May 19,
2008
LATEST UPDATE TO GREENE ACRES LAKE AND DAM ISSUE
Here is what we’ve learned:
With all of the rain, work to determine the cause of the dam
breach was delayed, but has now been completed. Chip Morris was
contracted by the Board to construct the temporary dam to hold the water
back from the drain pipe. Once that was completed, Roto-Rooter was able
to remove debris from the pipe and insert a camera. A video was made and
given to our Civil Engineer, Kurt Kloeckner. After evaluating what he
saw, he has determined that sections of the bottom of the pipe have
degraded, causing the leaks. Of all of the possibilities, this is the
one we were hoping to find. Repairs for this will be considerably less
than what was projected when the problem was discovered Easter morning.
The next step:
The Board has the plans from the
Engineer for the repairs to the dam. As soon as we have word from the
Regional Engineer that those plans meet the State Board’s approval, we
will advertise the job. The bidding process will be posted on the
website as well as the local paper. Once we have the okay to proceed and
the bidding process is complete, we will select a Contractor to begin
the work.
At
this point, we have no way to estimate the time it will take until the
job is complete. But, it is clear that the lake will not be available
for use this season even when the dam is repaired and the lake begins to
fill.
Our
thanks to Carol and Ken Weiss for the research they have done on
reclaiming our lake. They had volunteered last year to head up a
committee to protect the lake. Little did we know then what we would be
facing now, so their efforts are greatly appreciated. Ken will be on
the Agenda for our July 19th Annual Meeting to share what he
has learned and offer suggestions on restocking. In the meantime, there
are things that can be done to better prepare a habitat for the fish and
maintain an ecological balance for the lake. We look forward to what he
has to share
I will post another update after the bids are in and we have
information on the cost of the repairs. I know how frustrating this is
and there have been comments on this website suggesting that the Board
has “stonewalled” the information, or that folks know more from gossip
than what they hear from the Board or that there is no “management” of
the Board. The Board does not deal in “gossip” we deal in facts. We
have reported to you as we have those facts and will not speculate as to
what may happen or what the cost may be. You are certainly free to
believe what you choose. Remember that each member of the Board performs
their duties on a volunteer basis…..that means no monetary compensation.
We serve because this is our home and we care about maintaining it.
There are committees open to anyone interested in working with us. As is
the case every year, there are 3 Board positions that will be open. We
already have some folks that have submitted their names for nomination
and we welcome any of you to do so. Contact Jim Mathis, Nominating
Chairman.
Thanks,
Debbie Lambert
Chairman
April 27, 2008
GREENE ACRES PROPERTY OWNERS ASSOCIATION
UPDATE TO DAM ISSUE
TO RE-CAP:
On March 23, 2008, a leak in the dam was discovered. After consultations
with the Regional Dam Inspector and Kloeckner Engineering, the decision
was made that the lake needed to be drained in order to properly assess
the situation.
The Emergency Action Plan was put into to place and residents in below
the dam were notified by the Greene County Sheriff’s Department.
Since that time, the water level reached a point where fish could be
netted. Thousands were recovered and were relocated to ponds and lakes
throughout Greene County.
WHERE WE ARE:
The assumption is that the leak was probably caused by the age of the
dam. The Engineers did not feel that there were any contributing factors
other than that.
Within the last two weeks, the emergency flow pipe was exposed as the
water level decreased. Work was done to shorten the pipe so that the
remaining water could drain.
THE NEXT STEP:
The next step will be to have a small, temporary dam constructed to
protect this exposed drain. This will allow the lake to fill in behind
the temporary dam and create a dry access to the exposed pipe. When this
is achieved, a cable with a camera attached will be inserted. A video
will be made of the inside of the pipe which the Engineers will use to
assess where the pipe is compromised. Once this is done, the Engineer
will make the recommendations as to how to repair the pipe. He will
provide the specifications for that process which the Board will use to
put the work out for bids.
The heavy rain this week-end may push this process back a few days, but
it will be done as soon as feasible.
At this point, there is still no definite estimate on the cost to the
Association. But the expectation is that if the pipe can be repaired
without having to excavate the dam, the cost will not be as high as
originally suggested.
LOOKING FORWARD:
Once we have some answers from the Engineers, we will know how to
proceed. Until then, there are many options that need to be considered.
The Board’s desire is to move slowly and take this time to investigate
what can be done to make the dam as safe as possible so that future
homeowners will not have to deal with this issue again. Also, to
consider what needs to be done to insure that as the lake fills and is
re-populated, we have done everything we can to insure the survival of
the fish and wildlife. We want to make sure that the lake again becomes
a place for the owners to enjoy. There is also work that should be done
to the tributaries that feed the lake.
Your comments are appreciated and we welcome your involvement in
offering suggestions.
Thanks for your patience,
Debbie Lambert
Chairman, GAPOA
GREENE ACRES PROPERTY OWNERS ASSOCIATION
EMERGENCY ACTION PLAN
SERIES OF EVENTS ON MARCH 23, 2008
CHAIRMAN’S REPORT
SUNDAY, MARCH 23, 2008
9:15AM Property Manager, Tommy Darnell arrived at home of Chairman,
Debbie Lambert to report that he had observed water bubbling up through
the ground near the Emergency Valve. He enlisted the assistance of
Wesley Baugher to make an assessment on the course of action to be
taken.
9:45 AM Knowing that any issue involving the dam could result in an
emergency, and following the guidelines of the GAPOA Emergency Action
Plan, Tommy and Wesley contacted Greene County Sheriff, Scott Hass, who
returned with them to the dam. Debbie Lambert then contacted all members
of the Board of Trustees who could be reached by telephone.
10:00 AM Sheriff Haas’ concurred that indeed the possibility of an
emergency existed, and again, following the GAPOA EAP Guidelines,
immediately dispatched deputies to notify homeowners identified by that
plan as being in harm’s way should an emergency arise.
Attempts were made to contact Kloeckner Engineering, the company
contracted to perform dam inspections and various State and Local
Agencies including the Department of Conservation and Recreation which
is responsible for dam safety.
1:00 PM The Albemarle Sheriff’s Department assisted Sheriff Hass by
reaching Kurt Kloeckner of Kloeckner Engineering who arrived around 1:00
PM. He examined the area around the Emergency Valve and the slope of the
dam and believed that it was possible the water was draining from a leak
in the pipe leading to the Emergency Valve. He then contacted Jack
Campbell, owner of Faulkner Construction whom he knew to be familiar
with dam construction. He asked that the Emergency Valve be opened
partway to relieve pressure on the pipe. Steve Catalana, Chairman of the
Greene County Board of Supervisors was also present.
2:30 PM Mr. Campbell arrived and asked that the Board contact any
local contractor who was familiar with dam construction and would be
available to immediately excavate the area surrounding the pipe in order
to assess the situation.
4:00 PM Chip Morris of Fox Hill Farms arrived with the equipment
needed to uncover the pipe. Initially, the thought was that a leak might
be discovered in the area of the first few feet of pipe and then plans
could be made to repair. A side-ditch was created to divert the flow of
water into the creek. As the excavation continued, it became apparent
that the water did not seem to be originating from the pipe, but rather
from the area surrounding the pipe. To further support that theory, Mr.
Morris, under the direction of Mr. Campbell continued to excavate the
area surrounding the pipe until a distance of about twenty-five feet was
reached. Mr. Kloeckner and Mr. Campbell then agreed that it would not be
in the interest of safety to continue this process. The Board was
instructed to cordon off the area to deter onlookers and to monitor the
flow of water constantly for any change in water quality or water
pressure.
At this point, steps were taken to follow through with the
instructions given by the Engineer. Various Property Owners assisted in
this process.
MONDAY, MARCH 24, 2008
12:00PM Robert VanLier, Dam Safety Regional Engineer arrived to
inspect the dam. He then determined that the only way to truly assess
the seriousness of the situation was to lower the water level of the
lake to expose the area of the dam that has been compromised. This could
take up to a month to complete.
Until that time, any discussions are purely speculative. No decisions
can be made until the situation has been evaluated by the Engineers.
TUESDAY THRU FRIDAY, MARCH 25 – 28, 2008
Draining of lake is being monitored virtually 24 hours a day.
Dam Safety Engineer visits dam frequently to insure that the flow of
water from lake was not too fast as to cause further damage to dam.
Various County officials stop by frequently
SATURDAY, MARCH 29, 2008
An Informational Meeting was held at County Administrative Building
was open to all Homeowners... Mr. VanLier, the Regional Dam Safety
Engineer, explained that until the water level reaches the depth that
exposes the pipe in the lake, we cannot know what the solution will be.
We are retaining the services of Kurt Kloeckner of Kloeckner Engineering
to guide us through this process. When he can assess the situation, he
will make recommendations. Until then, we are using this time to plan
for the recovery of the lake once the dam is repaired.
We have been in contact with Biologists from the Department of Game
and Inland Fisheries concerning the fish that inhabit the lake. Corey
Quinn, Chairman of the Environmental Committee will post the information
he gathered on the website in few days.