The draining of Woodrum Lake due to a faulty bottom gate comes to a conclusion.

Editor’s Note: The following three stories are correspondence written by Jim Moore, President Chapter 09 Muskies, Inc. and used with his permission. They were written on August 3, 9, and 17 to communicate the much-discussed situation at Woodrum Lake in Jackson County, West Virginia to his membership. If you read these letters in chronological order, you will get a clear idea of the events that transpired there. We acknowledge Jim’s efforts as well as those from the West Virginia BASS Federation who gave of their time, energy and talents to try to save this fishery. We also thank Rick Harris for providing the photographs of the lake once the water had completely drained.

Woodrum Lake Dam Issue

[Wednesday, August 3, 2005]

Woodrum Lake, a 240 acre impoundment located in Jackson Co. WV just off of I-77 north of Charleston has developed a problem that could become quite serious as time goes by. Woodrum, as you know, was the first impoundment in which we stocked the advanced fingerlings and has now received them for a total of four (4) years. We are just now starting to reap the benefits of this program and why this issue is so critical.

The problem and current status as I've been updated is as follows:

The Natural Resources Conservation Service who has responsibility for Woodrum is required to do periodic testing of the dam gates on all their impoundments. This involves slightly opening the gate then closing it to ensure proper operation. While doing routine verification of the lower gate on the Woodrum dam, the gate became stuck partially open and they were unable to completely close it. At this point, it is unclear whether the problem is mechanical or if a log or obstruction may have become lodged in the side rail of the gate. Regardless of what happened, the result is that the lake is losing water through the faulty gate at a rate that can have severe consequences.

According to what District VI Fisheries Biologist, Scott Morrison, has been told; last Thursday July 28 the water level had dropped to ~2 feet below summer pool. As of Monday, August 1st. the level had dropped to 8 feet below pool. As of this morning, Wednesday the 3rd. he was told the level was still -8 feet although he's not sure this is accurate. At this point, the NRCS has been unable to alleviate the problem. They have dropped a camera down to the gate but water conditions are such that nothing can be determined. A specialist diver from Oklahoma has been contacted to come in and work on the problem. He is considered the best in his field for this situation. He is currently on location of another similar issue and not scheduled to arrive until probably Monday the 8th.

What are the consequences to this point?

1. Of course, the lake level has gone down considerably and the lake has lost a substantial volume of water. We would presume this will continue until the issue is resolved. Actually, as the pressure on the dam goes down, the flow may slow somewhat.
2. Due to the water level, boat access is nonexistent. The ramp is in one of the shallowest portions of the lake and is high and dry. Only a trickle is in the channel area of the ramp and even canoe access is not advised due to the mud, etc. An access lane to the dam is state controlled for maintenance purposes only and not open to the public.
3. Scott is currently unaware of any verified impact on the fishery at this time. As in most cases of this type, rumors are running rampant.

What may be future consequences?

1. Naturally, the water level will continue to fall until repairs can be made. Hopefully repairs can be made without a total draining of the lake. Normal water depth at the dam is ~ 50 feet. Scott considers that a critical depth as to the fish impact may be 20 to 30 feet. At this depth, the fish will become confined in much less volume of water and their natural tendency will be to try to move out, escaping out into the stream, etc. as they are able.
2. Fish migration of this type usually occurs in two stages, one initial small surge followed by a much larger surge at some point. Scott says these are not predictable and can occur at any time. Of course, it is possible that some movement may be occurring through the gate into the stream by a few fish at any time. Because of this unpredictability, it's almost impossible to coordinate recovery of fish at some point below the dam.
3. Another ugly picture can develop if the water falls below critical level. Fish may become isolated in pockets of water and left stranded as the water recedes. Oxygen levels can become critical, especially at this time of year. Overcrowding as the level falls becomes a problem.
4. If the gate issue cannot be solved with water in the lake, total draining may be necessary to make repairs. This would only be done as a last resort.

Fish rescue efforts? This of course will be an option if it gets to that point. This will be extremely difficult due to the access issues. If the water level gets down to that point, access from the ramp area will be almost impossible because it is at the farthest point away from the dam and would be almost impossible to navigate due to the mud flats and standing timber. If the water is down 20 to 30 feet, water access from the dam will be extremely difficult also. It's also complicated due to the limited road access, generally used only by tractors once a year to mow the dam. Such an effort would be very manpower intensive and require lots of help.

I have asked Scott to keep us updated and volunteered the Chapter to help in whatever means we can. We may need to rally together if a rescue effort is required. Without question, manpower will be of utmost importance.

Let's hope that these last scenarios don't come into play and that repairs can be made quickly. Even so, at this time of the year, rainfall is low and considerable time may be required to bring the lake back up to desired levels. I'll try to keep you informed as I become aware of updates.

Jim Moore, President
West Virginia Chapter 09 Muskies, Inc.