Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, June 22, 1993 TAG: 9306280265
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: J. LEO BOURASSA
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Virginia and its people constructed a dam in the Tidewater area at the outfall of the Great Dismal Swamp in the Suffolk area, and using Virginia waters made it possible to construct the inland waterway, which is in operation today.
A few generations later, the Roanoke Valley experienced a severe water shortage. Virginia allowed Roanoke to construct a tunnel and draw water from the James River Basin to discharge into the Carvins Cove Reservoir.
In the '70s, the Roanoke River was responsible for making a large part of Smith Mountain Lake unfit for human use due to poor effluent being discharged into that river by the city's outdated water-treatment plant. Smith Mountain Lake citizens then formed the Smith Mountain Lake Association and descended upon the State Water Control Board and anyone else who would listen, demanding that they clean up the river and save the lake. The State Water Control Board provided state, federal and local funds to remedy the situation at a cost of more than $8 million. The treatment plant was updated to tertiary treatment, and several years later Smith Mountain Lake was declared a drinking-water-quality lake - and still is.
The Tidewater area - namely Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Franklin and Isle of Wight County - asked North Carolina for permission to draw from Lake Gaston, via a pipeline, 60 million gallons of water per day to alleviate water shortages in the area.
North Carolina refused permission, even though 60 million gallons of water represents less than 1 percent of the total water being discharged daily into the sea. Federal agencies (the Corps of Engineers, the Coast Guard, the U.S. Department of Commerce, etc.) having responsibility for the use of river waters have endorsed the use of the surplus waters as being reasonable.
North Carolina, and now the Friends of the Roanoke River have convinced the Smith Mountain Lake Association that such withdrawal of water from Lake Gaston would hurt Smith Mountain Lake, which is more than 100 miles downhill and downstream. That is a most blatant use of fear tactics. If it continues, other Virginians may not be able to benefit from the Roanoke River, which is considered Virginia waters.
When others needed help, Virginia did help. Now is a good time to pay back by helping others in Virginia. This is not a time to say "I got mine and to h--- with everyone else."
\ AUTHOR J. Leo Bourassa of Carrollton is president of the Virginia Lakes Association.
Memo: ***CORRECTION***