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The maintenance project at West Point Lake causing lower than normal water levels is on schedule to be completed by Jan. 15 of next year. Jay Jamison, Operations Project Manager for U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), said that water levels should return to normal operation levels by June as conditions allow. 

The road above the dam will remain closed to civilian vehicles for the duration of the maintenance and until all equipment is removed. 

Currently, the contractors are working on spillway gate 6 which should be ready for inspection next week.

In May, the West Point Lake awarded a contract to R&D Maintenance Services, Inc. for a Spillway Gate Painting and Repair project. 

Throughout the winter season, spillway gates 5 and 6 have been undergoing painting and routine maintenance repairs. The project began in July. To do the work, the reservoir pool elevation had to be lowered below normal operation levels. 

On August 1, the reservoir levels began falling at a steady rate, aiming to reach 625’ mean sea level (MSL) by October 1. The road on the dam was closed on Sep. 16. The repairs and setting of the stoplogs were completed on the week of Sep. 23.

According to the West Point Lake USACE, the drawdown schedule was chosen to balance recreation, hydropower and flood risk reduction missions at the project.

Maintenance on the Spillway gate is scheduled from Oct. 1 to Jan. 15, 2025. 

Once the project is completed, the reservoir level will gradually return to normal, depending on weather conditions. 

“The majority of the courtesy docks at these public boat ramps are not accessible, but you can still utilize the majority of the boat ramps,” Jamison said.

As for safety, Jamison said boaters and recreational users should be alert for potential hazards such as submerged stumps, logs, and rocks. 

“It’s important to stay within the main channels of the reservoir and be careful when approaching the shoreline due to the depth of the water varies,” Jamison said in a statement to the VTN.

For more information about boat access, Jamison provided the following link: https://www.sam.usace.army.mil/Missions/Civil-Works/Recreation/West-Point-Lake/Boating/Boating-Safety/Boat-Ramp-Conditions/.