ROANOKE, Va., May 15, 2015 – Appalachian Power, operator of the Smith Mountain hydroelectric power generation project in southwest Virginia, has reopened to the public the Scruggs boating access facility on Smith Mountain Lake after extensive updating and expansion.

The facility, located at 1755 Dudley Amos Road in Moneta and at the B12 navigation marker on the water, is one of nine public access facilities created by Appalachian Power on Smith Mountain and Leesville lakes. Work began on the existing Scruggs location in early 2015, shortly after the company dedicated its most recent new facility, the $1-million 10-acre Oak Grove location.

Scruggs reopened to the public after passing Franklin County construction inspections May 12. The total cost for the project was about $350,000.

Work at the site includes an increase in the number of parking spaces to accommodate 22 vehicles, updated restroom facilities, new dusk-to-dawn lighting, a new fishing pier and additional bank fishing areas, and a repositioned paved boat ramp and courtesy pier.

The updated facility is operated by the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries and allows greater public access to everything offered by the lake including its natural beauty and recreational activities.

Appalachian Power’s Smith Mountain Project is a 636-megawatt pumped storage hydroelectric facility that utilizes an upper reservoir (Smith Mountain Lake) and a lower reservoir (Leesville Lake).  Water stored in Smith Mountain Lake passes through turbine-generators in the powerhouse to produce electricity and is discharged into Leesville Lake.  Most of the water is retained in Leesville Lake and pumped back into the Smith Mountain Lake for re-use.  Some of the water goes through the turbine-generators at the Leesville powerhouse to generate additional electricity and to meet the minimum discharge requirements of the project's operating license.