Login

Lake Environment Committee

Maintaining the environmental well being of Lake Gaston

Lake Environment Committee

Primary areas of focus including water quality, habitat enhancement, aquatic vegetation enhancement, and other Lake Gaston-related environmental issues.

Lake Gaston Water Quality

Click to read the latest information on the quality of the water in Lake Gaston

Lake Gaston Habitat Enhancement

See the new 5-year Operational Habitat Enhancement Plan for Lake Gaston

Aquatic Vegetation Management

LGA partners with Lake Gaston Weed Control Council and NCSU annually to identify location and volume of noxious and native vegetation

Other Lake Related Environmental Issues

Click to learn about other Lake Gaston related environmental issues and topics

Water levels at Gaston and Roanoke Rapids are managed to promote fish spawning from March 1st to June 15th of each year. While lake levels are managed to remain below 200' mean sea level (ft-msl) at Lake Gaston, maintaining adequate downstream flow with minimal variation is a primary goal during fish spawning. Dominion states:

During the striped bass spawning season (March 1 – June 15), water may be stored in Lake Gaston between elevations 200.00 and 201.00 for weekend downstream flow augmentation.

This is considered "normal operations" during the fish spawning season. If rainfall increases significantly in the Roanoke River watershed, Dominion Power may enter "emergency operations". Lake levels may then exceed 201'. 

The LGA will do our best to keep the Lake Gaston Community informed if it appears lake levels may exceed 201'.

 

On December 20, 2021 Dominion Power submitted to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission changes to its Shoreline Management Plan appendices. These changes are the product of a required 5 year review which was delayed one year due to pandemic restrictions. Dominion received input from the general public on September 15th and from a working group, including state, federal, county agencies, contractors, real estate developers, the Lake Gaston Stripers Club as well as the Lake Gaston Association on October 3rd.

Summary of Changes

(1) Construction and Use Procedures. (Appendix C to the Plan) The proposed changes add a

statement prohibiting the use of submersible pumps, increase restrictions in Sensitive areas to

exclude any new clearing of land or building of docks, clarify that new bulkheads are not being

approved and clarify definitions of grandfathered landscaping.

 

(2) Aquatic Weed Control. (Appendix E to the plan) There are two proposed changes: the first

clarifies who may apply weed control chemicals in the lakes, removes the requirement to notify

Dominion prior to aquatic weed control activities and adds a requirement for registered

applicators to submit an annual report providing information regarding location of treatments,

area treated, chemicals applied, and species treated. The second change removes the requirement

to obtain permission from Dominion to clear native aquatic plants from a 10’ wide boat lane

providing access to the lake but makes clear that removing Water Willow will not be approved.

 

Special Management Area Maps

In Dominion’s 2005 Plan submittal, there were 23 maps that delineate areas within the project

boundary that warrant special protection. Those maps have not been changed and have not been

included in this submittal. The maps can be found on Dominion’s web site at: https://www.dominionenergy.com/lakes-and-recreation/lake-gaston-and-roanoke-rapids-lake-nc/construction-use-and-procedures

 

Once these revisions are posted on Dominion Energy’s web site the LGA will notify our membership.