SMITH MOUNTAIN PUMPED STORAGE PROJECT NO. 2210

SHORELINE MANAGEMENT PLAN – DRAFT SHORELINE CLASSIFICATIONS AND PARAMETERS

February 20 & 21, 2003

This document is part of a three-step process for developing shoreline regulations based on a detailed review of the shoreline conditions at Smith Mountain Lake and Leesville Lake and hydro industry standards. This process begins with a thorough inventory of the current physical conditions of the shoreline including vegetation, shoreline condition and stabilization, cultural resources, recreation use density on the lakes, public and private recreation facilities, Natural Heritage areas, threatened and endangered species, county regulations, and adjacent land use. The second step is to develop classifications for the shoreline and designate the physical conditions (or parameters) that define each shoreline classification. The third step is to write regulations for each shoreline classification that are designed to protect and enhance the shoreline conditions present.

The following section presents the shoreline classifications. Classifications are not exclusive; they are inclusive from the “top down”. That is to say that an area designated for High Density Commercial facilities could be used for public use, but not vice-versa.

Shoreline Classifications

• High Density Commercial - Project lands and waters where individuals or for profit entities operate facilities as a place of business. Within the project boundaries those facilities may include where boats can be launched, retrieved or docked, as well as obtain petroleum. Outside the project boundaries associated facilities could include provisions for food services, convenience retailing including petroleum dispensing, dry storage of watercraft and where other activities customarily associated with marinas, campgrounds, private recreation areas and private clubs take place. The high use commercial classification includes facilities that would be expected to incur heavy amounts of boat traffic, such as marinas.

• Multi-Use Residential - Project lands and waters where boats can be launched, retrieved or moored for the purpose of providing private access to the lake for specific residential properties including:

– Multi-family dwellings (e.g. apartments, townhouses, condominiums).

– Subdivision access lots that serve single-family type dwellings that are located within a parcel of land that has been subdivided into individual lots.

The multi-use residential classification allows for access to the lakes for more than one property owner. Such access could be in the form of multi-slip common dock areas or an access ramp with a courtesy dock depending upon the amount of land available for the access area. In areas where multi-slip docks would be permitted, there is a limit of 1 boat slip per dwelling served.

• Public Use - Project lands and waters where facilities are operated by non-profit organizations and/or governmental entities and that support various public recreational amenities or areas that are used for the public good. Examples of the public use classification include public access areas, and state, district, county and city parks that adjoin the project boundary, water intake areas, lake clean-up facilities and other similar public use type endeavors.

• Low Density Use – The low density use classification encompasses 3 types of development. Any of the 3 types are appropriate for these areas.

• Low Density Commercial - Project lands and waters where individuals or for profit entities operate facilities as a place of business. Within the project boundaries, those facilities may include where boats can be docked for short periods of time by customers. Long term storage or launching of boats from these facilities is not allowed. For operations outside the project boundaries, associated facilities could include provisions for food services, convenience retailing and restaurants or private clubs. The low use commercial classification includes facilities that would be expected to incur relatively small amounts of boat traffic, such as access docks for convenience stores, restaurants, or shopping areas.

• Low Density Multi-Use – Project lands and waters that support apartments, townhouses, and condominiums and off water or common lot access for small developments. A multi-slip common dock in this area would be limited to 10 or fewer slips.

• Single Family-Type Residential - Project lands and waters that support private facilities for waterfront landowners, none of which can have multi-family dwellings or provide access for off-water lots. This classification may include, among other things, piers, boat docks, and floaters.

• Impact Minimization Zone - Project lands and waters that have specifically-identified importance from an environmental, scenic, or cultural standpoint. Development within these areas would be limited, but possible, based on a review of the related plans including mitigation for any impacts to resources.

• Conservation/Environmental – Smith Mountain and Leesville Lakes (the Lakes) are important to the economies of the local towns, cities, and counties and contain characteristics that make them a significant regional provider of a variety of resources. There are resources on the Lakes that need protection to ensure that they maintain their attributes on a local and regional scale. The specific resources that need protection are recreational opportunities, scenic beauty, water quality, fish and wildlife habitat, and wetlands. The Conservation/Environmental classification includes areas around the lakes that are particularly important to protect and enhance these various resources around the Lakes. In these areas, development inside the project boundary is prohibited.

Parameters

The following conditions represent parameters for defining the classifications of the shorelines of Smith Mountain and Leesville Lakes.

High Density Commercial

· Coves and main channel areas with a width of more than 500 feet shoreline to shoreline.^*

· Existing watercraft density that is less dense than 15 acres per boat (Densities are based on the boat density study that identified the location of watercraft on peak use days.).

· Shoreline with existing commercial facilities.

· Shoreline within a 3/4 mile radius of the Hales Ford Bridge that is contiguous to the bridge.

^* The width requirement precludes this classification in coves that narrow to 500 feet or less and then widen out again and main channel areas that are wider than 500 feet but are upstream of locations that are less than 500 feet.

Multi-Use Residential

· Coves and main channel areas with a width of more than 500 feet shoreline to shoreline.^*

· Existing watercraft density that is less dense than 15 acres per boat on the water adjacent to the proposed development or where the entrance to the cove is less dense than 12 acres per boat.

· Shoreline with existing multi-use type facilities

Public Use

· Coves and main channel areas with a width of more than 500 feet shoreline to shoreline.^*

· Existing watercraft density that is less dense than 15 acres per boat.

· Shoreline currently designated as public recreation.

· Areas identified for future public use.

Low Density Use

· Existing watercraft density that is less dense than 12 acres per boat on the water adjacent to the residence.

· Areas not otherwise classified that have a county zoning of residential.

· Shoreline with existing single family docks and piers.

Impact Minimization Zone

· Wetlands that span less than 100 feet of linear shoreline.

· Areas classified as large woody debris. The definition of large woody debris areas is “Areas of large downed trees with a density of more than 5 trees greater than 10 inches in diameter per 100 linear feet of shoreline.”

· Areas within 100 feet of a known cultural resource site contained in the VA SHPO files.

· Undeveloped islands.

· Area adjacent to Smith Mountain Wildlife Management Area

· Areas identified as scenic by questionnaire respondents (the Cliffs and Smith Mountain)

· Areas with existing watercraft density that is more dense than 12 acres per boat.

Conservation/Environmental

· Large wetland areas (e.g. 100 ft. or more of continuous shoreline length), usually associated with streamheads at the backs of coves.

· Areas identified by the Virginia Natural Heritage Program as important natural communities.

· Important nursery areas for juvenile striped bass.

· Areas within designated restriction zones such as between the boat barriers upstream of the project dams and the dams themselves.