility, boat rental facility, several pavilions, trails, waterfront boardwalks, a bridge, plantings, site utilities, educational exhibits, and various other site features — all designed with source water protection in mind.

With the project starting, there will be new rules for public access. Beginning October 1, reservoir water levels will be drawn down to facilitate construction.  To ensure the safety of park users, water access will be closed beginning on Monday, October 17.  Fishing, boating, paddling or other water activities will not be permitted. Once construction activities allow for the reservoir to refill naturally, and the water reaches a safe level, access will be re-opened sometime in third quarter of 2023. This timeline is based on various conditions and is not definitive.

During construction, NOVA Parks will continue to manage public access of the surrounding property. Trails near the southeast portion of the reservoir will be closed during construction. Restricted areas will be well-marked for visitor safety by Meridian Construction Co., Inc. 

At this stage, it is anticipated that substantial completion of Reservoir Park will be in the first quarter of 2024 and the park grand opening will take place in Spring/Summer 2024.

Park construction progress, announcements, and schedule updates will be posted on www.loudounwater.org and www.novaparks.com.

Together, Loudoun Water and NOVA Parks have developed Reservoir Park to promote the health and wellness of local citizens and visitors. Interpretive destinations will focus on their strong partnership, highlighting the connections between ecological health, human health, and recreation — as well as their mission to protect the national resources entrusted to their care.

If you are visiting to hike the 2.3-mile long Reservoir Trail, please park at Brambleton Community Park West (22389 Belmont Ridge Rd.) and access the trailhead as shown here. The community park trailhead has plenty of parking available. Please do not access trails or park in local neighborhoods. 

Missing PADDLE BOARDER

A paddleboarder has been reported missing. Hopefully they are found safe. Please everyone be safe out on the water, always wear a PFD/Lifejacket for when the unexpected happens.

https://www.loudountimes.com/loudoun-county-first-responders-search-for-overdue-paddle-boarder-around-beaverdam-reservoir/article_9bb62800-0f5c-11eb-b0c2-ef512bf9663e.html

The paddle boarder has been found. A very unfortunate incident. Our thoughts are with the family.

Updated Opening Date:May 2020

Just in from our friends at Loudoun Water:

Beaverdam Reservoir Water Access to Re-Open

Loudoun Water and NOVA Parks are pleased to announce that recreational activities on Beaverdam Reservoir will be allowed in May 2020. Public access will be located at the Mount Hope Road entrance. The exact date will be determined soon. Once open, Beaverdam Reservoir is typically open from dawn to dusk daily. Hours can vary based on the season. Please note parking may be limited.

Beaverdam Reservoir is first and foremost a source of public drinking water. Loudoun Water has partnered with NOVA Parks to manage recreational activities and public access. To ensure users can safely enjoy the reservoir, refer to the NOVA Parks website for a full list of rules and regulations: https://www.novaparks.com/parks/beaverdam-reservoir/about.

Meanwhile, Loudoun Water and NOVA Parks are moving forward with the sustainable, innovative design of the future “Beaverdam Reservoir Park.” Efforts on the new park are well-underway with construction estimated to begin in 2021.

Beaverdam Reservoir Timeline:

Spring of 2020 (exact date TBD): Reservoir Water Access re-opened to the public

Spring of 2021: Estimated to begin Beaverdam Reservoir Park construction

Spring of 2022: Estimated Beaverdam Reservoir Park construction completion

Is the Reservoir open yet???

Beaverdam is not yet open for water access. The natural filling process is underway. Loudoun water does not yet have a date for when recreational access to the water will be restored. They are expecting to get a date within the next month. I will post the date as soon as I get it.

Park Approved!

On March 26th the Loudoun County Planning Commission approved NoVA Parks and Loudoun Waters Plan for the Beaverdam Park. There was a large crowd and the meeting ran past 10pm. Concerns over boathouse location and county liability brought a good amount of discussion. Due to zoning, the boat house’s location is approx 600 feet from the water. A solution of dollies/carts was given and the commission approved the project with a vote of 8 to 1.

Reservoir is opening this Summer!

A quick update from our friends at Loudoun Water:

Beaverdam Reservoir Update – March 2019

With the Beaverdam spillway renovation project nearing completion, Loudoun Water and NOVA Parks expect to allow recreational activities on the water at Beaverdam Reservoir this summer. However, the exact timeframe for re-opening is unclear at this point due to construction delays. Record-setting rainfall over the last year has impacted the original schedule.

The dam embankment needs to be completed prior to refilling the reservoir, and presently the fill material at the site that will be used to construct the embankment is too wet to place and compact.  We are hopeful that weather conditions improve to help dry the material so it can be used for construction.

Once the embankment area is complete, we can begin refilling the reservoir. At that point, we will have a more definitive timeframe for safely allowing people back on the water.

Our timeline:

·         2017 – 2019: Reservoir water access closed to the public

·         Summer of 2019 – Actual Date TBD: Reservoir water access re-opened for the public

·         Spring of 2020: Estimated to begin Reservoir Park construction

·         Spring of 2021: Estimated Reservoir Park construction completion