F&R provided geotechnical engineering services, spillway routing analysis, a subsurface exploration program, and SITES analysis to evaluate the capacity and stability of the Ivy Lake Dam, situated on Ivy Creek in Lynchburg, VA.

Ivy Lake Dam was constructed in 1984 as a recreational impoundment. The dam impounds Ivy Lake, an approximate 106-acre reservoir at normal pool elevation. The dam is 74 feet tall, with a crest elevation of about 833 feet and a normal pool elevation of about 800 feet. It has one earthen auxiliary spillway on the right side that is 11 feet deep. The spillway has the required physical capacity, but the earthen channel was highly erodible.

The client requested a preliminary engineering report to explore several suggested remediation concepts and the associated construction costs. These included a wider earthen spillway to reduce flow depths and velocity, a concrete-lined channel, and a dam removal option. Ultimately, F&R assisted with the design and construction of a concrete cutback protection wall, and the dam now has a Regular Operating Permit.