Newsletter articles

By Sue Biondi – January 2023

There is a new development proposed at the lake, so in “light” of that development, I thought I would resurrect an article I wrote several years ago about light pollution around the lake.  The impact of the lighting in and around this development, as well as private home lighting, will be quite detrimental to the area in many ways.

When you decided to light up the pathways to your home, light up the surrounding trees and place floodlights on and around your home and dock, did you take a moment to consider how those lights will impact the surrounding nighttime environment?  Were you disappointed when, in the city, you were unable to see the stars, galaxies or even the Milky Way?  You tried to see the shooting stars that the weatherman said would be occurring that evening and through the night, but never saw even one.  How could this be, you asked.   Oh, it must be all the city lights.  Then, you came to the lake.  You went out at night and saw a million, gazillion stars, even the Milky Way.  You saw so many shooting stars you lost count.  Now, let’s go back and consider the lights at the development and the ones you installed around your house and dock.

According to Wikipedia, “Light pollution, also known as photo pollution, is the presence of anthropogenic (resulting from the influence of human beings on nature) light in the night environment. It is exacerbated by excessive, misdirected or obtrusive uses of light, but even carefully used light fundamentally alters natural conditions.  As a major side-effect of urbanization, it is blamed for compromising health, disrupting ecosystems and spoiling aesthetic environments.”  Various categories of light pollution are light trespass, over-illumination, glare, light clutter and skyglow.  Sometimes, these categories may overlap one another.  Living in a very rural area, outdoor lighting usually occurs via streetlamps as a sole source of lighting roadways, and the need for outdoor lighting is minimal or non-existent, except for the occasional front door lamp.

Light trespass occurs when light from one source enters another’s property and disturbs the darkness of one’s neighbor.  At times, this may cause sleep deprivation due to a disruption of the body’s circadian rhythm.  Several cities have developed standards to protect citizens against light trespass.  Light trespass can be reduced or eliminated by selecting lighting fixtures which limit the amount of light and redirecting light away from neighbor’s property.

Over-illumination from commercial, industrial and residential sources uses approximately four or five million barrels of oil per day.  About 30-60% of energy consumed in lighting is unneeded or frivolous.

Glare is created by light that shines horizontally and comes in varying types: An example of blinding glare is staring at the sun, which may cause temporary or permanent vision deficiencies.  Disability glare happens when oncoming car lights temporarily blind a driver.  Or light within fog that scatters and does not allow for contrast of objects.  Discomfort glare occurs on a bright day where sunglasses are needed for comfort and less eye irritation.

Light Clutter is a form of light pollution that is excessive and inappropriate artificial light, also known as “clutter.”  It includes bright, confusing and excessive groupings of light sources, commonly found in over-lit urban areas.  Examples are overly lit office buildings, shopping malls, highway signs and sports stadiums.  This type of lighting may have a harmful effect on motorists as well as aviation, causing confusion for pilots and vehicle accidents.

The effect of light on ecosystems is profound. It poses a serious threat to nocturnal wildlife and has a negative impact on plant and animal physiology.  It can confuse animal navigation, alter competitive interactions, change predator-prey relations and cause physiological harm.  The rhythm of life is orchestrated by the nature patterns of light and dark, so interruption to these patterns impacts the ecological dynamics. 

Light pollution around lakes prevents zooplankton, such as Daphnia, from eating surface algae, causing algal blooms that can kill off the lakes’ plants and lower water quality.  Daphnia normally dwell deep below the water in the day and ascend to the surface at night to feast on algae.  Darkness triggers the migration to the surface.  Nighttime lighting can prevent the zooplankton from floating up to their meals, which could lead to algae blooms that overwhelm the other life in the lake.

Astronomy is very sensitive to light pollution.  Skies viewed in the city are significantly different from skies viewed in a dark environment.  Skyglow (the scattering of light in the atmosphere) reduces the contrast between stars and galaxies and the sky itself, making it much rarer to see fainter objects.  Skyglow is the bright halo that appears over urban areas at night, a product of light being scattered by water droplets or particles in the air.

Insects flying around the porch light distracts them from feeding, finding mates, or producing offspring.  It is recommended to use a warm colored LED light, which attracts fewer insects.  They also scatter less intense light into the atmosphere than blue LED lights. 

The population around the lake is increasing, with new homes and developments emerging at a rapid rate.  This article should serve as a reminder to all to consider your neighbors, the environment and the impact of lighting up the night sky.  On a clear night, venture outside, look up and enjoy the light show that Mother Nature has provided for us.  That should encourage you to turn off the lights.

sue.biondi@lakeannavirginia.org

Jean McCormick – January 2023

Here are the new Virginia State Boating Regulations that went into effect January 1, 2023.

MOVE OVER REGULATION

This new requirement is like what motorists on the highway are expected to do. When approaching or passing within 200 feet of any law enforcement vessel or emergency services vessel that is displaying flashing blue or red lights, a boater shall slow to "no wake" so that the effect of the wake does not disturb the activities of law enforcement or emergency services personnel.

CLEAN, DRAIN, DRY

This new regulation requires that boat operators clean any aquatic organism or vegetation from the vessel's trailer and equipment before departing the boating area. The regulation also requires boat operators to drain and take reasonable measures to dry bilge tanks and ballast tanks before departing a body of water.

FIRE EXTINGUISHERS

The update to the Virginia requirement for fire extinguishers mirrors the new federal fire extinguisher regulation.

This stipulates those boats, model year 2018 or newer, must carry 5B, 10B or 20 B weight rated fire extinguishers. It also stipulates that fire extinguishers on any vessel must not be expired. A fire extinguisher that is 12 years older than the date it was manufactured is considered EXPIRED.

jeanmccor12@gmail.com 

By Carrie Hicks - January 2023

For over 30 years, Louisa County Resource Council (LCRC) has been serving the community, providing food and essential services to families in need in Louisa.  While the primary focus of LCRC’s mission has been—and always will be—fighting food insecurity, the local nonprofit has seen tremendous growth over the past few years, developing programs to meet many of the most critical needs of Louisa County’s most vulnerable citizens.

LCRC’s five food programs serve approximately 2,700 people monthly. From the Community Cupboard that operates as the primary food program to specialized programs like the Children’s Feeding Program, 60-Plus Feeding Program, Emergency Food Pantry, and the Grocery Assistance Program (GAP) that assists clients who have incomes above federal poverty levels, but who still struggle to put food on the table—LCRC aims to ensure that no one who comes in for assistance leaves hungry.

In addition to the various food programs, LCRC offers a Dental Assistance Program, a Community Closet that provides clothing, medical equipment, and household necessities at little or no cost to those in need, and the most recent addition to the program catalog: Wheels for Work.  Wheels for Work assists clients with emergency automobile repairs.

LCRC is fortunate to operate our food programs Monday-Wednesday from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. with extended hours on Thursday, from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m.  The Community Closet is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. and from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. on the first and third Saturday of each month.  Several remote distribution sites are also set up throughout the county on various days throughout the month to bring food allotments closer to clients who have difficulty getting transportation to our main facility. 

LCRC does all this—moving approximately 3 million pounds of food through the facility each year and—with only a handful of part-time staff.  This is due to the incredible volunteers that put in over 1,300 hours of community service each month. “Our volunteers are truly what keeps LCRC running.  We could not do what we do without them.  We are so grateful for the many like-minded individuals who donate their time and share in our mission.  We are always looking to bring new faces into our fold and welcome new volunteers,” said LCRC Executive Director, Lloyd Runnett.

With the increased need our community is facing and the exponential growth of the programs and operations over the past few years, LCRC is currently in search of an additional staff member. “Since the addition of our fourth warehouse across the street from our main facility, we are now operating over 15,000 square feet of space, prompting the need for a Warehouse and Facilities Manager to join our staff,” Runnett said.

If you are interested in joining the LCRC team, becoming a volunteer, or donating to LCRC’s programs, contact (540) 967-1510 or email louisaresource@gmail.com. You can also visit louisaresource.org for more information.

louisaresource@gmail.com

By Sue Biondi - January 2023

If you’re new to the area or just forgot, the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) has planned a large roundabout, also known as a traffic circle, at the intersection of Rt 522 and 208, also known as Ware’s Crossroads.  Construction is set to begin this year.  This intersection is listed in VDOT Culpeper District’s “Top 100” intersections, based on the number of serious or fatal crashes.  Refer to VDOT’s website, which has links to their public crash database.  Frequently, traffic backs up to Alma Gaynelle Drive (Rt. 1190) and beyond.   During the summer months, you will see cars trailering boats and recreational vehicles, motor homes, 18 wheelers hauling logs, and various other large commercial vehicles in this traffic backlog.

Adding to the intersection is a proposed shopping center located west and south of Rt. 522.  Opinions vary depending on whether drivers have experienced navigating through a roundabout.  Some see them as a great solution as opposed to placing a traffic light, or worse yet, a 3-way stop sign, and some see them as a nuisance.   A recent newspaper article explained the pros and cons of installing roundabouts, and here are some highlights of the research.

According to research by Lee Rodegerdts, an engineer and amateur photographer from Portland, Oregon, no federal agency tracks the nation’s roundabouts, rotaries or traffic circles.  Rodegerdts wrote the book “Roundabouts: An Informational Guide”. Through research, when he began, he counted about 300 roundabouts nationwide.  Just 25 years later, he counted about 9,000.  The modern roundabout relies on a geometric design that forces traffic to slow down.  In traditional rotaries and traffic circles, traffic moves faster and vehicles already in the circle often must yield to newcomers. 

In the United States, the fastest roundabout growth is in suburbs and rural areas, as it is difficult to fit roundabouts into the dense urban environment.  Statistics show that a roundabout will reduce fatal crashes by 90 percent and cut all car-crash injuries by at least 75 percent.  At a rural two-way stop, a roundabout can slash all traffic injuries, both fatal and nonfatal, by almost 90 percent.  A roundabout prevents a vehicle from driving through at 60 miles per hour and T-boning another vehicle, a common occurrence in typical rural intersections. 

Roundabouts can reduce pollution and allow designers to fit more traffic in a smaller space.  Interestingly, Florida has the most roundabouts, Nebraska the most roundabouts per person, and Maryland has the most roundabouts per mile of road and is considered the roundabout champion.  Virginia ranks #14.  For photos of roundabouts, traffic circles, rotaries and traffic-calming circles, refer to the article written by Andrew Van Dam, November 25, 2022.

In conclusion, there is no doubt that roundabouts keep traffic flowing and reduce crashes that occur in intersections.  The inner circle can include plantings that make it aesthetically pleasant.  The community will have to adjust to the change to this intersection, but when there are no longer the traffic tie-ups and accidents, they may have a change of heart in rejecting the decision to install a roundabout as opposed to a traffic light. 

sue.biondi@lakeannavirginia.org

       

       

       

       

By Rick Nehrboss – November 2022

YOU ARE INVITED TO BECOME A FOUNDING MEMBER OF THE LACA HOA/POA PRESIDENTS COUNCIL

Last summer in our membership survey, we had a couple of questions concerning HOA/POA membership.  On one question we asked if the members would support a special membership category for HOA/POA Presidents.  The overwhelming result was 85% yes!  We also had a comment about creating a forum for HOA/POA members to address areas of common interest or concern.  This very topic was the subject of discussion at four monthly board meetings, and we approved the creation of a LACA Presidents Council (PC).  In addition, we presented this concept at our July Annual Meeting and for those who missed it, we wanted to give you some highlights of what to expect.

The Board approved the creation of the Council with the caveat the representatives should be LACA members.  We understand not all HOA/POA presidents are LACA members.  We will offer the ability for the HOA/POA President to delegate their LACA PC representation to another HOA/POA Board member who does already belong to LACA.  We will capture the appropriate organizational position in each member’s contact information on the LACA website.  Another option is for the HOA/POA Association to join as an organization with two members, and we do have several Associations who are LACA members.  We will need the contact information for the individual members for each Association along with their official positions within the HOA/POA. With this information and in preparation for the upcoming inaugural meeting, we will send out broadcast emails to Council members with invitations to participate in a Zoom meeting. 

We envision this Council becoming a forum for Presidents and their peers to address any HOA/POA issues and to capture best practices from other council representatives who want to offer their approaches on topics such as covenant and bylaw changes, short term rental policies, pending legal actions, Management companies, contracted services, etc.  In addition to connecting organizations with similar issues, we would capture best practices into a repository for use by the Council members.  Of course, a lot of details need to be worked through, but these meetings will be specifically for the Council members. LACA’s role will be to host the meetings.  If desired, we could provide topic presentations by our Committee Chairs in a significant level of detail as our contribution to these meetings. This would provide Council members with greater insight and visibility into LACA Board decisions and initiatives. 

We understand not all our communities are HOA/POA organizations and we haven’t forgotten you!  If you are a member of such a community and are willing to serve as a community liaison to LACA, we will add you to the Council!  You may choose to participate in meetings where you may have a common interest with the HOA/POA members and some agenda items may have broader implications!

We anticipate conducting these meetings using Zoom only because of the size of the audience since we have approximately 180 different HOAs/POAs and subdivisions.  To accept this invitation, please contact your Regional Director listed at :https://www.lakeannavirginia.org/Board-of-Directors If all else fails, email me at rick.nehrboss@lakeannavirginia.org.  Once we have established contacts for most HOAs/POAs and subdivisions we will announce our inaugural meeting.  We look forward to meeting our new Council members!  More to come soon!

rick.nehrboss@lakeannavirginia.org

By Harry Looney – November 2022

LACA started a new water quality project this year focused on collecting data on the health of the streams and creeks in the Lake Anna Watershed. The project is called Save Our Streams and it is made possible through the work of LACA volunteers and partnerships with the Lake Anna State Park and Louisa County High School.

The Virginia Save Our Streams program is part of the Izaak Walton League of America (IWLA) effort that has a fifty-year history of monitoring the health of rivers, streams, and creeks across the United States. The IWLA program began in 1969 with volunteers cleaning up trash from their local waterways and reporting problems like streams becoming clogged with silt.

The IWLA program was expanded in the 1980s to include training of volunteers to collect scientifically valid data to assess water quality in their local streams. Today, trained volunteer stream monitors across the country are uncovering pollution problems and urging their local leaders to act on water quality. The work of these volunteers also creates a critical record of water quality over time, making it possible to quickly identify pollution problems that develop in the future.

The Save Our Streams program focuses on the macroinvertebrates (“critters”) living in the creeks and streams to identify pollution issues. Macro means that you can see them with the naked eye and invertebrates means they do not have a backbone. We look for critters that live in the water on the bottom of the creek under rocks and organic debris.

LACA joined the IWLA network of volunteers this summer and took steps to begin sampling our local streams and creeks. We reached out to the Lake Anna State Park and local educators about joining our effort and we are pleased to partner with both the State Park and Louisa County High School on this project. We worked with the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) to identify potential sampling sites and we now have four stations that are perfect for Save Our Streams type monitoring. The stations are located on Goldmine Creek and the North Anna River in Louisa County, Pamunkey Creek in Orange County, and Pigeon Run in Spotsylvania County. LACA worked with the landowners near each station to ensure access to the streams is approved.

Our first sampling session took place on Saturday, October 8^th.  We sent two teams out to monitor the North Anna River and Pigeon Run stations.  A LACA volunteer team conducted sampling from State Park property located on Pigeon Run and the Louisa County High School team monitored the North Anna River station. You can see more images from the October 8^th sampling on the LACA website at our Save Our Streams page. Our data reports will be posted on the LACA Save Our Streams site as soon as the data is checked for quality control purposes and loaded to the IWLA database. The data are used by DEQ in updating their biennial assessments of impaired waterways in Virginia.

Interested LACA members are welcome to volunteer in support of LACA’s Water Quality Monitoring Program.  Contact the Water Quality Project Officer at this link if you are interested in learning more or volunteering. 

harry.looney@lakeannavirginia.org

By John Wayne - November 2022

The proposed plan for 15+ Lake Front Acres on 208 across from Lake Anna Plaza calls for a 130-room hotel, restaurant and a 250,000 Sq Ft Condo building. On October 13, 2022, the Planning Commission held a public hearing which surprisingly drew less than ten citizens who stood to oppose the requested zoning change. The required re-zoning from C2 to Planned Unit Development (PUD) for the proposed development passed the Planning Commission and will now be placed in front of the Board of Supervisors for their consideration and action. It appears that the Public Hearing with the BOS will be scheduled for November 21, 2022, at 6:00 pm.  

To recap, the proposed Lake Anna Resort development is planned to have a hotel with no more than 130 rooms, a restaurant, and a condominium with up to 96 residential units consisting of 2 to 5 bedrooms each. There is also a plan for up to 83 covered and 46 uncovered boat slips all on the southern shore of the properties approximately 850 feet of water frontage. The shoreline development plan includes approximately 62,000 sq/feet of over-the-water covered area for boathouses and other amenities.

The property’s water requirements will be met by on-site wells while the wastewater will be handled by a wastewater treatment facility (WWTF) currently in place and serving the Lake Anna Plaza complex. Louisa County and the Applicant have entered a Memorandum of Understanding for Louisa County to purchase and upgrade the existing private WWTF currently operated by Lake Anna Environmental Services. Under the plan, this upgraded facility will continue to provide wastewater treatment for the Lake Anna Plaza customers, the added Lake Anna Resort’s wastewater treatment needs and perhaps that of future commercial development within Route 208 corridor. The terms for this agreement include a one-million-dollar upfront payment from the Resort and payments for use of the WWTF going forward. Estimates for the cost to improve and upgrade the WWTF are approaching the $10M range.

During the Community Meeting held in September and the Planning Commission Public Hearing in October, members of the Community asked many questions and expressed a number of concerns about the plan, most having to do with the issues that will come with a development of this size and scope. Issues raised by those in attendance included the County overextending itself with the purchase and upgrade of the LAES WWTF, the environmental impacts of a development this size, changing of the "rural" nature of the lake with a "Virginia Beach-style" condo setup, the light and noise pollution that will come from the proposed developments large buildings perched on the edge of the lake, increased boat traffic, safety issues for boating on Mitchell Creek and the traffic that the development will bring to Route 208, among others. LACA Land Use Committee Chair John Wayne made a statement representing the concerns and position of LACA including those surrounding the upgrade of the WWTF and the nutrient levels coming in to the Lake, opposing the Conditional Use Permit that is also being requested by the developer to raise the height of the Condo building up to 80 feet tall, and limiting short term rentals of any Condo’s that are approved to be built in the development, among other items addressed.

It was pointed out that the current commercial (C2) zoning does not permit individually owned residential dwellings such as the proposed condominiums, which appears to be the largest bone of contention for the surrounding community. Citizens voiced frustration to county representatives at both meetings regarding how the County continues to approve plans for growth in areas where many feel the road infrastructure is already operating beyond capacity in the peak season. Other concerns mentioned were the County’s ability to respond to a fire in an 80-foot-tall building with current fire apparatus, whether families with children of school age will occupy the condominiums posing a strain on the current school system, and others. 

Since the Planning Commission meeting where the re-zoning request was approved, there is a growing swell of opposition that promises to make their opinions known to the Board of Supervisors prior to and during the BOS Public Hearing expected on November 21^st.    

You can find additional information on this development in the Programs/Land Use pages of the LACA website https://www.lakeannavirginia.org/Lake-Anna-Resort#Lake%20Anna%20Resort. As always LACA encourages our members to be informed regarding development on the Lake and to make your opinions known to your elected officials.

John.wayne@lakeannavirginia.org

 

By Mike Rigdon – September 2022

There have been recent reports of bear sightings in subdivisions around the lake.  The Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR) is an excellent source of information on bears in Virginia (https://dwr.virginia.gov/wildlife/bear/becoming-bear-aware/) Virtually all of this article is taken from the DWR website.

Bears are highly adaptable and intelligent animals that can live close to people. With a significant black bear population in the counties around the lake, an occasional bear may wander into residential areas due to the smell of food around homes. The most common food attractants are birdfeeders, garbage, and pet food; however, outdoor grills, livestock food, compost, fruit trees, and beehives will also attract bears.

What should you do if you see a bear?

Enjoy and keep a respectful distance! In most cases, the bear will move on quickly.

• If a bear is up a tree on or near your property, give it space. Do not approach and bring your pets inside to provide the bear a clear path to leave your property. Never run from a bear.

What should you do if a bear is consuming bird seed, garbage, pet food, etc. on your property?

• The best way to encourage the bear not to return is to remove the food source.
• Do not store household trash, or anything that smells like food, in vehicles, on porches or decks.
• Use bear resistant trash containers or retrofit your existing container.
• Keep your full or empty trash containers secured in a garage, shed or basement.
• Take your garbage to the dump frequently or if you have a trash collection service, put your trash out the morning of the pickup, not the night before.
• It is best not to put out birdfeeders between April 1 and November 1, but if you do and a bear accesses the feed, you must take down your birdfeeder for 3-4 weeks after the bear visits.
• Consider installing electric fencing, an inexpensive and extremely efficient proven deterrent to bears, around dumpsters, gardens, fruit trees, beehives, or other potential food sources.
• If addressed quickly, this situation can be resolved almost immediately after food sources are removed from the neighborhood. This is likely to require cooperation among neighbors and homeowners associations.  Sometimes, the bear may return searching for food but after a few failed attempts it will move on to greener pastures.

What do I do if I see a bear cub on my property?

• Sows with cubs are typically in dens until the mid-March to May time frame. Most small bears people see in early spring are not actual “baby bears” but yearlings (>12 months old). They do not need their mothers to survive.
• If a small yearling is on your property, the worst thing you can do is feed it. Yearlings need to learn how to find natural foods and not become food conditioned or habituated to humans.
• Once females leave their dens with 3 to 5-month-old cubs, they will typically travel in a close group unless something makes the female nervous. If you see a very small cub, do not try to remove it from the area or “save it.” When sensing danger, a female bear will typically send her cub(s) up a tree and leave the area. She is attempting to divert the danger away from her cub(s). These trees are called “babysitter trees”. In such cases, the female will almost always return to gather up the cub(s) when no people or pets are around, usually after dark. A female bear can be up to 4 miles away from the cub while it is at the “babysitter tree”.

Preventing problems with bears is a shared responsibility between the citizens of Virginia and the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources. Always remember that a bear is a wild animal, and that it is detrimental to the bear, as well as illegal in Virginia, to feed a bear under any circumstances. Even allowing a bear to feed on trash or birdseed is illegal. Feeding bears may cause them to lose their natural distrust of humans, creating situations where bears may become habituated and sometimes aggressive towards people. Thus, human and bear safety is the responsibility of all residents and visitors of the Commonwealth.

You can help manage the Commonwealth’s black bear population and keep bears wild. Make sure your property is clear of attractants, communicate with your neighbors to resolve community bear concerns and learn about bears, one of the most amazing intelligent wildlife species in Virginia. If you experience a bear problem after taking appropriate steps of prevention, please call the Wildlife Conflict Helpline at (855) 571-9003.

mike.rigdon@lakeannavirginia.org

By Mike Gelber - September 2022

LACA started the study of Floating Treatment Islands (FTI) in 2021. Since Lake Anna was created as an impoundment naturally created wetlands were never established. To create a wetland buffer would cost millions of dollars and the removal of many acres of farmland. The creation of these Floating Treatment Islands was interesting because a 250 square foot island was found to be equivalent to an acre of natural wetland at a fraction of the cost. The initial trial was with homemade islands that were filled with marsh plants native to Virginia. 

There were some “growing” pains with the selection of some of the plants. We did not know how deep the islands would ride in the water and some of the plants did better than others in the deeper water. During the winter of 2021-2022 the tops of many of the plants died back which was expected.  By the Spring of 2022 new growth was seen in last year’s Islands. LACA and the Runnymede POA purchased commercially manufactured FTI and they were planted and deployed in the Spring of 2022. As seen in the photograph above; the plants are doing well and by mid-Summer the roots were starting to hang below the Islands.

Because the plants are growing with no root contact to the lake bottom, all the nutrients they are using come directly from the water. When the Island plants absorb the nitrogen and phosphorus from the water there are less nutrients available for the algae to use.  Notice in the photo below the visitor in the upper left corner.

mike.gelber@lakeannavirginia.org

By Willie Kelly - September 2022

For a long time around Lake Anna, the promise of a premier golf community was something of an unfulfilled dream.  In 2019 Reef Private Equity, LLC bought the land and started bringing life to it, first through completing the Cutalong Golf Course and opening it for members only play in 2020.  With the golf course open for its second full year now, the Cutalong development team is steaming ahead establishing the infrastructure needed to support a community consisting of a championship golf course (open), a clubhouse, golf performance center, 891 resident lots including 56 “stay & play” units (short term rentals  with associated golf membership privileges), and an amenity center complex including an aquatic center, tennis courts, pickleball courts, 90 wet boat slips and a boat hotel with 200 slips.  Completion of all this capability is envisioned to take 8-10 years from today.

So why are you reading about this in a LACA newsletter?  LACA’s mission to “… preserve and protect the cleanliness, beauty, and safe use of Lake Anna and its watershed through communication, advocacy, education, and community involvement to benefit the membership and all lake users” makes digging into the details of impactful development initiatives like Cutalong something of an imperative.  All the planned infrastructure and growth of residents (permanent, semi-permanent and transient) that Cutalong promises no doubt carries a potentially significant impact to Lake Anna.

In coming months and years, we will be exploring this impact and bringing what we learn to our LACA members via this newsletter.  Our first deep dive will focus on the water and waste treatment capability being developed and planned for completion in the 1^st Qtr of 2023.  A community the size of Cutalong with a championship golf course, three restaurants, and a slew of amenities as stated earlier will generate a significant demand for water and generate a lot of wastewater to boot…which could be highly impactful to Lake Anna and its ecosystems.

Another deep dive will be to dig into plans for dredging along Contrary Creek to facilitate creation of the 90-slip private community dock and boat hotel capabilities.  We will explore potential environmental impacts to the lake associated with this activity and report on the Cutalong development team plans to mitigate them.

Every indication is that the Cutalong development team is truly focused not only on successfully developing this 1050± acre plot of land into the premier golf community of the Mid-Atlantic region…but doing so in an environmentally conscious manner demonstrating their commitment to enhancing Lake Anna’s position as the pre-eminent regional tourist attraction.

john.wayne@lakeannavirginia.org