MORGANTOWN – Lake Lynn Generation has submitted its answers to questions posed earlier this month by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission regarding the company’s allegedly poor maintenance at Cheat Lake Park.
It tells FERC a possible entry fee to cover maintenance and security costs is on the table for 2026.
The company opens by saying, “Our goal remains to offer a visitor experience that is safe, accessible, and enjoyable, consistent with our Recreation Management Plan and license requirements.”
In response to ongoing complaints and incomplete responses from Lake Lynn to previous inquiries, FERC wrote to the company at the beginning of the month calling for answers to questions about water leaks, drinking water and restroom access; grounds maintenance; maintenance of interpretative displays and trail lighting; and vandalism and grounds security.
FERC set a reply deadline of Friday, and Lake Lynn met the deadline.
Water issues
Lake Lynn told FERC that the park’s water line was installed in 1999 and since 2023 it has “worked diligently” to find and repair water leaks at a cost of $50,569.
Despite the repairs, Lake Lynn said, the line is still losing water. The line is served by Albert Gallatin Municipal Authority and the service area has a production capacity of 300,000 gallons per day. The line is losing 60,000 gallons per day and depletes AGMA’s storage tank every five days.
So, around June 12, Lake Lynn said, shut off the water supply. At Lake Lynn’s request, AGMA turned on the water for the July 4 holiday, and does so every weekend.
As an interim measure, Lake Lynn provides portable toilets, including one wheelchair-accessible, and will do so until water service is resumed.
On the topic of drinking water, Lake Lynn says, “While required in the current Recreation Plan, potable water for drinking isn’t essential in parks, as visitors can reasonably be expected to bring their own.” But it has installed a water dispenser outside the security office near the playground.
The company evaluated several alternatives for water service, it said, and on Aug. 8 signed a service agreement with Morgantown Utility Board for a new water line starting in 2027.
Grounds maintenance
Lake Lynn tells FERC it conducts grounds maintenance daily April-September and twice weekly October-March – including cleaning restrooms and emptying trash cans. Weekly maintenance includes mowing and weeding, trail maintenance and vegetation clearing.
It does such things as minor repairs, large debris and tree removal and sand refurbishment as needed.
“The steep topography adjacent to Cheat Lake,” it says, “combined with the absence of effective upland (outside of the project boundary) sediment and erosion controls and increasingly severe storms, has caused large trees to fall onto the park’s trail with growing frequency, creating non-routine maintenance that is more time-consuming and costly.”
About 100 trees have fallen in the past two years and Lake Lynn removes them in 24-48 hours, it says, with limited exceptions.
A maintenance spending chart submitted with its filing shows Lake Lynn spent $133,830 on operations and maintenance in 2023; $20,250 on security; $25,104 on special projects (including repairs); and $12,100 on water usage, for a total $191,554.
In 2024, it was $133,000 on O&M; $20,850 on security; $17,593 on special projects; and $18,160 on water, for a total $189,603.
Through July of this year, it spent $65,290 on O&M’ $9,262 on security; $30,270 on special projects; and $7,699 on water, for a total $112,251.
Displays and lighting
Lake Lynn says it replaced the interpretative displays in April 2024. “They are clean and legible with weatherproofing and UV-protective measures.”
The park closes at dusk, it says, and trail lighting is not required in its recreation plan. There are 36 trail lights turned on for scheduled after-dark events.
Vandalism
Lake Lynn says regular security patrols have been effective, with no material vandalism occurring in the past year. “Current security measures, protocols, and patrols are adequate to deter vandalism and ensure proper maintenance at the park.”
Entry fee
The company concludes its letter by raising the issue of an entry fee.
“Addressing expectations that go beyond the current level of maintenance and security at the park would almost certainly require LLG to begin charging an entry fee for park users,” it says.
It is evaluating the possibility of implementing a fee beginning in 2026 to help offset the costs of installing a new water line and undertaking other necessary repairs and upgrades. Its FERC license allows this, it says, to defray the costs of constructing, operating, and maintaining recreational facilities.
It concludes, “Lake Lynn Generation is proud that Cheat Lake Park remains well-maintained, safe, and welcoming for the public, with daily attention to cleanliness, prompt removal of fallen trees, effective security patrols, and ongoing care of facilities. … LLG continues to uphold its commitment to providing a high-quality recreational experience and to resolving the water line issues responsibly and effectively.”
