
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, October 28, 1993                   TAG: 9310280174
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Ray Reed
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

SITTING ON THE DOCK OF THE MUD FLAT

Q: Why is the water in Smith Mountain Lake so low? It doesn't even reach the riprap, and a lot of floating docks are sitting on mud. I thought Appalachian Power Co. controlled the level by pulling water from Leesville Lake. Is there a reason, or is it just Mother Nature? J.C., Moneta

A: The lake's down 2.6 feet. While that poses some problems, many residents can remember its being down about 8 feet about 15 years ago.

Docks - and some boats - weren't muddy. They were high and dry.

That year was marked by a severe drought coupled with the pumps at the dam being shut down for maintenance.

This year, June was a little dry. July and August (and October, so far) barely topped the 1-inch mark on the rain gauge at the Roanoke weather station.

September was a wet month with 4 1/2 inches of rain, but it didn't bring the streams up much. Rainfall is 3 1/2 inches below normal for the year.

Apco spokesman Don Johnson said Leesville Lake can't be used to refill Smith Mountain completely because the river flow has to be maintained downstream.

All the major lakes are down a foot or more, and Carvins Cove in Roanoke is down almost 10 feet - not unusual for October.

\ Truck-size rumors

Q: I've heard all kinds of rumors about why the new truck scales at Tinker Mountain haven't opened in the northbound lane. I'd like to know what's going on. D.W., Salem

A: Too bad the contractor got ahead of schedule for a while. When things slowed down, the rumor mill started to fill the vacuum.

The basic CB-talk rumor the past six months has the construction work getting across a property line, causing a lawsuit to tie up the job. More recently, a rumor said the encroached-on property belonged to a major soft-drink company that was demanding a "royalty."

Apparently, nobody has sued anybody - at least not yet. The Transportation Department says no lawsuits have been filed. The clerk of court in Botetourt County says no suits involving the scales are on file there - and if trespassing occurred, that's where the issue likely would go.

A dirt slide during construction caused some concerns, as did water runoff from the completed site. Those matters have been resolved.

New signs for the scales have been a continuing problem. Temporary signs are going up until more sophisticated ones are ready.

The latest startup date on the northbound scales is Monday - a couple of weeks later than the original plans specified - says Pete Sensabaugh of the Transportation Department. That date should hold if sensitive computers cooperate.

\ Got a question about something that may affect other people, too? Something you've come across and wondered about? Give us a call at 981-3118.

by CNB