An article rather light on the details, but here it is anyway:<\/p>\n
http:\/\/loudounnow.com\/2016\/08\/11\/beaverdam-reservoir-to-be-reborn\/<\/p>\n
\nLoudoun\u2019s largest lake is a quiet place, disturbed only by singing insects, birds on the wing, wind in the trees, and paddles lapping up the water. It\u2019s also artificial, and it\u2019s getting drained in November.<\/p>\n
The county\u2019s largest water utility, Loudoun Water, will partially drain Beaverdam Reservoir to repair the spillway that created the lake, work regulated by Virginia dam safety rules. The reservoir is expected to be closed for about two years, but when it reopens in 2019, Loudoun Water and the Northern Virginian Regional Park Authority hope it will be bigger and better for visitors.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you\u2019ve ever driven up and down Belmont Ridge Road on a Saturday, you\u2019ll inevitably pass people with kayaks and canoes on top of their cars,\u201d said NOVA Parks Director of Park Operations Chris Paulie.<\/p>\n
His organization manages public access to the reservoir\u2019s waters, and he estimates thousands of people use the lake, including the high school crew teams that practice on the body of water. And more people try the lake all the time.
\n\u201cIt\u2019s really been kind of a little oasis that people are just now discovering,\u201d Paulie said. \u201cIt\u2019s been kind of a best kept secret for a long time.\u201d<\/p>\nLoudoun Water purchased the reservoir from the City of Fairfax in 2014 and initially closed it to public assess, citing liability concerns. It reopened the property in May 2015 by partnering with NOVA Parks, but Paulie said it was only ever meant to be a temporary solution. On sunny Saturday mornings, he said, the small parking lot on Mt. Hope Road can be a little tight. That was expected.<\/p>\n
\u201cHistorically, the Beaverdam Reservoir property has not been planned and designed for public access,\u201d said Loudoun Water Executive Director of Stakeholder Relations Mark Peterson. \u201cThere isn\u2019t sufficient parking. The assets around there, the way people can enter the water, is not set up ideally for that, so that\u2019s part of what this process is going to be.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s a real strong interest in reopening this reservoir with more uses for recreation than what we have right now,\u201d said Loudoun Water\u2019s newly installed Deputy General Manager Tom Frederick, \u201cyet at the same time keeping it within the theme of uses that surround a lake that\u2019s used for drinking water.\u201d<\/p>\n
That will limit the possibilities for the lake somewhat, since Loudoun Water doesn\u2019t want to allow contamination for one of its major water sources.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a drinking water resource first, so whatever we do has to meet those standards, so anything that we think about, or envision, or want to plan, would have to always be done under those guidelines,\u201d Paulie said.<\/p>\n
That means no swimming, and except for safety launches, no gasoline engines on the water. But paddling, hiking, picnicking, sightseeing, fishing, electric motors, bike trails, and classroom visits are all in.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe don\u2019t have details as to what that means right now,\u201d Frederick said. \u201cIt\u2019s really still at a vision level, and we\u2019re going to interact with the public to actually help provide some of the ideas.\u201d<\/p>\n
The process has already begun with a meeting at the NOVA Parks offices last October. According to a report from that meeting, about 200 people showed up to hear Loudoun Water\u2019s plans and offer their input. They produced a long list of ideas, ranging from marked and separated trails for hiking and biking to buoys and extended hours for fishing.\u201cIt\u2019s basically going to be a great passive recreation park, with some real amenities and a message for how the resource is being protected,\u201d Paulie said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen we do close it for a little while, I think there will be a little bit of disappointment, but I think people will be excited by what the reservoir will be,\u201d said Loudoun Water Manager of Outreach and Education Sue Crosby.<\/p>\n
And before then, if you have a canoe, a paddle, and a few hours free, you have until November to take in the quiet at Beaverdam Reservoir.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
An article rather light on the details, but here it is anyway: http:\/\/loudounnow.com\/2016\/08\/11\/beaverdam-reservoir-to-be-reborn\/ Loudoun\u2019s largest lake is a quiet place, disturbed only by singing insects, birds on the wing, wind in the trees, and paddles lapping up the water. It\u2019s also artificial, and it\u2019s getting drained in November. The county\u2019s largest water utility, Loudoun Water, … Continue reading Loudoun Now – Beaverdam to be Reborn<\/span>