Philpott Dam Flood Gates Opened

Recent flooding in Southern Virginia has prompted the ACE at Philpott Dam to open the flood gates
bypassing the generators and creating a monstrous 3500 cf /sec of flow down the Smith River
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mj-fFbBhJBM

Snow Paddle trip on the Smith River

We got socked with a winter snow storm in late December here in SOutherne Virginia, just in time to get us all in the mood for Christmas. 9 inches accumulated in Henry County, or at least that is what I measured on my back porch on the morning of the 19th. The roads were covered over so we had to make do with some "snow-yaking" down our driveways and street. This was great fun but we wanted to get on the Smith River as soon as possible to enjoy the wintery white banks and quiet peace of a snow-covered paddled. Sunday December the 19th found 4 hardy souls ready to make the journey from Marrowbone creek to Mitchell Bridge. Trent Fentress, Andy and Barbara Parker and me (Brian Williams). We set shuttle at 11am, no problems on the roads as long as you drove slowly. We slipped into the chilly waters of Marrowbone creek and made our way through a winter wonderland of frosted hillsides and snow capped rocks as we enjoyed the quiet beauty of a different world.
You can see a short video of the trip highlights here: