How will the dam rehab project affect the level of the lake needed to support the dry fire hydrant?

We were recently in touch with the Fire Department regarding this question (February 17, 2025).  The Fire Department no longer considers the dry hydrant as a primary option for water resupply in fighting a fire in our community. They explained that it is more efficient for them to obtain water at pressurized hydrants just outside the community than to draft from the lake. The external hydrants they would use are on Brock Road, just east of the entrance, and at Keswick, at the intersection with Lake Anna Parkway.

 

They also explained that the approach and pad area at the top of the boat ramp has deteriorated to the point that they are concerned about placing their trucks in proximity to the dry hydrant. So, as far as the existing dry hydrant, the Fire Department said we could leave it in place. However, unless improvements are made at the boat ramp, it's highly unlikely they would ever use it. (This is an issue that may need more attention in our 2026-2030 Capital Component Reserve Study.)

 

How old is the dam?

The Laurel Dam was constructed in the early 1990s as a part of the newly developed Laurels Community.

 

How often is the dam inspected?

Beginning in 2008, the state has required annual inspections which have been conducted by the HOA and submitted to the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR). DCR is the state agency responsible for overseeing public and private dams in Virginia. Additionally, the Laurels Lake Dam is inspected every year by an environmental engineer. All of our current state inspections and reports can be found on our website under Dam Information>State Mandated Reports
 

Why is our dam out of compliance?

There are a number of conditions which make the Laurels Lake Dam is out of compliance.

1. The current height of the dam is not adequate to withstand the state mandated potential precipitation maximums. (This means that the dam would be breached in a maximum storm event as was experienced in both North Carolina and Tennessee in the fall of 2024.)

2. The existing principal spillway would not be able to safely handle the volume of water and velocity that would occur during a potential maximum flood event. This means that the principal spillway needs to be repaired and redesigned.

3. The existing auxiliary spillway does not meet state regulations.

4. The toe of the dam experiences seepage (often a sign of older and weaker earthen dams)

5. The metal trash rack cap, riser, slip line and outflow pipe are in poor condition and deteriorating all of which need to be replaced.

​

Why is being out of Compliance an Issue?

Dam safety is a huge concern to both the state and to owners of dams (in this case, us). When a dam is out of compliance it indicates that a dam failure could occur resulting in significant downstream flooding, property damage, and potential loss of life. Dam owners (this refers to everyone who owns property in the Laurels) are legally responsible for maintaining their dams in compliance with state standards. Failing to do so leaves all the homeowners inthe Laurels HOA open to significant legal and financial repercussions if it would experience a dam failure.

​​

Why is our dam classified as High Hazard?

All Virginia dams receive a classification reflecting their hazard level (Low, Significant, or High). This designation is based upon the potential to cause “loss of life and serious economic loss in the case of dam failure.” The Laurels Lake Dam is classified as a “High Hazard” dam because a breach of the dam would affect several houses downstream, a Lake Anna Parkway bridge, and a busy section of Lake Anna Parkway. While this does not mean our dam is about to fail, it means that the consequences of a potential dam failure are incredibly significant.

 

Will the lake be entirely drained during the construction process?

From what we currently understand, the lake level will need to be lowered to allow for replacement of the standpipe and other in-lake equipment.  The contractor hopes to maintain some water in the lake during the construction, but will not be able to determine this until construction begins.  

​

How did we receive the DCR Grant?

The HOA Board and Lake & Dam Committee learned about the DCR competitive grant program for small, private dams. The grant programs allows communities like ours to receive about 50% of the total cost of dam rehabilitation costs. The LHOA Board decided to pursue grant funding in February 2024 because, in 2024, some of the DCR awards were going to be derived from federal funds (specifically, American Rescue Plan Act monies) as long as the awardee's project could be completed by September 30, 2026. The Laurels HOA developed an application for DCR grant funding and submitted it in March 2024. We learned in July that we were awarded $471,000 to support our dam retrofit project.

​

Why can’t we wait and apply later?

The specific grant we received is funded by American Rescue Plan money. (ARP funds were awarded by the federal government to the Commonwealth of Virginia as part of the national response to recovery from the Covid pandemic.) These  ARP funds were not entirely spent by Virginia on Covid relief and have been allowed to be repurposed by the state.  The DCR Dam Safety grant program is one of the grant programs receiving these funds.  This is the ONLY YEAR DCR will be awarding these funds which allows for quarterly reimbursement. We could not ever manage to do this project without quarterly reimbursement, so that is the reason we cannot wait--we could never save enough money to fund the entire project. 

​

Why are Exterior Lots also responsible for the Special Dam Assessment?

When The Laurels was formed by the original developer in 1989 it included homes along Robert E Lee Rd and Block House Rd (Now known as Robert E Lee Dr, East Robert E Lee Ct., Old Block House Ln and one home on Lake Anna Parkway) Per our covenants Lots 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 31, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, and 90, are exempt from Interior road maintenance and repair. Said lots are not exempt from paying into our Operating account nor the Non-Operating account that funds the Gates, Dam/Lake and Common Area.