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Public Urged to Stay Clear of Gardy’s Millpond
Dam erosion poses safety concerns
Richmond, VA — Due to an evolving emergency with the dam at Gardy’s Millpond near the Westmoreland and Northumberland county border, the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR) has closed the public boat ramp located at the pond and is advising the public to stay clear and not recreate on the water. In addition, the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) has closed Route 617 (Gardy’s Mill Rd.) to vehicle and pedestrian traffic. Use Route 202 as an alternative.
On Saturday, May 10, DWR was notified of a possible breach of the Gardy’s Millpond Dam by VDOT. The dam is located in Northumberland County on Hampton Hall Branch, a tributary of Yeocomico River, which flows into the Potomac River. DWR staff were immediately dispatched to the site and observed erosion occurring around a box culvert emergency spillway on the dam. DWR notified the state dam regulatory authority, the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR), and began efforts to lower the upstream reservoir surface elevation below that of the breach to limit further damage to the dam. On Sunday May 11, DWR issued emergency declarations for the imminent failure of the dam.
Currently, a DWR contractor is onsite and beginning emergency stabilization of the dam, including installing sandbags around the eroded portion to the left of the box culvert, to reduce further damage to the dam itself and to help protect associated infrastructure.
A VDOT-maintained secondary road, Route 617, passes along the embankment crest and over the two spillways (primary and emergency). The road will remain closed until the emergency declaration is cleared and more detailed engineering assessments are performed. No time estimate regarding the reopening of the road is available at this time. DWR is working closely with DCR, VDOT, and local authorities to minimize impacts to the public.
The maintenance of Gardy’s Millpond Dam was assumed by DWR in 1969 and the dam was most recently inspected in September 2024 by a third-party consulting engineering firm. The dam is classified under the Virginia Dam Safety Act and Dam Safety Regulations as a “low hazard” structure. “Low hazard” dams are ones that, upon failure, would lead to no expected loss of life or significant economic damage. The earthen dam is 450 feet long and 10 feet high. The dam was breached in 1985, as a result of impacts from Hurricane Bob, and a new emergency spillway was constructed at that time. In 2005, a piping condition on the west abutment of the spillway was addressed and associated road repairs were made.
This is an evolving situation and the Department urges the public to stay clear of the area and heed all signage and road closures. This ensures the safety of the public and gives the Department space to work safely on stabilizing the dam quickly as heavy rains are anticipated in the area over the next few days.