Buggs Island Lake stood at 288.02 feet at noon Tuesday, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers — two hundredths of a foot above the level that will put mandatory water restrictions in force across much of Mecklenburg County.
When the lake reaches 288.0 feet, the drought response plans for Clarksville, the Town of South Hill, Mecklenburg County and the Roanoke River Service Authority all move automatically to Stage III. Voluntary conservation becomes enforceable restriction. No vote or declaration is required.
Under the regional Lake Country Water Supply Plan, which governs the service authority, Town of South Hill and the county, Stage III will mean:
Ornamental fountains are prohibited.
Filling or refilling swimming pools is prohibited.
Outdoor irrigation of any kind is allowed only between 8 p.m. and 9 a.m.
Washing vehicles and the exterior of homes or businesses is limited to hand washing. Commercial and high-volume power washing is restricted.
Restaurants may not serve water unless a customer asks for it.
Households are required to repair leaks promptly, and are directed to take shorter showers and run dishwashers and washing machines only with full loads.
The Town of Clarksville’s plan carries its own Stage III, triggered at the same 288-foot mark. It bans or sharply limits non-essential outdoor water use, including lawn and landscape irrigation, washing vehicles and paved surfaces, and ornamental fountains. Water used for agricultural production and livestock is generally exempt.
Once Stage III takes effect, Clarksville’s plan requires the lake to stay above the threshold for 15 consecutive days before the restrictions can be lifted.
What could change it
Rain is the only thing that will, and there is little of it in the forecast until this weekend.
The National Weather Service expects the Roanoke River Basin to stay entirely dry through the week. Tropical moisture is forecast to move into Southwest and Southern Virginia by the weekend, raising rain chances to 11 percent on Saturday and 75 percent on Sunday, with the better odds arriving Saturday night.
Whether that is enough to matter depends on more than local rainfall. The lake’s level is set by rain and river flows across the entire Upper Roanoke River Basin, not by precipitation that falls on Clarksville.
The ramps are already gone
Boaters have been out of public options for accessing the water for some time. Per the latest reports, these Corps-managed boat ramps are closed:
» Bluestone
» Buffalo Park
» Eagle Point
» Grassy Creek
» Island Creek
» North Bend
» Palmer Point
» Rudds Creek
» Staunton View
The day-use area at Buffalo Park remains open to walk-in visitors, but launching a boat there is prohibited.
Occoneechee State Park has closed all three of its boat ramps as well.
The Corps has not issued a public statement on the lake since Sept. 24, when it warned that most of its ramps had already closed and that those still open could close within one to two weeks.
“Lower water levels have caused all boat ramps to become very shallow or inaccessible and exposed hazards such as tree stumps, rocks, and shoals,” that release said. The Corps urged anyone on the water to slow down, stay alert and wear life jackets.
Closures are based on lake elevation and site conditions rather than a schedule, the Corps said, and ramps can close with little notice. The agency posts current ramp status on its John H. Kerr Reservoir/Buggs Island Lake Facebook page.
North Carolina is already there
Communities downstream that draw from John H. Kerr Reservoir, the federally designated name for Buggs Island Lake/Kerr Lake, have already imposed water use curbs.
The City of Henderson, N.C. imposed mandatory conservation effective measures on Oct. 1. The mandatory rules bar residents and businesses from watering lawns and gardens, washing vehicles and filling swimming pools. The Kerr Lake Regional Water System issued a mandatory conservation notice covering Oxford, N.C. days later. Vance County Water District customers were placed under a conservation notice, and Warren County, N.C. began its own conservation efforts.
Those measures remain in place until lake levels improve.
The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality’s drought emergency advisory remains in effect for the Roanoke River region, which includes Mecklenburg, Charlotte and Halifax counties along with Bedford, Campbell, Franklin, Henry, Patrick, Pittsylvania and Roanoke counties and the cities of Danville, Martinsville, Roanoke and Salem.