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To: Interested parties in Martlnsville/Henry County <br />From: Kay SlauGhter, Southern Environmental Law Center <br />Re: Letters to Congress for Supplemental Appropriation for U.S. <br />Army Corps of Engineers, Wilmington District <br />April 14, 2005 <br /> <br />To improve the Smith River fishery in the Martinsville/Henry <br />County area and thus attract more trout fishermen to visit the <br />area, changes to the Philpott dam power generation need to be <br />made. To do this, the Corps of Engineers needs to complete a <br />'216' study, but the President's 2006 budget does not contain <br />funding for this study. Therefore, we are asking that interested <br />governments, agencies, organizations and individuals contact area <br />Congressmen to request that a $1.25 million appropriation be <br />included in the 2006 budget. The total federal-state cost would <br />be $2.5 million, and the state has committed to providing its <br />share. <br /> <br />The daily flow regime related to power generation at Philpott <br />Lake - with the combination of dramatically fluctuating <br />temperature changes and scouring flows -- creates a stressful <br />environment for the fish habitat. In order to correct the <br />situation and change dam operations, the U.S. Army Corps of <br />Engineers must complete a "Section 216 study." Currently, the <br />U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Wilmington, N.C. and the <br />Commonwealth of Virginia are cost sharing partners for the 216 <br />study, which has been in the 'reconnaissance' phase, but the <br />Cor~s needs $2.5 m~11~on to continue the three-year study. <br /> <br />By July 2005, the Corps and the Commonwealth will have developed <br />their study teams and be ready to sign a cost share agreement. <br />There has already been tremendous work done on the impact of the <br />dam operations on the fishery habitat by Donald Orth at Virginia <br />Tech. USACE plans to use the Virginia Tech study as a starting <br />point for the fisheries aspects of this work. Dr. Orth's report <br />can be found at http://www.cnr.vt.edu/fisheries/Smith_River/ A <br />summary of the study can be found at <br />http://www.d~if.virglnia.gov/flshlnq/special_programs/index.html <br /> <br />We request that local government, state leglslators, and <br />interested organizations and individuals write Congressmen Goode <br />and Boucher with copies to Senators Allen and Warner to request a <br />budget amendment of $1 million to fund the 216 study for Philpott <br />dam. <br /> <br />Letters should go to: <br />The Honorable Rich Boucher <br />2187 Rayburn House Office Building <br />United States House of Representatives <br />Washington, D.C. 20515 <br />DC fax 202-225-0442 <br />Email: Ninthnet@mail.house.~ov <br /> <br /> <br />