The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service will join state and local partners at Culpeper’s Lake Pelham Dam on Aug. 8 to celebrate a milestone in dam rehabilitation that has been about 10 years in the making.
The 10 a.m. ribbon cutting ceremony will mark the completion of all required upgrades to the Lake Pelham and Mountain Run Lake multi-purpose flood control and water supply structures in the Mountain Run Watershed.
Featured speakers include:
- Chris Hively, Culpeper Town Manager
- Jim Hoy, Culpeper Director of Public Services
- Michael Olinger, Culpeper Mayor
- Jack Bricker, NRCS Virginia State Conservationist
- Clyde Cristman, Director of the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation
NRCS has assisted with the construction of 150 Virginia dams since 1954 and has collaborated with the Town of Culpeper and the Culpeper Soil and Water Conservation District (CSWCD) on flood prevention since the late 1950s. Through this partnership, the Town of Culpeper and the CSWCD constructed two single and three multi-purpose flood-control dams in the 58,160-acre watershed between 1959 and 1973: Caynor Lake and Mountain Run Lake (1959), Merrimac Lake (1960), Lake Pelham (1972) and Catalpa Lake (1973).
The five dams provide flood control, water supply and recreational benefits to residents of Culpeper County and the Town of Culpeper. As the Mountain Run Lake and Lake Pelham dams began to age, the Town needed to upgrade these structures to meet more stringent design and safety standards. The CSWCD owns and operates the remaining three dams, which are not being considered for rehabilitation at this time.
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