The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has authorized a temporary drawdown of water levels at Appalachian Power’s Claytor hydroelectric project in southwest Virginia for November 2017.
Appalachian, in cooperation with Friends of Claytor Lake (FOCL) and Pulaski County, Va., requested the drawdown to give lakeside property owners an opportunity to perform shoreline stabilization, cleanup projects, and other related maintenance activities.
The drawdown of lake levels will begin Monday, Nov. 6 at 8 a.m. The reservoir will be lowered approximately one foot per day until it reaches the 1841-foot elevation—or a total of five feet below the normal full pond level of 1846’.
The lake will start to refill the evening of Sunday, Nov. 19 and has a target date of returning to a normal elevation by Nov. 24. Water inflow during the drawdown period could cause projected water levels to fluctuate.
The drawdown includes plans to mitigate negative effects on mussels residing in the lake. Shoreline workers and volunteers will be asked to gently toss stranded mussels into the water and to document their work on postcards provided by FOCL. Additional information about the mussel salvage effort can be found on the www.focl.org website.
Vegetation removal from within the project boundary is not allowed unless prior approval is obtained from Appalachian. Other shoreline construction or stabilization projects could require approval from Appalachian, the county or the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
The planned drawdown is subject to change or cancellation based on weather or other significant factors.
Construction of the Claytor Project was completed in 1939. It is operated by Appalachian Power on the New River in Pulaski County. The total installed generating capacity of the plant is 75 megawatts.
