Ragged Mountain Reservoir Pool Fill Project closes reservoir until 2027
Adapted from the City of Charlottesville’s Press Release.
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA – Rivanna Water & Sewer Authority (RWSA) is scheduled to begin work on the Ragged Mountain Pool Fill Project next week.
Beginning October 6, Reservoir Road will be closed to public travel from Holiday Trails Lane to the upper parking lot. Trails located on the eastern side of the reservoir will remain open and accessible during this period. Recreational users will have access to the trails via the lower parking lot on Reservoir Road. As construction activities progress, further intermittent trail closures are anticipated. These closures are meant to protect individuals from potential construction hazards. Posted trail signage will provide notice of the closures. Recreational fishing will be permitted on designated shorelines during this period. However, watercraft, including but not limited to kayaks, canoes, and paddleboards, will be prohibited. The project will be closely coordinated with the Charlottesville Department of Parks and Recreation to complete the work and restore public access to the trails as quickly as possible.
Background:
The current Ragged Mountain Reservoir Earthen Dam was previously constructed to support a pool elevation of 683 feet. Based on the 2012 Ragged Mountain Dam Project Agreement, the reservoir was filled to a pool elevation of 671 feet. In December 2023, the Charlottesville City Council, the Albemarle County Service Authority Board of Directors, and the RWSA Board of Directors approved an amendment to the agreement that allows RWSA to fully utilize the reservoir's storage capacity. The pool level will rise 12 feet and add 700 million gallons of water.
To accommodate the new pool level, tree and vegetation clearing will occur around the reservoir. Other construction activities include modifications to the intake tower and improvements to dam drainage. No elevation modifications are required at the dam or the spillway.
Construction Schedule:
October 6, 2025: Contractor will begin to mobilize equipment to the upper parking lot at the end of Reservoir Rd. Reservoir Rd north of Holiday Trails Ln will be closed to public access. Restrictions on western trails and water access go into effect.
November 15, 2025: Tree felling efforts begin. Tree felling efforts are permitted from November 15 to March 31 to coincide with the Northern Long-eared Bat inactive season. Trees and vegetation unsuitable for harvesting will be burned on-site in burn boxes.
February 14, 2026: Burning operations will stop to coincide with Albemarle County's open burn ordinances.
March 31, 2026: Tree felling efforts will cease. The contractor will continue to remove fallen trees.
May 1, 2026: Burning operations will resume.
December 31, 2026: Tentative scheduled completion of construction activities. All trails to fully reopen.
January 1, 2027: RWSA begins filling the reservoir to its new elevation height if there is 30 million gallons per day spilling from the Sugar Hollow Reservoir.
Construction Activities
Trees harvested from the site will be transported across the reservoir by barge. Trucks will transport the trees from the barge to an off-site milling facility. Barging activities will minimize potential impacts to trails around the reservoir by avoiding the need to build temporary access roads. Vegetation unsuitable for harvesting will be burned on-site in burn boxes. These burn boxes utilize forced air to promote clean and efficient burning, thereby reducing the amount of smoke emitted.
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The Rivanna Water and Sewer Authority & Solid Waste Authority’s mission is to serve the Charlottesville, Albemarle, and UVA communities by providing high-quality water and wastewater treatment, refuse, and recycling services in a financially responsible and sustainable manner.
The Rivanna Water and Sewer Authority provides wholesale water and sewer services to the Charlottesville Department of Utilities and Albemarle County Service Authority.
The Rivanna Water and Sewer Authority manages five reservoirs, nine dams, six drinking water treatment plants, five finished water pumping stations, eleven water storage tanks, four advanced water resource recovery facilities (wastewater treatment plants), and nine wastewater pumping stations.
In 2024, the Authority processed an average of 10.2 million gallons of drinking water and 10.2 million gallons of wastewater each day.
For more information on the project, visit the Rivanna Water and Sewer Authority’s website.