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Evergreen Lake
author: Karl Grimsley
Evergreen Lake is an 11.2 acres lake situated in the town of Midlothian, in Chesterfield County, Virginia, GPS 37.468662, -77.631-69. The lake is fed from and contributes to tributaries of Falling Creek. The east-end of the lake is held by an earthen dam. Overflow of the dam is controlled by a stand-pipe and concrete spill-way. The lake sits at an elevation of 216 feet above sea level (mean). The depths of the lake (as were obtained from a Biometric survey conducted by Chesterfield County in 2001) has the shallowest depth as ~1 foot (215 feet above sea level), and the deepest as ~8 feet (208 feet above sea level).
Evergreen Lake rests in the center of 102.2 acres of land that was conveyed to Charles F. Grasberger by deed from G. E. Goode and Corrine Goode, his wife, on January 1, 1947, and recorded February 3, 1947, in the Clerk’s Office of the Circuit Court of Chesterfield County, Virginia, in Deed Book 304, page 67. On the 11th of December, 1969, and for the sum of Ten Dollars ($10.00), Charles F. Grasberger conveyed 96.2 acres of the land to Chesterfield Land & Timber Corporation, recorded in Deed Book 978, page 414. On the 21st of June, 1984, ~33.3 acres of the land that borders Lucks Lane and Evergreen Parkway, were deeded to the Mid-Atlantic Financial Group for a planned subdivision, as recorded 30th of March, 1984 in Deed Book 1648, Page 1970. Remaining acreage of the land were later deeded for future housing subdivisions. The lake is now bordered by four (4) housing subdivisions including Sachems Head, Grand Manor, Paget, and Hamilton, and further by Sugar Creek and Saint George.
The Evergreen Lake Association, Inc. (ELA), was formed, independent of surrounding subdivision Home Owners Associations (HOA), on the 16th of April, 1984. Residents of communities that bordered the facility were bound by convinces adopted by the ELA, as well as convinces adopted by their respective HOA’s. The purpose of the ELA was to provide a central oversight of the lake that is shared by multiple housing communities.
In an agreement signed with Chesterfield County (Book 2140 Page 1843-1848) on the 20th of November, 1990, the ELA agreed to maintain lake in a manner which would permit the facility to perform the purposes for which it was designed and constructed. The ELA became defunct in 1997 when it could not perform the maintenance duties, notably the restoration of the eroding earthen dam, as was required in the agreement. From that point forward, Chesterfield County assumed the maintenance burden of the lake.
In June of 1997, Chesterfield County begun making restorative repairs to the earthen dam. A section of the dam face that had eroded was covered with a prefabricated plastic soil drainage sheet. A drain pipe was installed and the dam face was backfilled. In addition, the existing dry-soil spill-way, the main cause of the erosion problem, was replaced with a concrete spill-way. All overflow drainage was then direct down the new spill-way to a “plunge pool” located at the foot of the spill-way. Chesterfield County continues to maintain the dam and performs inspections no less than annually.
In the agreement signed by ELA and Chesterfield County, the lake is referenced as a “Best Management Practice (BMP)/Detention/Retention facility”. BMP’s are an important element for reducing discharge of nonpoint source pollutants into state waters. As storm and ground water enter nearby creeks, ponds, and lakes, they bring with it localized pollutants of varying types. Most concerning of which are high-level nutrient pollutants that come from improperly applied farm/yard fertilizers and pesticides, and animal feces.
Evergreen Lake and the Chesapeake Bay ActThe Chesapeake Bay Preservation Act (Bay Act) was enacted by the Virginia General Assembly in 1988. The Bay Act program is designed to improve water quality in the Chesapeake Bay and other waters of the State. As a BMP, Evergreen Lake is part of a state-wide network of ponds and lakes that capture and hold water pollutants, thus reducing the pollution levels before the water reaches the Chesapeake Bay. Maintaining Evergreen Lake is governed by strict laws and best practices of the Bay Act. One such law strictly prohibits the use of chemicals to control algae growth.
High levels of nitrates from fertilizers and animal feces are the “foods” that encourage algae growth in the lake. In shallower areas of the lake where the sun’s rays are able to touch the fertilizer-rich bottom, blue-green algae (algae type determined by an ODU analysis conducted in August 2016 by Virginia Department of Environmental Quality) can bloom rather quickly. These blooms grow and migrate about the lake until the levels become toxic. Chemical treatments, such as the application of Cutrine, are effective in controlling algae growth. However, the Bay Act prohibits the application of additional chemicals to BMP facilities. Instead, the State suggests implementing practices that will reduce the levels of nitrates and other nutrients from entering the water in the first place. The State further recommends putting into place measures to reduce sediment entering the lake. Over time, this sediment reduces the depth of the lake, thus enabling the sun’s rays to reach bigger areas of the lake bottom.
Fish Kill of 2006Evergreen Lake experienced a fish-kill on July 4, 2006. Residents noted a significant increase in a light-brown colored sediment entering the lake just prior to the event. The sediment was entering the west-end of the lake from a tributary of Falling Creek. The tributary was traced back to its origin, which was in close proximity of a major construction zone of the Route 288 project. Chesterfield County responded to the event and reportedly loaded and removed several 25 gallon drums full of dead fish. County officials, whom reported the sight and smell as horrific, did not determine root cause.
The fish population of the lake has not rebounded from the fish-kill event of 2006. An over-population of snapping turtles are presenting a challenge for fish larvae to make it to maturity. An equally over-population of Canadian Geese, whom have taken up year-round residence in the lake, are adding to already high nitrate levels. More problematic, however, is the lake is “dying” rather quickly.
An area of the lake that is devoid of crucial oxygen levels for supporting marine life is called a dead-zone. A dead-zone can develop when there is a low water circulation rate, or low turn-over of the water, as is the case during extended periods of no rain. The oxygen levels in a dead zone can be very low, or totally absent. Fish can survive with slightly lower levels of oxygen, but they become stressed due to difficulty breathing. Stressed fish mean that diseases and parasites can become a problem, and the whole lake ecosystem then gets out of balance.
Evergreen Lake bottom is littered with decaying debris such as leaves, pine needles and household trash. As this debris slowly decays, oxygen levels near the bottom of the lake becomes dangerously low. Over time, the lower oxygen kills-off good bacteria. Without this bacteria, high levels of ammonia and nitrite upset the entire system and kills off the fish population.
Evergreen Lake Dredging Operation 2021The first of several meetings with Chesterfield County occurred on the 3rd of August, 2018, to discuss how to go about improving the overall health of the lake. In attendance were Lewis Levi, President of Grand Manor HOA, Lorine Richardson, President of Paget HOA, and Karl Grimsley, President of Sachems Head HOA. Attending from Chesterfield County was Chris Winslow, Attorney / Supervisor, Scott Smedley, Director of Environmental Engineering, and Jerry Duffy, Drainage Superintendent. The discussions were with transparency and at times candid. Jerry Duffy gave everyone a detailed history of the lake, a lot of which made its way into this article. At the conclusion of the meeting, several next steps were recommended, including dredging the lake to remove sediment that has accumulated over several decades. The dredging operation would not occur until the Lucks Lane Widening Project is completed.
Fast-forward to March 2021. Chesterfield County awarded a contract to Sediment Removal Services, Inc., to dredge Lake Evergreen. The dredging operation was condudcted water-side, meaning a large backhoe was placed atop a barge and the barge floated to various areas of the lake. The backhoe removed sediment from the lake bottom and transported it to the Sachems Head Homeowners Association common property located off Reed Grass Lane. From there the sediment was trucked-off to a disposal location. The dredging operation resulted in ~6620 cubic yards of sediment being removed from the lake bottom.
Evergreen Lake is an 11.2 acres lake situated in the town of Midlothian, in Chesterfield County, Virginia, GPS 37.468662, -77.631-69. The lake is fed from and contributes to tributaries of Falling Creek. The east-end of the lake is held by an earthen dam. Overflow of the dam is controlled by a stand-pipe and concrete spill-way. The lake sits at an elevation of 216 feet above sea level (mean). The depths of the lake (as were obtained from a Biometric survey conducted by Chesterfield County in 2001) has the shallowest depth as ~1 foot (215 feet above sea level), and the deepest as ~8 feet (208 feet above sea level).
Evergreen Lake rests in the center of 102.2 acres of land that was conveyed to Charles F. Grasberger by deed from G. E. Goode and Corrine Goode, his wife, on January 1, 1947, and recorded February 3, 1947, in the Clerk’s Office of the Circuit Court of Chesterfield County, Virginia, in Deed Book 304, page 67. On the 11th of December, 1969, and for the sum of Ten Dollars ($10.00), Charles F. Grasberger conveyed 96.2 acres of the land to Chesterfield Land & Timber Corporation, recorded in Deed Book 978, page 414. On the 21st of June, 1984, ~33.3 acres of the land that borders Lucks Lane and Evergreen Parkway, were deeded to the Mid-Atlantic Financial Group for a planned subdivision, as recorded 30th of March, 1984 in Deed Book 1648, Page 1970. Remaining acreage of the land were later deeded for future housing subdivisions. The lake is now bordered by four (4) housing subdivisions including Sachems Head, Grand Manor, Paget, and Hamilton, and further by Sugar Creek and Saint George.
The Evergreen Lake Association, Inc. (ELA), was formed, independent of surrounding subdivision Home Owners Associations (HOA), on the 16th of April, 1984. Residents of communities that bordered the facility were bound by convinces adopted by the ELA, as well as convinces adopted by their respective HOA’s. The purpose of the ELA was to provide a central oversight of the lake that is shared by multiple housing communities.
In an agreement signed with Chesterfield County (Book 2140 Page 1843-1848) on the 20th of November, 1990, the ELA agreed to maintain lake in a manner which would permit the facility to perform the purposes for which it was designed and constructed. The ELA became defunct in 1997 when it could not perform the maintenance duties, notably the restoration of the eroding earthen dam, as was required in the agreement. From that point forward, Chesterfield County assumed the maintenance burden of the lake.
In June of 1997, Chesterfield County begun making restorative repairs to the earthen dam. A section of the dam face that had eroded was covered with a prefabricated plastic soil drainage sheet. A drain pipe was installed and the dam face was backfilled. In addition, the existing dry-soil spill-way, the main cause of the erosion problem, was replaced with a concrete spill-way. All overflow drainage was then direct down the new spill-way to a “plunge pool” located at the foot of the spill-way. Chesterfield County continues to maintain the dam and performs inspections no less than annually.
In the agreement signed by ELA and Chesterfield County, the lake is referenced as a “Best Management Practice (BMP)/Detention/Retention facility”. BMP’s are an important element for reducing discharge of nonpoint source pollutants into state waters. As storm and ground water enter nearby creeks, ponds, and lakes, they bring with it localized pollutants of varying types. Most concerning of which are high-level nutrient pollutants that come from improperly applied farm/yard fertilizers and pesticides, and animal feces.
Evergreen Lake and the Chesapeake Bay ActThe Chesapeake Bay Preservation Act (Bay Act) was enacted by the Virginia General Assembly in 1988. The Bay Act program is designed to improve water quality in the Chesapeake Bay and other waters of the State. As a BMP, Evergreen Lake is part of a state-wide network of ponds and lakes that capture and hold water pollutants, thus reducing the pollution levels before the water reaches the Chesapeake Bay. Maintaining Evergreen Lake is governed by strict laws and best practices of the Bay Act. One such law strictly prohibits the use of chemicals to control algae growth.
High levels of nitrates from fertilizers and animal feces are the “foods” that encourage algae growth in the lake. In shallower areas of the lake where the sun’s rays are able to touch the fertilizer-rich bottom, blue-green algae (algae type determined by an ODU analysis conducted in August 2016 by Virginia Department of Environmental Quality) can bloom rather quickly. These blooms grow and migrate about the lake until the levels become toxic. Chemical treatments, such as the application of Cutrine, are effective in controlling algae growth. However, the Bay Act prohibits the application of additional chemicals to BMP facilities. Instead, the State suggests implementing practices that will reduce the levels of nitrates and other nutrients from entering the water in the first place. The State further recommends putting into place measures to reduce sediment entering the lake. Over time, this sediment reduces the depth of the lake, thus enabling the sun’s rays to reach bigger areas of the lake bottom.
Fish Kill of 2006Evergreen Lake experienced a fish-kill on July 4, 2006. Residents noted a significant increase in a light-brown colored sediment entering the lake just prior to the event. The sediment was entering the west-end of the lake from a tributary of Falling Creek. The tributary was traced back to its origin, which was in close proximity of a major construction zone of the Route 288 project. Chesterfield County responded to the event and reportedly loaded and removed several 25 gallon drums full of dead fish. County officials, whom reported the sight and smell as horrific, did not determine root cause.
The fish population of the lake has not rebounded from the fish-kill event of 2006. An over-population of snapping turtles are presenting a challenge for fish larvae to make it to maturity. An equally over-population of Canadian Geese, whom have taken up year-round residence in the lake, are adding to already high nitrate levels. More problematic, however, is the lake is “dying” rather quickly.
An area of the lake that is devoid of crucial oxygen levels for supporting marine life is called a dead-zone. A dead-zone can develop when there is a low water circulation rate, or low turn-over of the water, as is the case during extended periods of no rain. The oxygen levels in a dead zone can be very low, or totally absent. Fish can survive with slightly lower levels of oxygen, but they become stressed due to difficulty breathing. Stressed fish mean that diseases and parasites can become a problem, and the whole lake ecosystem then gets out of balance.
Evergreen Lake bottom is littered with decaying debris such as leaves, pine needles and household trash. As this debris slowly decays, oxygen levels near the bottom of the lake becomes dangerously low. Over time, the lower oxygen kills-off good bacteria. Without this bacteria, high levels of ammonia and nitrite upset the entire system and kills off the fish population.
Evergreen Lake Dredging Operation 2021The first of several meetings with Chesterfield County occurred on the 3rd of August, 2018, to discuss how to go about improving the overall health of the lake. In attendance were Lewis Levi, President of Grand Manor HOA, Lorine Richardson, President of Paget HOA, and Karl Grimsley, President of Sachems Head HOA. Attending from Chesterfield County was Chris Winslow, Attorney / Supervisor, Scott Smedley, Director of Environmental Engineering, and Jerry Duffy, Drainage Superintendent. The discussions were with transparency and at times candid. Jerry Duffy gave everyone a detailed history of the lake, a lot of which made its way into this article. At the conclusion of the meeting, several next steps were recommended, including dredging the lake to remove sediment that has accumulated over several decades. The dredging operation would not occur until the Lucks Lane Widening Project is completed.
Fast-forward to March 2021. Chesterfield County awarded a contract to Sediment Removal Services, Inc., to dredge Lake Evergreen. The dredging operation was condudcted water-side, meaning a large backhoe was placed atop a barge and the barge floated to various areas of the lake. The backhoe removed sediment from the lake bottom and transported it to the Sachems Head Homeowners Association common property located off Reed Grass Lane. From there the sediment was trucked-off to a disposal location. The dredging operation resulted in ~6620 cubic yards of sediment being removed from the lake bottom.
