Did You Know...

. . . that, thanks to the recently completed New Big Cherry Dam, the town of Big Stone Gap and neighboring communities in Wise County, Virginia, are now better equipped to weather drought spells without having to implement severe water conservation measures?

Big Cherry Reservoir provides water supply to the town of Big Stone Gap's water treatment plant. During dry spells, such as the summers of 1999 and 2002, reservoir levels have fallen to dangerously low levels, prompting the town to institute conservation measures and to examine alternatives for increasing the town's water supply. Water supplies in neighboring Norton and throughout the region are also routinely stressed during dry periods, which points to a regional water supply problem.

Studies found the old dam (Old Big Cherry Dam) would be unstable during passage of the probable maximum flood and the dam spillway capacity to be 20 percent of the required full PMF. Officials elected to construct a new RCC dam downstream from the old dam and submerge the old dam. Approx- imately 13,800 yd3 of RCC and 7,000 yd3 of conventional concrete were used to construct the new 70-foot high dam.

The permanent lake level was raised seven feet to increase water supply. The spillway operated for the first time in April 2006.

The New Big Cherry Dam helps reduce the region's water supply problem and the town has negotiated agreements to sell treated water to neighboring municipalities, once the increased supply becomes available.

Source: Portland Cement Association

(reprinted from the USSD Newsletter, November 2007, page 3)