Background

The Lake Barcroft Watershed Improvement District (LBWID) had its genesis after tropical storm Agnes in June 21, 1972 washed out the earthen portion of the dam structure at the west end and left the lake as little more than glorified puddle. An ad hoc organization of almost all elements of the community was quickly formed to address the problem. Resident support was almost unanimous, but the source of funds to repair the dam was in question. Federal, state and county funds were soon eliminated as possibilities except for a Small Business Loan.

At a moment when chances seemed poor for a solution, Stuart Finley proposed the establishment of a WID, Watershed Improvement District, an entity authorized but never used under Virginia statute, which would operate under the local Soil and Water Conservation District. By establishing a WID, the district could levy taxes for its purposes – in this case, restoration of the lake – and issue bonds. As a WID, there would be three Lake Barcroft resident trustees under the Northern Virginia Soil and Water conservation District.

Several hurdles were cleared as the process moved along. Finally, two referendums were required. The first required mail-in advisory ballots to the NVS&WCD indicating approval of the proposed WID. By the end of January, 1973 892 residents had voted with a 98% approval rate. As a result, the NVS&WCD created the LBWID on January 31, 1973, and petitioned the circuit court of Fairfax County to conduct a poll that would: (1) further ratify the creation of the WID, (2) authorize a tax levy, and (3) sanction bonded indebtedness up to $2 million.

On April 24, 1973 the big day arrived for residents to vote for the LBWID. A major effort by community leaders to "get out the vote" resulted in overwhelming support for what amounted to a self imposed tax. With funding assured, work on the dam could begin. It had taken a year to of concerted effort to get to this point, and it marked the community's greatest success to date.

(For a detailed report of Hurricane Agnes and the creation of the LBWID, see Lake Barcroft History at the LBA Web Site under History and go to Chapter Nine, page 39.)

Early Days

The lake had been purchased from the original developers in 1970 by LABARCA (Lake Barcroft Association). The entity under which the lake and dam operated was known as BBI, Barcroft Beach Incorporated. This passed to LABARCA and another organization, BARLAMA (Barcroft Lake Management Association) was created to manage the lake. With the advent of the LBWID, it was necessary to negotiate an easement to grant authority for the WID to operate the dam and address environmental issues concerning the lake. This was done and WID assumed control of BBI assets.

The first three WID trustees set out to raise money to repair the dam. They succeeded in selling a $2M bond issue. At the same time, the Small Business Administration lent WID $500,000 at a low interest rate. This was used to purchase part of the bonds, which lowered the overall interest rate. With the financial situation resolved, work on the dam began. The Allis-Chalmers Corporation was contracted to fabricate a Bascule gate, which would control the lake level at a specified height above sea level by opening or closing the 12' gate as conditions warranted.

At the same time as the dam was being repaired, the WID took advantage of the empty lake bed to clean up the bottom of the lake and to remove tons of silt. Front end loaders scooped dry silt into dump trucks and cleaned out coves that had been clogged by the discharge from storm drains. The contractor worked long hours to complete the land excavation before the arrival of freezing weather. As many as fifty trucks at a time hauled away silt and moved fill to the earthen sections at the end of the dam. By November of 1973, the washouts were restored and partial filling of the lake began.

During the winter and spring of 1973-74, contractors started the final phase of the dam restoration. The dam itself was modified to house the new Bascule gate. Large hydraulic pistons were installed to raise and lower the gate automatically to maintain a constant water level. Electrical systems controlled the mechanisms to activate the pistons. In late April the lake began to fill and by mid-summer the lake was filled. Some might say that Hurricane Agnes was the best thing that ever happened to Lake Barcroft. The dam now conformed to 1974 specifications. About ninety thousand cubic yards of muck had been removed, and silt decanting basins constructed at Beaches 5 and 3.

Thus, the WID came into being and a new era in the saga of Lake Barcroft began.

People

Probably the most important aspect of the WID involved people. As the first trustees overcame the tremendous problems of restoring the dam, other individuals contributed time and effort to supplement the trustees. The initial trustees included Edwin Daegle who was chosen based on his expertise in floating small municipal bond issues. Navy Captain Dick Anderson, a Navy contracts specialist, was also selected. Sally Determan, a distinguished lawyer became the third trustee and trustee chairperson. These individuals and their unique backgrounds got the WID off to a fast and successful start. Over the next several years other trustees and employees served in various capacities, but two were very prominent.

David Alne was president of BARLAMA during the repair of the dam after Hurricane Agnes. As such he played a pivotal role in the community's efforts to reclaim the lake. As the WID took on more responsibility for managing the lake, David Alne moved to the position of LBWID Trustee Chairperson. He remained in that position for 27 years until his retirement in 2003 (?). David had a strong management background as a senior official in the Navy's Foreign Military Sales Program. Obviously, during all those years directing the WID he faced numerous challenges. He instituted an Associate Program to bring uniquely qualified Barcrofters to help resolve issues using their expertise. So, the WID became stronger and more efficient over time and the community was fortunate to have David's leadership.

As mentioned above, Stuart Finley actually came up with the idea to create the WID. Stuart had an extensive career in radio and television. At one time he produced a fifty segment TV series on the Potomac River. He was appointed to the Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District and was Chairman of the Board for 6 years. Stuart had been President of LABARCA in 1960-1961, so he was closely associated with the community. As the WID developed, Stuart took a more and more active position in the WID, eventually taking the volunteer position of Operations Director. As the WID came under the NVS&WCD, a legal opinion determined that Stuart had a conflict of interest serving both entities. He immediately resigned from the District board. At Dave Alne's insistence, Stuart was paid a small stipend and continued in that position until his retirement in 2003. He was a tireless worker and contributed greatly to the success of the WID.

The WID employs full and part time workers to maintain the lake, dam and the environment. In 2006 (?), Dam Technician Sam Ellis completed 30 years service. Ken Kopka has served more than 20 years. Davis Grant became Operations Director in 2003 and has been a WID employee for 15 years. Jenifer Grant has been Office manager for 6 years. In 2009, an additional full-time employee was hired with construction experience to augment the staff in dredging. Altogether, an experienced and loyal staff.

Dredging

One of the main missions of the WID is to keep the lake clean and navigable. It is the focal point of the community and directly affects home values. Over the years, it has been necessary to spend considerable resources of time and money to bring in outside companies to dredge the silt and to remove it to dump sites out of Lake Barcroft. This was generally a four-year cycle except when heavy storms brought considerable debris and silt from upstream tributaries. There are two decanting basins, one at Beach 3 and another at Beach 5. The raw silt is deposited in the basins and allowed to dry out. Once rid of the water, the silt is trucked to disposal sites, sometimes requiring tipping fees. This is an expensive operation. Some years ago, the County used the silt to cover a land fill. More recently an agreement has been made with a land fill to take the silt at no charge for their use.

In 2008, the WID purchased used dredging equipment from another lake and refurbished it. This will allow the WID to dredge where necessary and continually. Using outside companies to dredge required expensive fees just to position their equipment at Lake Barcroft. The WID uses another company, Princeton Hydro, to survey the lake using a fathometer tied to a GPS. The date is then mapped out showing the depths on charts. Over time the staff can see the changes and determine where the shallow spots are.

Storms

Over the years, more and more upstream construction has reduced the capacity of permeable soil to absorb storm water. This has resulted in some severe flooding downstream in the Huntington area of Alexandria. Affected home owner's associations have blamed Lake Barcroft asserting that the dam has let excessive water inundate their properties. The dam is designed to spill only what comes into the lake while maintaining a constant water level of 208.5 feet above sea level. In two storms during June-July 2006 and November 2006, the Corps of Engineers concluded in a study of peak flows that Lake Barcroft did not contribute to the peak flow at Cameron Run in the Huntington area.

The June-July in 2006 storm was particularly bad. It rained on and off for several days saturating the ground and bringing significant runoff into the lake. It washed away the boat barrier at the dam and filled the lake with debris. Bottom surveys for before the storm and after showed how much silt had washed into the lake. Applications were submitted for the damage and debris removal to FEMA. Awards totaling $330,000 were awarded to clean up the mess and dredge the silt build-up.

The Dam

Since the 1972 storm, the dam has successfully passed state, county and federal dam safety inspections. These are cyclical with the most demanding inspection occurring every 6 years. The WID uses a prominent dam company to assist in the inspection process. In 2008, the Commonwealth of Virginia came out with new regulations with regard to how much rainfall dams would have to withstand in the event of major storms. The Lake Barcroft Dam was certified as meeting the new requirements.

Controls for the dam have evolved over the years. There are redundant systems to insure the dam will operate if there is a system failure. In 2007-2008, an agreement was reached with the City of Alexandria and Fairfax County to equally fund a completely automatic system to run the dam in case of electrical failure. An emergency propane-driven generator kicks in if power fails and runs the computerized system that controls the gate, which in turn keeps the water level constant. The WID also sends real-time sensor data to emergency command centers at the City and County. An Emergency Action Plan is in existence to carry out procedures in case of a major threat to the lake and dam and downstream businesses and residents.