Virginia Law

A. It will be assumed that principal spillways and regulating outlets provided for special functions will operate to normal design discharge capabilities during the spillway design flood, provided appropriate analyses show:

1. That control gates and structures are suitably designed to operate reliably under maximum heads for durations likely to be involved and risks of blockage by debris are minimal;

2. That access roads and passages to gate regulating controls would be safely passable by operating personnel under spillway design flood conditions; and

3. That there are no substantial reasons for concluding that outlets would not operate safely to full design capacity during the spillway design flood.

B. If there are reasons to doubt that any of the above basic requirements might not be adequately met under spillway design flood conditions, the "dependable" discharge capabilities of regulating outlets shall be assumed to be less than 100% of design capacities, generally as outlined in the following subsections C through G of this section.

C. Any limitations in safe operating heads, maximum velocities to be permitted through structures or approach channels, or other design limitations shall be observed in establishing "dependable" discharge rating curves to be used in routing the spillway design flood hydrograph through the reservoir.

D. If intakes to regulating outlets are likely to be exposed to significant quantities of floating debris, sediment depositions or ice hazards prior to or during major floods, the dependable discharge capability during the spillway design flood shall be assumed to be zero.

E. If access roads or structural passages to operating towers or controls are likely to be flooded or otherwise unusable during the spillway design flood, the dependable discharge capability of regulating outlets will be assumed to be zero for the periods of time during which such conditions might exist.

F. Any deficiencies in discharge performance likely to result from delays in the operation of gates before attendants could be reasonably expected to reach the control must be taken into account when estimating "dependable" discharge capabilities assumptions in routing the spillway design flood through the impoundment. Reports on design studies shall indicate the allowances made for possible delays in initiating gate operations. Normally, for projects located in small basins, where critical spillway design flood inflows may occur within several hours after intense precipitation, outflows through any regulating outlets that must be opened after the flood begins shall be assumed to be zero for an appropriate period of time subsequent to the beginning of intense rainfall.

G. All gates, valves, conduits and concrete channel outlets shall be designed and constructed to prevent significant erosion or damage to the impounding structure or to the downstream outlet or channel.