College Lake Dam Removal Project set to begin in early 2024: Town hall meeting scheduled
LYNCHBURG, Va. (WSET) — Lynchburg Water Resources (LWR) and the University of Lynchburg have announced the College Lake Dam Removal Project will begin in early January 2024. After many years of planning, the removal of the dam is set to start as the construction of the new bridge and roundabout have now been completed.
“We are thrilled about this project and look forward to the transformation that will happen in the coming months,” said Dr. Alison Morrison-Shetlar, President of the University of Lynchburg. “The near-failure of the College Lake Dam in August 2018 was a stark warning to our campus and our neighbors downstream that we must work together to safely remove this hazard. While we will miss the lake, we are excited about the academic and recreational possibilities of the wetlands ecosystem that will emerge in its place.”
English Construction has been awarded the project with Resource Environmental Solutions, LLC as the stream restoration team. The removal of College Lake Dam is a long-awaited project that aims to improve public safety and create long-term environmental benefits on Blackwater Creek and the James River.
“Our focus throughout design has been to find a balance between public safety and environmental protection on a watershed scale,” said Erin Hawkins, Project Manager with LWR. “This project has brought together many agency partners and stakeholders to develop a plan that not only removes the impoundment structure, but sought to reconnect the former lake back to the stream corridor running through our community while managing legacy sediment loads. In the years to come, the best outcome of this project is when you will not be able to tell there was a lake there at all.”
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On Wednesday, December 6 at 6:00 p.m., Lynchburg Water Resources, the University of Lynchburg, and AECOM will conduct a public meeting at the University of Lynchburg, 1501 Lakeside Drive, in Hall Campus Center’s Memorial Ballroom. Those in attendance will be given an update on the construction schedule along with a brief overview of the project. They will then have an opportunity to ask questions about the project.
The meeting will be broadcast on Lynchburg Water Resources’ Facebook page and afterward, it will be available for viewing on LTV (Comcast Channel 15) and the College Lake Dam Removal website. For more information, please contact Lynchburg Water Resources at (434) 455-4250. For up-to-date project information and news, click HERE.