Better days are ahead for Rainbow Forest Lake

Del. Lacey Putney  who represents much of Botetourt County in the House of Delegates in the Virginia General Assembly, had good news this afternoon for some local residents. When the budget passed in the state Senate yesterday in it  is money to help Botetourt’s Rainbow Forest Lake. The verbiage reads as follows from the budget:

“Page 268 after line 47, insert:”

“Included in the amounts provided in Dam Inventory, Evaluation and Classification, and Flood Plain Management is $258, 290 for the improvement of a high hazard dam originally constructed in 1960, to comply with a Special Order issued by the Director, Department of Conservation and Recreation(DCR) on June 24 , 2011, and in order to meet dam safety requirements.”

Under Explanation, ” The following provides for the rehabilitation of high hazard, recreation use dam that includes within its dam break inundation zone numerous residences, several rural roads,  and U.S. 460. While the Department of Conservation and Recreation’s staff report the dam is generally well maintained, the special order was based on an inadequate spillway. The requested amount would repair the spillway. The requested amount would repair the spillway and permit the facility to comply with Virginia’s dam safety regulations. ”

As long as Governor Bob McDonnell signs the budget, things are looking up permanently for Rainbow Forest Lake.

Rainbow Forest Recreation Association has been dealing with the dam problems since the late 1990s but particularly since  2004.  Last summer the DCR had the lake partially drained leaving a muddy mess. The out cry about loss of property values and the beautiful lake was significant among those who lived in the Rainbow Forest Subdivision. Recently the Rainbow Forest Recreation Association (RFRA)  has made improvements to some of the spillway areas.

Last fall, Putney met with RFRA members about the  dam and said he would try to help. “We have worked very diligently trying to save the lake over all these years.  The RFRA board has tried hard in working with Del. Lacey Putney this year. He really did help us when no other politician did. He is a fine man and a true southern gentleman, ” said Connie Polniak, president of the RFRA board.