Lake Moomaw Water Levels
USACE Gathright Dam manages Lake Moomaw primarily for flood control. Winter pool held lower for flood storage. Summer recreation pool maintained higher. The deep 152-foot reservoir produces cold hypolimnetic releases that sustain the Jackson River wild trout tailwater downstream -- one of Virginia's premier fly fishing destinations.
Flood Control: The Primary Purpose
Gathright Dam was built by the USACE between 1975 and 1979 primarily to provide flood control for the Jackson River valley and downstream communities including Covington and the Roanoke River system. The dam stores flood flows during significant precipitation events and releases them at controlled rates that downstream channels can handle. To maintain flood storage capacity, USACE typically draws the reservoir down somewhat during the fall and winter months, creating available storage volume for the winter and spring wet season. This seasonal drawdown affects the usable water depth at Bolar Flats and other access points -- visitors planning fall or winter trips should check current pool levels before arriving at the launch.
The 2,530-acre lake has a maximum depth of 152 feet -- exceptionally deep for a Virginia reservoir. This depth creates the thermal stratification that produces the cold hypolimnetic releases from Gathright Dam that make the Jackson River downstream so productive for wild trout. The deep, cold water layer at the bottom of the reservoir is released through the dam's lower-level outlets, maintaining cold water temperatures in the Jackson River tailwater even during summer when surface air temperatures are warm. The trout fishery downstream of the dam is directly dependent on USACE level management decisions and the depth of the reservoir at the time of release.
Current Level Information
Current Lake Moomaw water level data is available at lakemoomaw.lakesonline.com/Level/ with historical level charting. The USACE Norfolk District publishes current operational information for Gathright Dam and any unusual lake operations at nao.usace.army.mil. The Jackson River flow data downstream of the dam is available through USGS stream gauge data at waterdata.usgs.gov -- monitoring the Jackson River gauge at Falling Spring is particularly useful for anglers planning Jackson River tailwater trips, as dam releases directly affect river flow rates and wading conditions.
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