Effectiveness of weirs on the New River in retarding rapid releases from Claytor Lake Dam at Big Falls

Abstract

Reservoir releases for power generation often cause rapidly fluctuating water levels and increased velocities in certain downstream sections of rivers. These conditions and the natural geometry of the river can render certain sections of the river dangerous for recreation. Although public utilities take precautionary safety measures immediately downstream of the dam, their measures further downstream have been limited, if not non-existent. The placement of weirs between the dam and dangerous sections would retard the flow—slowing the rise in water levels and decreasing velocities at predetermined dangerous sections.

Big Falls, on the New River near McCoy, Virginia, is a popular recreation spot and becomes dangerous at certain times of the day due to releases from Claytor Lake Dam. Several people have drowned at this location over the years. In this study, the influence of weirs placed upstream of Big Falls on the rise of water level and increase in velocity is investigated by an implicit finite difference computer model of one-dimensional gradually varied unsteady flow.

The model allows for investigation of different weir geometries and placements, and the effectiveness of these weirs when subjected to various boundary conditions which arise from variations of the maximum peak release hydrograph from Claytor Lake Dam from May to September of 1983 and 1984.

Results of the study consist of the optimum weir geometry and placement on the New River upstream of Big Falls. Criteria for determining the weir included physical location limitations, and the effectiveness of the weir in reducing the rate-of-rise of water levels and increased velocities at Big Falls.