19910326 Ver 1_Other Agency Comments_19940722

State of North Carolina
Department of Environment,
Health and Natural Resources
Division of Soil and Water Conservation
James B. Hunt, Jr., Governor
Jonathan B. Howes, Secretary
C. Dewey Botts, Director July 22, 1994
To: Melba McGee
From: David Harrison AI
A&4
ED EHNR
Subject: Lake Gaston and Roanoke Rapids Project (FERC No. 2009-003). NC Project
No. 95-0011.
The following comments are being submitted as part of the scoping process
for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's review of Virginia Power's
application for non-project use of project lands and waters in connection with
the proposed Virginia Beach Water Supply Project. Comments are pursuant to
Executive Order 96 - Conservation of Prime Agricultural and Forest Lands of
August 23, 1984 (State of North Carolina); the Council on Environmental Quality's
Memorandum of August 1, 1980: Analysis of Impacts on Prime or Unique
Agricultural Lands in Implementing the National Environmental Policy Act
(Federal); and the Farmland Protection Act of 1981 (Federal).
The Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) should identify the acres of
Prime, Important, and Unique Farmland soils that would be affected by each
alternative that is considered. Alternatives that reduce the impacts to Prime,
Important, or Unique Farmland soils are preferred. A listing of these soils in
the Commonwealth of Virginia and soil survey information for the project area
will be available through the State Soil Scientist, Virginia State Office, Soil
Conservation Service, USDA (804) 77172461.
I would also like you to remind the investigators that the Prime Farmland
designation is not limited to land currently being cultivated. It is intended
to identify the best soils that can be used as farmland without regard to it's
present vegetative cover. Only areas that are already built-up or within city
limits are exempted from consideration.
I have contacted the local soil and water conservation districts from John
H. Kerr Reservoir down the Roanoke River to the Albemarle Sound concerning
agricultural withdrawals from the river and lakes. There are 15 farmers on Kerr
Reservoir with the capacity to draw 1 million + gallons per day during drought
conditions each. There is a single farmer on Lake Gaston that.has a capacity to
draw 0.27 million gallons per day for irrigation with a yearly total of 10.8
million gallons. Along the Roanoke River below Weldon there are 8 farmers that
have a capacity to draw 1 million + gallons per day each. You should also check
with the farm manager at Caledonia State Prison Farm in Halifax County. The
local district estimates that the prison farm is a. multimillion gallon per day
user of irrigation water. There may be other water users registered with the
Division of Water Resources.
Another item to consider would be groundwater withdrawals in the basin.
There are probably twice as many farmers withdrawing from deep wells as there are
using the river proper. Also groundwater withdrawals by Caledonia State Prison
Farm has created a major cone of depression in that area. I am not sure if any
water budgets being done now include groundwater recharge needs, but this would
certainly be an area to investigate.
P.O. Box 27687, Raleigh, North Carolina 27611-7687 Telephone [phone] FAX [phone]
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