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Tomorrow (March 10th) our dam construction vendor, Bander Smith, will open the lower valves of Lakes Greene (1) and Skyline (3), in order to lower the water level several feet.  Work to replace the damaged riser tower trash racks on both lakes will be performed on Thursday-Friday (March 11-12).

We will not be closing the lakes to resident access, but we ask that you please respect the work sites and equipment of our vendor, as they work to keep our dams safe and operating correctly.

Please address any question to lakes@twinlakeshoa.org.

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Inclement weather has delayed this project, but we are informed that it is moving forward again….

On March 10-11, our dam contractor (Bander Smith) will be on site to replace the badly damaged trash racks on the riser towers of Dams #1 and #3, with new and more robust ones.  This will involve heavy equipment and a temporary lowering of the water levels of both lakes by several feet.

While we are not closing access to the lakes, we ask that all residents be respectful of the contractor’s equipment and workspace, to prevent accidents and delays of the project.  If you have any questions, please direct them to lakes@twinlakeshoa.org.  And, stay tuned to our website’s News page for updates:  http://www.twinlakeshoa.org/newsletters/

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During the week of February 8, 2021, we expect to have a vendor on site to replace the ruined trash racks on Lakes Greene and Skyline.  This will involve the lowering of the lake water levels (several feet only, not to the lakebed), for 1-2 days.  The work on both lakes will most likely be completed in the same day.

Lakes Greene and Skyline will be off limits to Twin Lakes residents while this work is underway.

We will update the community when those dates firm up (using the website announcements page), which depends mostly on how well the weather cooperates between now and then.  Stay tuned for further updates.

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The flooding experienced two months ago managed to severely damage the trash racks (the filter grates that keep rubbish from flowing down the riser towers and downstream) on Lakes Greene and Skyline. The newly installed trash rack on Lake Shenandoah was far more robust, and stood up to the beating that the flooding waters and rubbish inflicted….

We are working on keeping those damaged riser towers clear, but there is no evidence that water flow is actually being impeded at this time, in spite of the collected rubbish. New, more sturdy trash racks have been constructed for Twin Lakes, and will be delivered and installed in the next few weeks.

Installation of those racks will involve a temporary lowering of the water level in those lakes, and we will inform you of the dates when that will happen.

Stay tuned for further updates.

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TLOA is making excellent progress in our efforts to clean up from the recent flood. All of the accumulated debris has been removed from all three dams, we are getting estimates to replace the damaged trash racks on Dams #1 (Greene) and #3 (Skyline), and we are regrading the washed out access road to Lake Skyline (3).

We still have two unclaimed canoes that owners can come pickup as soon as is convenient:

• Green canoe on Dam #1
• Blue canoe on Dam #3

If you are missing a canoe and the color and location is right, please come and retrieve your boat.

Stay tuned for further updates on our website at Twinlakeshoa.org

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TLOA is aware of the loss of some or all water pressure in a large swath of the community. Mountain Lakes Water Company is aware of this problem as well, has identified a leak on East Daffodil, and is or has corrected the problem.

If your water pressure remains low or nonexistent at this time, please call MLWC at 985-7504 and report your address to Larry Lamb. (He is already aware of this issue on Geranium, East Daffodil, Sweet Pea, and probably other streets as well.)

Water pressure has already returned to some of these locations, so it’s possible that the situation has been completely resolved by the time that you read this message.

Thank you for your patience as our water provider fixes this problem.

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The Board of Twin Lakes has debated for years about how and when and why to use the lower valves of our three lakes.  This was recently discussed again by the Board, and the decision was made that Twin Lakes would not implement a policy to use our lower valves to specifically prevent flooding to private lakeside lots (in other words, to try and micro-manage water elevation levels), for the following reasons:

1. The State of Virginia does not require or recommend that lake communities have and/or adhere to such a policy (although we are required to ensure that our lower valves function properly)
2. Our experienced dams engineer has recommended against such a stated policy for numerous reasons.
3. Defining and executing a discrete policy for precise water elevation management is impractical, for 3 lakes and ever changing weather conditions.
4. Having such a policy commits the association to carrying it out, and implies a level of responsibility and legal liability that the association cannot afford to take on.
5. The association is not, and cannot be held, responsible for the position, grading, elevation, and/or flooding of homes and properties in Twin Lakes, lakeside or anywhere else, as the association has no control over any of those things.
6. Twin Lakes has never had such a policy in the past, nor do other lake communities.
7. Rising and falling water elevation is a fact of life, when living next to any body of water.

Lake Shenandoah has now been returned to its original water elevation, after a brief period this year where the water elevation was determined to be too high- which prompted the Board to institute extraordinary measures to try and limit flooding caused by severe rain events (with mixed results).  Those conditions have been corrected, and those measures will no longer be taken.  Lake Shenandoah will be managed according to the same policies and practices that apply to the rest of our lakes.

(TLOA retains the right to open the lower valve in extreme weather events in order to protect our dams from damage and possibly avoid activation of the auxiliary spillway-  although we are told that during truly extreme rainfall we can do little other than delay that for a while…).

The Board is working on putting more information online about potential flooding on our site, including lake Inundation Maps developed a decade ago, so that all property owners can be better informed about what to prepare for.

As always, you can address comments and questions to lakes@twinlakeshoa.org.

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Been following the news on the site? Been concerned about the lake and roads? Been wondering how the money is spent in Twin Lakes nowadays? Then come to meetings!! Even better, join the Board and be a part of this great team working hard to address all of the issues we face.

Times have never been more important or rewarding to serve on the Board as we have taken great steps the past 3 years to get into full compliance with all state regulations, to get the finances in order, to get rules established and enforced, and lots of other things that we have been talking about on the site recently. So please consider helping to fill this Board for the first time in years!

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There is no doubt that we all expected the lake to be refilled by now, but the weather has simply not cooperated.  It is unlikely that we even received an inch of rainfall throughout all of June, and the water flow into the lakebed from upstream reflects this.

We have lakeside owners tracking the progress, and we are achieving up to six inches of water elevation increase daily.  This is modest, but no water is flowing out of the lake and so progress remains steady.

We estimate that about 50% of the lakebed is under water now.  If we don’t see some serious rainfall in the near future, however, achieving the final water elevation will still take several more weeks of patience.  But we are getting there.

Stay tuned here for further updates, and please direct all questions to lakes@twinlakeshoa.org.

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Lake Shenandoah continues to refill with water.  Although the lower valve (the stopper in the bathtub) has only been closed for about a week and a half, we had expected more progress at this point.  However, the weeks’ worth of rainfall predicted never materialized.  And, it also appears to never have happened upstream either, given the reduced volume of water flowing into the lake.

One third of the lakebed is now inundated with water, however, and progress to the final water elevation remains steady.  Nothing more has to be done, except to be patient.  As soon as the final water elevation is reached, the lake will be re-opened to the entire community.  The common area/access off of Amicus Road and the dam itself will remain off-limits, however, as the earthen dam must be properly “stabilized” with vegetative growth (i.e. grasses) before the county will declare the project completed.  Please respect the No Trespassing signs posted in that area.

Stay tuned here for more updates, and address all questions about our lakes and dams to lakes@twinlakeshoa.org.

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The Lakes & Dams Committee is please to announce that the construction phase is now complete- the riser tower height has been corrected by the vendor (at no cost to Twin lakes), which will result in a lower water elevation.

The lower valve has now been closed again, and the lake has been refilling since Monday (June 15).  This should take about another week, with a little help from all the rain in the forecast.

Stay tuned here for the official re-opening of the lake to all Twin Lakes residents, when our final and permanent water elevation is reached.

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On Monday (June 15, 2020), our contractor will complete the correction of the riser tower height, bringing it into compliance with project specifications (and lowering the final and permanent water elevation).  This will complete the construction phase of the dam repair project.

Our contractor will do some more reseeding of the repaired portion of the dam on Monday as well, and close the lower valve before departing, starting the process of refilling the lake.  This will take most of the rest of this coming week, depending on precipitation.  When complete, we will once again re-open the recently regraded boat launch area accessible from West Daffodil Rd.  Look for follow-up announcements.

If you are a Lake Shenandoah waterfront property owner, and are still working on a pier/dock project or doing some final clearing of obstacles in the lakebed, we urge you to finish your work in the next few days.  (Reminder:  do not dump any debris of any kind, vegetation or otherwise, into our lakes. Remove it instead.)

We thank you for your patience during this complex and often challenging project.  We will soon have three long-lasting, robust, and fully state-certified recreational lakes for our community to enjoy.

Stay tuned to our website for further news, and address all questions related to this project to lakes@twinlakeshoa.org.

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5/29/20

Work on the correction of the riser tower has begun.  Deconstruction of the top of the riser tower, to lower it to the project specifications, is at about 50%. Once the tower has been shortened, the top will again be properly sealed, with a few days of curing afterwards.

After that, the massive riser grate will be re-installed before the lake is re-filled.  The contractor hopes to complete the work in about another week from this posting.

Stay tuned here for further updates.  Direct all questions to lakes@twinlakeshoa.org.

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We are delighted to report that we have completed another round of pothole repairs in Twin Lakes. Please click on the following link to view the map of all of the repair areas.

► View Map of Repaired Potholes (pdf)

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Beginning Saturday, May 16th, and lasting through the end of May, Lake Shenandoah will be closed to recreational activity, as we drop the water level significantly in order to do work on the riser tower. This work will shorten the height of the riser tower, resulting in a lower permanent water elevation, and has been planned since it was discovered that the tower was higher than specified in the engineering designs for the dam repair.

Work on the tower is expected to begin on May 20th, when the water elevation has dropped sufficiently.

This window will offer an opportunity for lakeside property owners to complete or review footers, etc. of piers and docks. For the north side of the lake where the water is already fairly shallow, this window should extend from May 18th to nearly the end of the month. Property owners closer to the dam will have a shorter window in the middle of that period.

This schedule may be subject to change, and is dependent upon the contractor, weather, and other unforeseen factors.

Stay tuned for further news, and address all questions to lakes@twinlakeshoa.org.

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We have had multiple reports of bears in the community. The Wildlife and Game Commission has recommended that all Twin Lakes residents be sure to secure trash cans, remove bird feeders, and avoid feeding pets outdoors until this coming Fall. It is also recommended that you not dump any food waste in your yard or break a community rule by dumping on anyone else’s property including our lakes and common areas.

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The area we had to excavate in late 2019 to replace a failed culvert on Carnation Road has just been paved!

Thank you for your patience with this process. We had to wait through the winter for a decent paving result, and then had to wait a bit longer for the funds!

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Carnation Road Culvert Repair Area Patch Paving Planned for This Week!!

The area on Carnation Road (just down from Azalea Road) that we had to excavate to replace a failed culvert should be paved soon. We are awaiting word on whether our preferred main road paving contractor, SL Williamson, might be able to take care of that patch while they are doing other small patches in the area. This would provide a substantial reduction in overall cost since we would not need to pay for site mobilization for this one small area.

This patch work could be completed as soon as this week, so keep your eyes open for a short-term blockage of through-traffic in that area late this week. We will post a specific announcement on this site the moment we are informed of the day and time that they will be working in the area.

If this ideal option does not pan out, we will shift to our back-up plan to use another contractor to perform this work some time in May. We already have an estimate for that work from our other preferred road patch repair specialist (Rhoades Paving), and will be able to follow-up with them very soon if necessary.

Pothole Repairs Also Coming Soon!

We are pleased to announce that we have already just signed a contract with Rhoades Paving to repair over a dozen potholes in Twin Lakes. As soon as they get our deposit they will add us to their schedule and start work soon after. This work will likely be completed some time in early May. You can view the maps of the areas we plan to repair by clicking on the link below:

► View Spring 2020 Pothole Repair Map (pdf)

Geranium Road Culvert Repair Planning Underway

We have also been monitoring the damage to our very large “double culvert” located near 474 Geranium Road. This area has been persistently difficult to manage because of the heavy water and debris flow coming from the woods upstream. For several years we have had to take small, “band-aid” steps to keep these culverts in good operating condition, but the damage has finally gotten more critical now, and the road’s integrity in that area is starting to be called into question.

This is a VERY expensive area to repair though. Right now estimates range from $65k to $107k depending the material of the new culvert pipes and whether or not we also install the recommended concrete collar.

Sadly we have next to no funding to apply to this project at this time. So we are being forced to consider one more “band-aid” approach to slow the destabilization of the area while we await assessment-related funding to accumulate. We have also sought financing options with our preferred general contractor for culvert repairs, and they have agreed to put all labor costs on a payment plan for us, just like we have done for the recent Carnation Road culvert replacement. However this does still leave us with the need to raise between $20k and $60k up front to cover any material and sub-contractor costs before the true repair can be scheduled. The Road Committee will post updates here on this topic as developments unfold.

No General Road Paving Planned

Between expanding lake restoration expenses and a string of urgent culvert repairs we have recently completed (West Daffodil, Morning Glory Road, Morning Glory Turn and 2 on Carnation Road to name a few) or need to complete (Geranium Road), there has been very little funding for road-related projects of late aside from pothole repairs and emergency response.

With this expensive and urgent Geranium culvert repair now in front of us, there is not much chance that we can get to any of our long list of roads we would like to formally pave this year. With a bit of luck on both weather and economy, we will hopefully be able to finally shift focus back to road paving in 2021.

The good news is that now that the unpredictable lake restoration-related expenses are about to settle out, we should be able to focus most all upcoming fund surplus towards road paving for the foreseeable future. We have mapped and measured all of the roads we would like to repair, which will likely take a few years to catch up with once funding is finally available. Over time we will catch up and get ahead of our road issues though, at the very least after we have paid off this expensive lake restoration loan.

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Here’s the latest news on the Lake Shenandoah project:  the contractor involved was on site today (4/22/2020) to reseed, straw, and mat the repaired portion of the dam, to ensure that it is “stabilized” (with vegetative growth) properly in the coming months.  This is required before we can close the permit and truly consider the project over.

More importantly, our contractor has acknowledged the error made in the riser tower height (which determines the water pool elevation), and committed to correcting it by the end of May.  This will result in about a 10 inch drop in water elevation.  We have been working towards this commitment for a month and a half, and so it is an important development in adjusting the lake’s water elevation to its final (lower) elevation.  Until then, the Board continues to aggressively monitor both the riser grate and the weather, to try and head off more unwanted elevations of the water due to rainfall.

Stay tuned here for further announcements.

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It was expected that the water elevation in our newly restored lake would be somewhat higher than it was seven years ago, when the association was forced to drain it.  However, the water level proved to be even higher than anticipated, and we have been dealing with the impacts – and our efforts to mitigate it – ever since.

As some of you are aware, in January the Board of Directors – with input from the most affected property owners – voted to lower the riser tower by six (6) inches), as a result of these impacts.  We were proceeding with this plan, and were preparing to approve a proposal from the contractor who did the dam repair at the February Board meeting.  That very day, one of the lakeside property owners provided the Board with a certified Engineering survey that showed that the riser tower (whose height determines the water elevation) was 10.4 inches higher than was specified in the project design approved by the state of Virginia- than it was originally when the lake was created.  Naturally, this stopped the tower modification process in its tracks.

The Board had to have our own engineer evaluate the survey (he validated it), decide if we wanted to do our own survey (we are not), and then decide how to proceed.  In light of this new information, the Board decided to void the January decision and enforce the project specifications on the contractor- in other words:  to put pressure on the contractor to acknowledge the error and lower the riser tower height by 10.4 inches at no cost to TLOA.  This effort has been ongoing since March 1, unfortunately without a clear resolution and timetable at this time.

The Board understands that this higher water elevation is a serious issue, and continues to take measures to mitigate it, weekly and after every heavy rainfall.  And, we remain committed to lowering the riser tower, and are currently deciding whether to proceed with this work without the involvement of the original contractor, as opposed to waiting any longer to have this permanently resolved.

Completing this lake restoration project, which includes correcting the riser tower height to its original level, remains the top priority of the association and the Board of Directors.

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The Twin Lakes HOA is aware of the expected storm today and has developed a storm response action plan. We have consulted with our dam engineer since the storm is predicted to be heavier than usual, and due to the new higher (original) water elevation in Lake Shenandoah, we will be implementing the following:

The lower valve of the riser tower has been opened, and will be left open to allow the water level to drop by approximately one foot.  Water levels will be monitored closely, and the valve will be closed again after the storm.  Additionally, the riser will be kept clear of debris.  This will be the association’s plan for dealing with storm events in the immediate future, in the hopes that at least some flooding can be mitigated.

Additionally, in response to lakeside owners’ input and other considerations, the Board has decided to permanently lower Lake Shenandoah’s water elevation (which was restored to the original and higher elevation that had not been seen in about 25 years) by 6 inches, and is currently in the process of obtaining the engineering designs and proposals to do the work as rapidly as is practical.

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The main construction work on rebuilding Dam #2 (Lakes Shenandoah) has been completed! The last of the concrete is poured, and the earthen dam rebuilt. The lakebed has been cleared, the boat launch are and inlet are cleared and ready, and lakeside owners have completed their new piers and docks (or the frameworks for them).

While a number of final wrap-tasks remain to be knocked out at the dam site, the dam and lake itself are ready for the return of the water- and that is exactly what is about to happen. The Board will be conferring with both our contractor and engineer this week, and if they agree, will most likely vote to close the lower valve for good right away.

We will, of course, not have a truly “recreational” lake for a little while, as it will take some time for the waters to clear, the resulting debris to be cleaned up, and the lake to normalize- and longer to stock it with game fish. But this is the most exciting milestone of the entire project, and one that we have been working towards for many years- so stay tuned here for further updates!

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We are delighted to announce that a long away, and very large culvert replacement project has been completed on Carnation Road.  This area was first identified as needing replacement after the torrential rains of spring and summer of 2018, but it has taken a while to save the $45,000 needed to repair the area.  This work is now complete, which included clearing the inlet area of lots of trees and brush, the replacement of a very deeply buried culvert with a much larger and long-lasting plastic culvert, and the re-fortification of the bank surrounding the outlet area.  We will get some photos and post them here very soon.

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The TLOA Board has approved the replacement of a very damaged culvert on Carnation Road just downhill from the intersection with Azalea Road. Construction is scheduled to begin next Tuesday, November 5th, if things proceed as planned. However factors our of our control could delay this work by a day or two and as such this closure could possibly extend into the weekend and even into the following week in a worst-case scenario.

This construction work could take up to 5 days to complete due to its VERY complex status. During this time through traffic will be blocked on Carnation Road at that location, so those in the area will need to detour using Narcissus Road and West Daffodil Road to get around the closure.

► View Map of Carnation Culvert Construction Area (pdf)

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Several more important milestones have been reached in the Lake Shenandoah Restoration Project! The entire lakebed has now been cleared of over 6 years of uncontrolled plant growth. This was a surprisingly challenging project, involving limited access, ground so soft that it couldn’t support men or machinery in many places, deep waterway trenches to bridge, and a changing shoreline that created its own challenges. 6 weeks later, however, the work has been completed- the lakebed is ready for water.   (It remains crucial however, that no trespassing occur on the lakebed- it is unsafe for several reasons and anyone ignoring this danger creates potential liability for the association, that we all may end up paying for.)

The second milestone just reached is the switch-over from the old corroded steel primary spillway pipe, to the new and massive concrete one. The original pipe is now being deconstructed and removed, as the bottom end of the lake (dear the dam) fills up to the new Low Level Valve opening.   Quarter Creek is now flowing through our new riser and pipe, down to Lake Skyline!

The dam repair project is now entering its final phase, that of the back-filling and compaction of the dam (along with the construction of a new internal “chimney” drain), installation of the concrete outflow collar at the plunge pool, and other finishing work.   We urge all lakeside residents to complete any shoreline/construction projects by the end of this month, to ensure that everything is ready for the return of the water.

Any questions? Email us at lakes@twinlakeshoa.org.

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Lake 1 status:

Gate post repair parts have been purchased and work should begin in 2 weeks.

Lake 2 project status:

– The contract with Viola Engineering has been terminated.  Unpaid invoices remain (the final one requires modification), and it is doubtful that we will receive the Summary Letter of their oversight that we require, until we pay them.

– the new company, F&R Engineering, is replacing Viola and they are testing samples for the clay core-  the dam repair is on hold until we get the results.  New services and testing contract was approved by e-mail vote by the Board prior to the meeting.

Lakebed remediation project:

– Section A has been completed

– Section B has begun with a 9/15/2019 deadline.  This contract was approved for $93K by the board with Brock Construction, also by email vote prior to the meeting.

– Lakeside owners letter status: 2 additional  volunteers came forward to allow their lots to be used for entrance into the lake for work on lakebed.  All correspondence regarding the repairs are to be directed to Patrick Moctezuma, Project Manager.

Lake 3 project status:

– A proposal by F&R was approved for $1,700 by e-mail vote by the Board prior to them meeting , for the engineering  inspection of Dam #3 and completion and submission of the O&M certification to Virginia.  The inspection has been completed, but the certification application has not yet been received from F&R.  Deadline is the end of November.

– lock and chain to be installed on leveling device.  A recommendation was made to keep a boat on hand for this.

– gate installation has begun.

EAP’s and TableTop Exercises: 

Peggy recommended that the Board accept F&R proposal to both update all EPA’s and run the tabletop exercise (for all three dams), for $5,000.  Frank offered to review an EAP over the weekend and report to the Board if he could handle the tasks.  A deadline of Wednesday was set (8/21/2019), after which – if Frank did not take on the tasks – Patrick would call for a Board vote on the F&R proposal.

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We have completed another successful round of pothole repairs thanks to our very reliable paving company, Rhoades Paving. They were able to address all of the significant potholes we have been able to locate, as well as some edge work on East Daffodil and Morning Glory Turn that were damaged by rain run-off.

Please click the link below to view the maps of all of the areas we have just treated.

Summer 2019 Pothole Repair Maps (PDF)

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After a long delay we are ready to start a nice round of road and pothole repairs.  Work should begin in either late August or early September.

Planning for this work started back in March, but we needed to get two road erosion issues addressed successfully so that we could do all repairs at the same time and ensure they were all effective.

This ditch work has just been finished for two weeks now.  Since then we have done another survey of Twin Lakes and found several other new holes that we can address as well.

Please click the link below to view the maps of all of the areas we plan to treat.

Summer 2019 Pothole Repair Maps (PDF)

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We have mostly just small road projects to report on at this time, though we are still hoping to address the failing Carnation Rd culvert this year one way or another. More significant road paving will be taking place in 2020 when the budget has settled out with the current lake restoration expenses.

Here is a summary of current projects:

• After about 8 months of waiting, we have just finally gotten Makco Inc. to travel up to give us some guard rail installation estimates.  We are waiting the estimates to replace the rail we had to remove for culvert replacement on Morning Glory Turn, and to possibly install new rail on one side of the hairpin turn on Morning Glory Road.   We are also awaiting a bid for a less expensive wooden fence in the same area.
• We have finished establishing two new V-ditches (East Daffodil up from Goldenrod and Morning Glory Turn up from Jonquil) and had them lined with heavy rip-rap rock.  This will control rain run-off and prevent further road erosion in those areas.  We are also fixing the road in those areas in the next couple of weeks.
• We have accepted the quote for $5300 by Rhoades Paving to repair 15 holes and other road damage.  Work should begin within a couple of weeks.  We have posted more details about this in a separate news post.
• We are awaiting the repair of the Zinnia STOP sign.  The estimate has been received and accepted.  The site should be repaired soon.
• We are going to request another estimate for the Carnation culvert repair while we save money for the repair and should have this in hand in a few weeks.  This will give us all information needed to act on this repair as soon as it is financially possible.
• We have completed the first of two community-wide brush trimming services where we cut all brush 4ft back and 12ft high on all roads.  If you have an area that was not trimmed back properly, please let us know at roads@twinlakeshoa.org.
• We are in the beginning stages of planning to put up some signs warning of upcoming bus stops for the larger areas that accumulate cars and children.  The budget may force this to wait until next year, but we hope it can be done sooner.

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We continue to wait for Makco to provide us a quote to repair the guard rail on Morning Glory Turn and to potentially install a new guard rail at hairpin turn of Morning Glory Road. In the mean time, we are exploring cheaper option for either marked posts or a wooden fence along Morning Glory Road.

The new V-ditch is set to be finally established on Morning Glory Turn sometime in early to middle July.

Community-wide road-side brush trimming is set to pick up full speed in mid-July as well.

We are watching the failing culvert on Carnation and gathering one more quote for the work while waiting to see if there will be funds in 2019 to at least get that resolved.

Pot hole planning is mostly done. We had to add several new holes that we discovered and that has delayed the process a bit. We hope to have that work done by late July, and certainly as soon as the contractor can fit us in.

We continue to watch and grade the 2 worst cul-de-sacs in Twin Lakes, Aster Road and Gladiola Road. The hope is that some time in next year or so we can finally pave both of these roads.

We are aware that there are MANY areas in Twin Lakes that need paving, and regret that we have been unable to fund any new paving in over 2 years now. We do hope to start funding paving projects more significantly in 2020 and continue until we can “catch up” a bit.

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The clearing of the bed of Lake Shenandoah has begun. This involves workmen accessing the lakebed, using chainsaws and light construction equipment, and burning some of the vegetation being cleared.  Please do not be alarmed if you see smoke rising from lake #2- the local fire depts. have been notified, and these are carefully controlled burns being conducted by professionals.

The East Daffodil Rd. cul-de-sac will also (along with the boat landing area off of West Daffodil Rd.) soon be used as an access point to get into the lakebed. Expect to see men and equipment in that area in the near future.

Stay tuned to our website News page for further details:

www.twinlakeshoa.org/newsletters

…and if you still have questions, feel free to contact us at lakes@twinlakeshoa.org.

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Although suffering from poor weather in the past, and other unforeseen delays, the dam repair and lake restoration project at our primary lake continues to move forward. Last week, a major milestone was passed: the new robust and carefully engineered, poured-concrete vertical riser (the “drain” of the lake) was completed! This is probably the trickiest part of the entire project, requiring several months of preparation and testing, and it is now behind us. What remains is to install the primary spillway pipe (which, at 1 ton per linear foot is still a big job) , switch over water flow and remove the old pipe, and backfill the dam.

The Board has approved a contract for the clearing work for the portion of the lakebed closest to the dam, and are waiting on further proposals to clear the rest of the lake bed. (The project was split in two to avoid impacting the progress of the dam repair itself.) Note: once the clearing work actually begins, please be aware that burning of the brush material will occur on site- please close all windows and doors if you see smoke and live lakeside, to avoid allowing it into your home.

The dam, lakebed, and all common areas associated with Lake Shenandoah remain off-limits to no-authorized persons, until further notice.

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We continue to wait for Makco to provide us a quote to repair the guard rail on Morning Glory Turn and to potentially install a new guard rail at hairpin turn of Morning Glory Road. In the mean time, we are exploring cheaper option for either marked posts or a wooden fence along Morning Glory Road.

The new V-ditch is set to be finally established on Morning Glory Turn sometime in early to middle July.

Community-wide road-side brush trimming is set to pick up full speed in mid-July as well.
We are watching the failing culvert on Carnation and gathering one more quote for the work while waiting to see if there will be funds in 2019 to at least get that resolved.

Pot hole planning is mostly done. We had to add several new holes that we discovered and that has delayed the process a bit. We hope to have that work done by late July, and certainly as soon as the contractor can fit us in.

We continue to watch and grade the 2 worst cul-de-sacs in Twin Lakes, Aster Road and Gladiola Road. The hope is that some time in next year or so we can finally pave both of these roads.

We are aware that there are MANY areas in Twin Lakes that need paving, and regret that we have been unable to fund any new paving in over 2 years now. We do hope to start funding paving projects more significantly in 2020 and continue until we can “catch up” a bit.

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We continue to await final quote to establish proper ditches along Morning Glory Turn just above the Jonquil Road intersection.  Final plan is in place to use rip rap to line this ditch and the other newly created ditch on East Daffodil.

We have already a quote from Rhoades Paving to fix this area, the other similarly damaged area on East Daffodil just down from Geranium, and two very new, very prominent potholes.  The quote is $1,650 and we will proceed as soon as the ditch is repaired on Morning Glory Turn.

We are still waiting to hear from Makco, the guard rail repair specialist, to give us quotes to re-install the guard rail on Morning Glory Turn and install new guard rail at the hairpin turn on Morning Glory Road.  They are extremely busy though and have no idea when we can get an estimate, let alone the actual work done.

We have successfully installed 6 wooden posts beside the road on West Daffodil at a problematic area down the first hill on the right.  These posts were planted in cement and have reflectors on them to better grab the attention of motorists.

We have lined the area of heavy erosion on Carnation Road with rip rap now to potentially reduce additional erosion and to make the area a bit safer.  We have also put up cones there though we may need to seek more permanent ways to mark the area since it may be quite some time before the $42,000 of repairs can be afforded.

Speeding is still a big issue in our community, and we ask for your help in driving the speed limit or less and being respectful of passing cars, especially those who tend to take over the road in big trucks.  We have compiled a list of the most common areas of speeding and will be presented it to the Sheriff’s Office again in the near future.

We have completed the bi-annual road-side trash pickup as well as the bi-annual culvert check and clean-up.  We expect to start the bi-annual road-side trimming in early June.

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We have requested a quote to establish proper ditches along Morning Glory Turn just above the Jonquil Road intersection.  Rain run-off has started to erode the ground under the road.  After ditch is in place, we can repair the road.

We have already a quote from Rhoades Paving to fix this area, the other similarly damaged area on East Daffodil just down from Geranium, and two very new, very prominent potholes.  The quote is $1,650 and we will proceed as soon as the ditch is repaired on Morning Glory Turn.

We are still waiting to hear from Makco, the guard rail repair specialist, to give us quotes to re-install the guard rail on Morning Glory Turn and install new guard rail at the hairpin turn on Morning Glory Road.  They are extremely busy though and have no idea when we can get an estimate, let alone the actual work done.

We are about to install 4×4 wooden posts with reflectors at the hairpin turn of Morning Glory Road to address the safety concern there until we can afford to have guard rails installed.  We are going to do the same thing to a small problematic area on West Daffodil.

Finally, we are working hard to determine the best way to mark the sink hole at the culvert on Carnation Road just down from Azalea.  We are not likely very close to having the $42,000 needed to repair that area, so we are hoping to find a more permanent way to mark the area and try to fill the hole.  We will be trying traffic cones to start with and plan to fill the hole with rip rap to lessen the severity of the area.

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All residents of Twin Lakes, that reside on a lake or stream or have an interest in helping to protect the quality of our waterways, are encouraged to attend the NFR community meeting:

Wednesday, April 17^th, 2019 6:00 p.m.
Piedmont Virginia Community College’s Eugene Giuseppe Center
(222 Main Street Stanardsville, Va in the Greene County Library Building).

The results of the recent study on the biological health of our primary waterway (Quarter Creek) and recommendations for improving it, will be discussed. The following topics will be covered:

• NF Rivanna Water Quality Study
• Rivanna Conservation Alliance Monitoring
• NF Rivanna Senior Capstone
• Agricultural Best Management
• Urban/Residential Best Management Practices

Please come and join in the discussion.

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Grading and graveling of the Aster Rd cul-de-sac has been completed now with the hopes that the road can remain reasonably traversable for the near future.  This will hopefully hold us over until we can find the $15,000 needed to properly pave that poor road.  The Board will be monitoring the road regularly and will continue to grade the road as needed.

We are also keeping a check on the Gladiola Rd cul-de-sac, which is also in very poor shape with an approximate $15,000 price tag.

A metal grate has been installed above a culvert inlet at end of W. Daffodil to help keep the culvert clear, and a dangerous hole blocked away from pedestrians.  The grate can be easily removed for cleaning the culvert when necessary.

We recently had a ditch re-established along the side of East Daffodil Rd between Geranium and Goldenrod.  This was done to divert water flow which was pushing toward the road and undercutting it.  We have already had a paving company examine the area for repair as soon as we know if the water issues have been properly addressed.

We are waiting for quotes to do a similar V-ditch repair near Jonquil Rd on Morning Glory Turn.  Water there is also eroding the road and will need to be diverted away from the road before we can repair the area.

We have also identified two other significant potholes that we will try to fill as soon as possible. These include one at the top of the hill on Morning Glory Rd just before the intersection with Morning Glory Turn, and the other is just at the bottom of the long hill on the back of Morning Glory Turn.

Finally, we are getting quotes to repair the guard rail on Morning Glory Turn, as well as to potentially install new railing around the hairpin turn of Morning Glory Road and potentially a sloped area near t he entrance of West Daffodil.  Alternatively we are seeking quotes for wooden post installation with reflectors in those same areas to provide some visual guides as a much more affordable option.

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Equipment mobilization and delivery of materials (including an impressive tonnage of concrete spillway pipe) for the repair of Dam #2 is now virtually complete. Erosion control fences are in place, and negotiations with Greene County have allowed us to reduce the cost of lining the plunge pool (where the water exits the dam through the primary spillway) with stone. We are not simply restoring this important area, but improving it for longevity and sediment control (see announcement concerning the North Fork Rivanna TDML Study). The access road into the construction site from Amicus has also now been constructed, and the primary work of opening and repairing the earthen dam will now begin.

We urge all of our residents to be careful driving on Amicus Road past the dam, as construction vehicles entering and exiting the work site will continue to present a potential hazard at that blind turn. All access to the lake and its associated lots also continues to be restricted, for the safety of our residents and the security of the construction site. Stay tuned here for further updates.

► Click here to view an article about these repairs in the Greene County Record.

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Our current urgent focus is on Aster Road, which has a wide area mid-way down the road from what appears to be erosion due to salt run-off from the adjacent driveway, as well as a long trench that has formed over the past several months due to heavy rains. While we wait to see when it will be possible to invest the $15k it will take to pave this road, we are bringing in our landscaping company to fill in the areas with gravel and grade things down the best he can. Ideally this could keep things stable until funds have accumulated. We are working on this as soon as possible.

We were asked by a guest at our most recent meeting to consider installing a guard rail or at least reflective posts at the bottom of the first big hill on West Daffodil. Cars are frequently running off the road in that area and creating an expensive and dangerous hazard for the residents in the area and motorists of course. We will be seeking quotes for guard rail work in early spring. This will be done at the same time that we also seek quotes for both the re-installation of the guard rail on Morning Glory Turn as well as a new section around the hairpin turn of Morning Glory Road. As a likely more affordable alternative, we are also seeking a quote to install wooden posts with reflectors to serve as a visual guides at both locations we are considering new guard rail installation.

Our landscaping company is just about to start work to install a metal grate over top of the culvert inlet at the entrance to West Daffodil. This will include forming a cement collar and a locking mechanism for safety and easy of cleaning.

Our landscaping company is also in the process of providing quotes to carve out proper V-ditches along the side of the road on East Daffodil, just down from the intersection with Geranium, as well as on Morning Glory Turn, just up from the intersection with Jonquil. In both of these locations water is flowing towards the road and carving out holes in the road. We can’t fix those holes until we fix the water flow.

We continue to keep the culvert replacement project on Carnation Road on hold, as well as some other similar projects that we just don’t have the funds to pursue at this time. There are also no major plans for paving this year as things currently stand, aside from possibly scraping together the funds to pave our very worst road, the Aster Rd. cul-de-sac.