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Aug. 25, 2023 Editor, The News-Gazette: I have spent my summers in the same swimming hole on the Maury River since 1958 - upriver from the bridge in Rockbridge Baths. There was little change for the first 30 years: snails galore, turtles, frogs, tadpoles, healthy fish. The water was crystal clear.
After the flood of ‘85, the river was never the same. It wasn’t until the 2000s that the snails began to return. I haven’t seen a toad or frog or tadpole since that flood. The fish are a bizarre, unrecognizable variety. The water has never reached the same clarity. There is silt all year.
My grandchildren enjoyed the river for five days with me early this August. Then came the dam releases every night the following week of our vacation. The water was murky, making us feel it was unhealthy. It was too deep, too cold, and unclear for our grandchildren to play in. They couldn’t see the rocks or the bottom while debris passed by. Now, this week, Aug. 22, the water is a blinding bright yellowgreen with no visibility, indicating nitrates.
I have grown very tired of hearing Mr. Jolly tell us how fortunate we are that he is there to clean up his debris by sending it downriver to the rest of us.
The dam is ruining the greatest natural resource in Rockbridge County. The state is full of lush lakes for the purposes that Lake Merriweather is used. The Maury is a mighty river that is being held back and spoiled for generations to come and only done so to benefit one group of summer visitors. ELIZA BOSWORTH ASKIN Rockbridge Baths
