The Franklin News-Post
P. O. Box 250
310 Main Street, SW
Rocky Mount, Virginia 24151
540-483-5113
Fax: 540-483-8013
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Danny Chitwood and Jamie Hartberger led a five-man crew who last week built two ramps on the Blackwater River above and below the towns low-head dam. The group is shown working on the put-in ramp, which is downstream of the dam. |
Monday, August 24, 2009
By MORRIS STEPHENSON - Staff Writer
It took a five man crew from the Franklin County Recreation Department a week of hard work to build lighted "take-out" and "put-in" ramps at the Rocky Mount Water Treatment Plant's low-head dam on the Blackwater River.
The crew, headed by Danny Chitwood and Jamie Hartberger, constructed the take-out ramp about 60 yards above the dam last week.
A similar but smaller put-in ramp was placed 30 yards below the dam.
The ramp upstream of the dam is about halfway between the dam and a warning sign that hangs over the river. The sign warns boaters that there is a dangerous dam ahead and to exit the river. An arrow points to the ramp.
Then the take-out ramp below the sign is built at an angle away from the water. High on the upstream side of the ramp is a large flood light.
Just across from the light is a second sign with an arrow pointing to the ramp.
Chitwood and Hartberger, along with Wesley Garraghty of Ferrum, Brian Raines of Rocky Mount and Jason Dooley of Roanoke, agreed the two ramps are almost alike, but the one downstream has only one walkway beside the slotted area for the boat to slide down to the water. The one upstream is wider because it has walkways on both sides from the water to the top of the small hill.
Both ramps also are protected on the upstream sides by large rocks to prevent the structures from washing out.
Thursday, the Blackwater River, aided by a storm Wednesday evening in the Callaway area, peaked at the three-foot mark, according to a tracking gauge just downstream of the Route 122 bridge.
About mid-morning Thursday, the water level had dropped to about 2.5 feet.
The water was still running through the large rip-rap placed in front of the dam two weeks ago.
Safety improvements were added to the river at the treatment plant site following the death of two local canoers within a period of two months.
Chris Odum, 38, of Union Hall died June 6 in the hydraulic after his canoe flipped when crossing the dam. The river was running about 3.5 feet.
Then on July 29, Nicole Underwood Mason, 21, of Ferrum drowned when her canoe capsized while crossing the dam. She, too, was caught in the hydraulic.
After the first accident, Rocky Mount town officials were joined by county officials in looking at ways to make the site safe for users. A plan had been designed and was being finalized when the second death occurred.
The total cost of the project was $20,000, with $15,000 spent on eliminating the hydraulic. The remaining amount was used to improve the site area and to add signs, along with an additional lighting system.
While the Town of Rocky Mount owns the property, officials of the town and county made a joint effort to come up with the best way to eliminate the dam's hydraulic and improve river safety for users of the Blackwater River.
The only other low-head dam remaining in the county is on the Pigg River. It is at Veterans' Memorial Park on Scuffling Hill Road.
That dam was built as part of Rocky Mount's first water treatment plant. |
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