THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, February 10, 1995 TAG: 9502090184
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 04 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY DEBBIE MESSINA, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 79 lines
Birdneck Lake now has beaches where there normally is no beach.
Bulkheads built to hold back water are now 15 or 20 feet from the water.
Unsightly construction rubble, from when the lake was used as a borrow pit, has been uncovered.
For the last four months, residents of the 10-year-old subdivision off General Booth Boulevard near Birdneck Road have watched and worried as the water level has dropped steadily.
They estimate about 5 feet of water has disappeared from their once scenic lake.
And no one seems to know for sure where the water has gone.
``The water level is going down at an incredible rate,'' said Paulette Geligne, a lakeside resident for five years. ``It's kind of scary. And it's kind of sad because there's a lot of fish that live in there.''
Their worry is compounded because recent rains have not helped replenish the water, residents said.
``If it dries up, can you imagine what it would look like?'' asked lakeside resident Howard Mann. ``It kind of makes the name, Birdneck Lake subdivision, go away.''
It's not unusual for water levels in man-made lakes to fluctuate depending on rainfall and temperatures. But some think Birdneck Lake's water loss is extreme.
City officials have inspected the lake and are puzzled.
``This one is unusual,'' said Mark Johnson, a city engineer in charge of storm water systems. ``We haven't had a situation like this before.''
Johnson said Birdneck Lake is fed from the storm drain system, rainfall and groundwater.
Johnson said the city is not aware of anyone recently tapping into the groundwater supply and withdrawing huge volumes of water.
Inspectors checked the storm water system that drains into the lake and no pipes are blocked, Johnson said.
While rainfall the last few months has been below average, he said that alone may not account for the drop.
``It could be Mother Nature,'' he said. ``Whatever's happening to the lake right now, the city can't prevent it. But we're still looking at it and monitoring it.''
One former resident, who served as president of the homeowners association and worked for the developer of the subdivision, said there's no reason to worry.
Sherry Williams said she has seen the water drop even lower. Some good soaking rains should bring the water back up to its normal level, Williams said.
``I've seen it go up one to two feet after good rainfalls,'' she said.
``I know the people who live there are concerned. But it's not controlled by anybody but God. If they're thinking they're going to lose the water and look at a sand pit the rest of their lives, it's really not the case.''
Johnson, however, warns residents not to expect quick relief.
``We're going to have to look at the hydrological cycle of the lake,'' he said. ``I don't think we'll find a quick fix but we could find a fix in the long term.''
Waterfront residents are not only worried about the aesthetics of the lake, but also the viability of the lake's marine life and their property values. Their homes are priced from $140,000 to $250,000, depending on the size and whether it's on the water.
``These houses are more expensive on the lake,'' Mann said. ``Whatever happens to that lake is going to affect our property values.''
``It's bad enough we could lose money over this, but I'm afraid I'll be seeing fish dying in my back yard,'' Geligne said. ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by MORT FRYMAN
Howard Mann, who lives by Birdneck Lake, says the water level of the
lake has dropped dramatically over the last four months. ``If it
dries up, can you imagine what it would look like? It kind of makes
the name, Birdneck Lake subdivision, go away.''
by CNB