The dream of providing a 50-year water supply has been controversial this year, as Hook water articles demonstrate.

This page also includes links to official and other documents linked by these stories.

• February 28, 2008 - COVER- Reservoir dogged: A $142 million boondoggle?
2005 report - Gannett Fleming: Ragged Mountain Reservoir Expansion [PDF]
2008 maps - Hook: the urban water system and reservoir proximity to airport [html]

• March 6, 2008 - NEWS- Higher and higher: Frederick claimed dredge cost $225 million
2005 minutes - RWSA - regulator meeting between local officials and regulators [PDF]

• March 13, 2008 - PHOTOPHILE- Wild waters: new dam would inundate hidden park

• March 13, 2008 - COVER-Trickling away: A dam develops amid missed chances
2005 letter - 17 environmental leaders: blasting state dam deadline as ‘artificial’ [DOC]
2004 resolution - Sally Thomas: blasts RWSA, supports water supply dredging [html]
2004 study - Gannett Fleming: “Safe Yield Study” measures system at 16 MGD [PDF]
2004 study - Gannett Fleming: “Demand Analysis” predicts doubling of usage [PDF]
2008 report - UVA: aggressive conservation measures cut water use over time [html]
2004 minutes - Gannett Fleming says dredging will supply 5.5 MGD [PDF]
2004 report - Gannett Fleming: dredging costs up to $145 million [PDF]
2007 report - Gannett Fleming: dredging costs up to $223 million [PDF]

• March 13, 2008 - Surprise! Dredge meets 115% of 50-year demand (online only)
2005 report - Gannett Fleming: contends urban system only supplies 12.8 MGD [html]

• March 20, 2008 - NEWS- Case studies: Will new dredge view go entrepreneurial?
2009 budget - RWSA reveals it wants to borrow $105 million [PDF]

• March 27, 2008 - NEWS- ‘Full steam ahead’: Emails suggest O’Connell, Conservancy blocking dredging

• April 3, 2008 - The water plan ad appears here too (online only)
2008 ad - RWSA claims wide support for water plan [PDF]

• April 3, 2008 - NEWS- ‘Conservative’ tale: When a single Mud Cat just won’t do
2004 memo - RWSA: Frederick dodges no-confidence vote [PDF]
2008 email - Airport Director: blasts dredging supporter, cites Conservancy official [RTF]
2008 letter - Nature Conservancy official recharacterizes role [PDF]

• April 17, 2008 - NEWS- Revealing docs: Dredging foes run up the tab
2001 report - VHB: engineers summarize gamut of existing local water knowledge [PDF]
2002 report - RWSA director Tropea enthuses about post-drought plan [powerpoint]
2002 memo - RWSA: finalizes dredge-friendly water supply plan in wake of drought [RTF]
2002 contract - RWSA: original water supply plan Gannett Fleming hired to implement for 798K [PDF]
2003 memo - Gannett Fleming: unveils new dam idea as better than dredging [PDF]
2004 memo - Gannett Fleming: slams prior data, dredging too expensive at $42 million [PDF]
2004 memo - Gannett Fleming: rewrites its mission or “Scope of Services” [PDF]
2005 memo - Gannett Fleming: downplays dredging despite airport & contractor interest [PDF]

• April 24, 2008 - NEWS- Sierra missed: Club urges dredging, O’Connell soldiers on
2008 letter - Sierra Club: urges water supply dredging [RTF]
2008 email - City manager: urges RWSA director to keep a new presentation under wraps [PDF]

• May 1, 2008 - NEWS- Open tap: Dam firm continues to drain city coffers
2008 memo - William Crutchfield: electronics magnate urges more businesslike approach [RTF]
2008 letter - Sally Thomas: County Supervisors replies to Sierra Club, defends plan [RTF]
2008 presentation - Gannett Fleming: draft presentation of $12K anti-dredging report: [PDF]

• May 1, 2008 - Rooker rains on Frederick’s parade (online only)

• May 5, 2008 - Dredging confabs: 7pm tonight & 5pm tomorrow (online only)

• May 7, 2008 - Keno, Lynch dredge up divergent views (online only)
2008 notice - A.C.S.A. proposes 20% spike in water rates [PDF]

• May 8, 2008 - NEWS- Dredging 101: New estimate at $25-30 million

• May 8, 2008 - County water rates to spike 20% (online only)
2008 budget - A.C.S.A. slates $7 million in pipe-replacement and other capital projects [spreadsheet]
2009 budget - RWSA: raises water rate to County for water by 2.44, sewer 10.54 percent [PDF]
2008 doc - A.C.S.A.: shows rates rising 1998-2007 [PDF}

• May 11, 2008 - P.E.C. opens new fronts in war on dredging (online only)

• May 14, 2008 - Crutchfield: I'm no dredging expert (online only)

• May 15, 2008 - NEWS- Money pit: Quarry offered as dredging base

• May 22, 2008 - NEWS- Competing visions: Citizens unveil alternate 50-year plan
2002 flyer - Citzens group: offers $81-125 million counter-proposal [PDF].

• May 29, 2008 - NEWS-Empty file? State has no record of water plan
state regulation - Virginia: Title 9 lists the things RWSA has not yet done [PDF]
2008 flyer - RWSA: dubiously claims that DEQ rejected the dredging option [PDF]
2008 report - RWSA: 51-pages of “mitigation” for Ragged Mountain dam/pipeline damage [PDF]
2008 report - RWSA: $7.7 million reforestation, stream mitigation budget [JPG]
2008 report - RWSA: 93-page regulatory “Permit Support Document” [PDF]
2008 letter - Dam/pipeline supporter Dr. Elizabeth Palmer: a “personal perspective” [PDF]”

• June 1, 2008 - Hamilton: reject ‘pig in a poke’ water scheme (online only)
2008 letter- Kendra Hamilton: Former Councilor cites cost and fairness issues [RTF]
2008 resolution - Gary O’Connell: still supporting official plan despite Council prod  [RTF]

• June 5, 2008 - Schilling blasts water project, O’Connell’s ‘fiefdom’

• June 5, 2008 - NEWS- Hamilton ‘pokes’: Council issues demand for dredging

• June 12, 2008 - Duped councilors? Three now slam O’Connell’s water leadership

• June 12, 2008 - Albemarle to water authority: Study dredging

• June 15, 2008 - Dredge fans take it to the streets

• June 23, 2008 - Waterworks seeks scopeless dredge proposals

• June 28, 2008 - Dredge this! (online only)

• July 3, 2008 - Overrun O’Connell? Does the City Manager spend too much?

• July 28, 2008 - Frederick: RWSA agrees to delay dredge study

• August 4, 2008 - Stacked deck? Dredge foes outnumber fans on force

• August 7, 2008 - CHO work confounds, excites dredge fans

• September 2, 2008 - Water leak: Another group jumps ship?

• September 22, 2008 - Water surprise: Reservoir halted after price doubles

• September 29, 2008 - Pipe dream: Mega-reservoir tied to moribund Bypass

• October 1, 2008 - Creepy glue: Dam firm settles in death, dodges questions

• October 7, 2008 - Crutchfield Ink: Tycoon urges halt on ‘bridge to nowhere’
2008 letter - William Crutchfield: RWSA should halt this ‘bridge to nowhere’ [DOC]

• October 27, 2008 - Water Authority not ready for pipeline talk

• November 3, 2008 - Neighborhoods press Council on dredging

• November 6, 2008 - Gary, oh! O’Connell finally agrees to halt dam
2008 Resolution - City Council: demands RWSA halt dam/pipeline bottom [DOC, PDF]
2008 email - O’Connell: expresses ignorance that existing dam can be fixed [PDF]
2008 Resolution - City Council: demands dredging & conservation June 2 [DOC, PDF]

• November 10, 2008 - Hide and leak? Dam costs at least $20 million more
2008 press release - RWSA: claims new dam cost “approximately $70 million” [PDF]
2008 cost breakdown - RWSA claims in January dam costs $37 million a [PDF]

• November 14, 2008 - Soil & Water board joins City seeking dam halt

• November 24, 2008 - Pumped up: County water guru says numbers inflated
2008 memo - Water Resources Manager Greg Harper: alleges demand has been inflated on [pdf]
2008 email - Incredulous RWSA board member Gary O’Connell asking about Harper [pdf]
2008 chart - UVA shows vastly reduced water consumption over decade [html]
2008 chart - RWSA figures: show total local consumption falling over decade [pdf]

• December 1, 2008 - Water panic: in giant confab, officials agree to study pipeline

• December 6, 2008 - Gauntlet thrown? County rejects alternate water sources

• December 8, 2008 - Gaffney undrained: Confident water boss seeks fourth term

• December 15, 2008 - Gaffney retained: City parts waters for RWSA helmsman

• January 2, 2009 - Green kit: Is a $1.2 million reservoir in the bag?

• January 13, 2009 - Bicentennial blah: Nothing locally for Poe’s 200th… yet

• January 26, 2009 - Water park? Dredge force stresses rowing, not dredging

• February 23, 2009 - Prescribed logic: Water/sewer rates set for 11-12% hike/

• March 2, 2009 - Use dwindles: But water debt may more than triple

• March 3, 2009 - Dredge the res? City Councilors say it’s about time

• March 19, 2009 - County to sell less water, hike rates 12%+/

• May 7, 2009 - Obama quip: Dredging stalls as racial debate rises

• May 14, 2009 - Unblocked reservoir? RWSA may okay dredging study

• May 14, 2009  - Dollar short: Dredging study advances… on City tab

• June 18, 2009 - 4X club: Rewarding thrift, County hits water hogs

• June 19, 2009 - Eight firms want to show us how to dredge

• June 25, 2009 - More spending: Rivanna moves past Gannett Fleming

• July 27, 2009 - Down 22%: Water thrift backfires on RWSA

• August 7, 2009 - Can kicked? Waste decried as dredge study firm named

• August 14, 2009 - Snow softens: Only Fenwick is jonesin’ for dredging

• August 25, 2009 - Dredge wedge: Firm late, wants nearly $700K

• September 4, 2009 - Fish jump: But red herrings filleted at dredge test

• September 21, 2009 - Hard path: Waterworks to approve new firm, new spending
2009 Hook chart - Rivanna may reach $12 million w/o adding capacity [pdf]

• October 2, 2009 - Free studies: Firm, Fenwick urge market dredgings

• November 3, 2009 - Slutzky ousted; Machine coasts to victory in City

• November 7, 2009 - Supe-elect Thomas eyes water plan for ax