The Friends of Claytor Lake

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The Friends of Claytor Lake

The Friends of Claytor Lake is a non-profit that is dedicated to protecting the environment of Claytor Lake for all!

09/14/2026

AUGUST CLEANUP TOTALS ARE IN! 💪

Our FOCL cleanup crew was hard at work again in August, removing an incredible amount of debris from Claytor Lake:

37.5 loads of woody debris
17 bags of trash
2 docks
9 tires
1 barrel
1 round hay bale

That means approximately 562.5 TONS of woody debris alone was removed from the lake in just one month!

Every load hauled, tire removed, and piece of debris collected helps keep Claytor Lake cleaner, safer, and more beautiful for everyone who lives here, visits, fishes, boats, swims, and enjoys this incredible resource.

But this work comes at a cost.

FOCL relies on the generosity of our community to keep our cleanup crew and equipment working on the lake. If you appreciate seeing a cleaner Claytor Lake, please consider making a tax-deductible donation today. Even a small gift helps fuel the equipment, repairs, labor, and resources needed to keep this work going.

💙 Help us keep cleaning up Claytor Lake: focl.org/donate

And remember, every one of these items would still be in or around our lake without this cleanup effort.

09/09/2026

📸 Want to see your photo featured in the 2027 FOCL Calendar?

We’re looking for beautiful photos that capture what makes Claytor Lake so special! Peaceful mornings, colorful sunsets, wildlife, lake days, changing seasons, and everything in between.

Your photo could be selected for a feature in the 2027 Friends of Claytor Lake Calendar!

📩 Submit your favorite images by emailing them to [email protected] or send them to us directly in a message here on FOCL’s social media page before October 7th.

We’d love to see Claytor Lake through your eyes, so start digging through that camera roll and send us your favorites!

🏢 Local businesses: We are also exploring sponsorship opportunities for the 2027 calendar. If your business would like to support FOCL while gaining visibility within the Claytor Lake community, reach out to us at [email protected] to learn more about potential sponsorship opportunities!

Every calendar helps us celebrate the lake we love while supporting the work that keeps Claytor Lake cleaner, safer, and more beautiful for everyone.

📸Photo credit: Betty Johnson

09/05/2026

Join us for the September FOCL Meeting! We gather on Thursday, September 10 at 6:00 p.m. at the Innovation Center, and we’d love to see you there.

Our monthly meetings are a great opportunity to hear what’s happening around the lake, learn more about FOCL’s ongoing work, and connect with the people who care deeply about protecting and preserving Claytor Lake for the families, neighbors, and visitors.

Planning to join us? Drop a comment below and let us know, or email us at [email protected].

And if you love Claytor Lake but can’t make the meeting, you can still make a meaningful difference. Every load of debris removed, every shoreline cared for, and every effort to protect this lake is made possible through community support.

💙 Help us keep Claytor Lake beautiful, safe, and thriving. Make a tax-deductible donation today at focl.org/donate.

📸Photo credit: Caroline Gaskins

08/29/2026

Take a look at what FOCL’s cleanup crew has pulled from Claytor Lake just this season! 👀

This photo shows the FOCL dump site at Big Hole Hollow, and the size of these debris piles is incredible. For a little perspective, look at the roll-off truck on the left.

Without FOCL’s cleanup efforts, all of this debris could still be in Claytor Lake.

Our crew is getting it done, one load at a time, helping keep Claytor Lake cleaner, safer, and more beautiful for everyone who enjoys it. 💪🌊

This work takes equipment, manpower, and funding. Help us keep the cleanup going by making a tax-deductible donation at focl.org/donate.

08/25/2026

What a day on Claytor Lake! ☀️🃏🚤

This year’s FOCL Poker Run brought out a record number of attendees, and we couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful day to spend on the water with friends, family, and fellow lake lovers!

More than just a fun day on the lake, the Poker Run is also an important fundraiser for Friends of Claytor Lake, helping support the work we do all year long to protect, preserve, and improve Claytor Lake.

A huge THANK YOU to everyone who participated, volunteered, sponsored, donated, and helped make this year’s event such a success. We love seeing our lake community come together like this! 💙

Couldn’t make it this year, but still want to support FOCL? Consider making a tax-deductible donation at focl.org/donate. Every gift helps us continue caring for the lake we all love.

08/20/2026

🚤🃏 Final reminder: The FOCL Poker Run is almost here!

Join us on Saturday, August 22, at the Rock House Marina for an exciting day of boating, poker, prizes, food, music, and fun on Claytor Lake!

Gather your crew, register your boat, and travel around the lake collecting cards at each participating stop. Then head back to Rock House Marina to see who has the winning hand!

Preregister now and use code PRPR26 at checkout to save $5!

Don’t wait until event day! Preregistering saves you money, speeds up check-in, and helps FOCL plan for a smooth and successful event.

Visit https://www.focl.org/pokerrun for all event details and to preregister.

Every registration helps support FOCL’s year-round work to protect, preserve, and care for Claytor Lake. Come enjoy the lake while helping protect the place we all love! 🌊

08/16/2026

July was another busy month for FOCL’s cleanup crew! 💪🌊

Throughout the month, the team removed:

33 roll-off loads, weighing 15 tons each!
19 bags of trash
1 dock
4 tires

Every load removed represents trash, debris, and hazards that are no longer polluting Claytor Lake or threatening the people and wildlife who depend on it.

This work does not happen by accident. It takes heavy equipment, fuel, repairs, skilled crew members, and the support of people who believe Claytor Lake is worth protecting.

If you have ever watched your children swim here, spent a quiet morning fishing, gathered with friends on the water, or simply felt grateful to call this lake home, please consider helping protect it. Your donation puts the cleanup crew back on the water and keeps this essential work moving forward.

Donate today at focl.org/donate.

08/12/2026

Your guide to Claytor Lake is here!

FOCL’s New Stakeholder Packet is now available and packed with helpful information for residents, visitors, businesses, and everyone who loves the lake.

Inside, you’ll find:

🚤 Boat launch locations
⛽ Fuel locations
📍 Local lake businesses
🌊 Shoreline management FAQs
🏡 Helpful county resources
💙 More about FOCL and our work

View or print the Stakeholder Packet at: https://www.focl.org/resources

Help us continue protecting and preserving Claytor Lake by making a tax-deductible donation at focl.org/donate.

08/04/2026

Join us for our August meeting! 🌊

📅 Thursday, August 13
⏰ 6:00 p.m.
📍 Izaak Walton League Campground located at 6215 Izaak Walton League Rd, Hiwassee, VA

Come connect with fellow lake supporters, hear the latest FOCL updates, and learn more about the work happening to protect and preserve Claytor Lake.

Please RSVP by emailing [email protected] so we can plan ahead for refreshments. 🌭

Claytor Lake holds a special place in so many of our lives. It is where families gather, memories are made, and generations learn to love the water. But keeping it clean, safe, and beautiful takes year-round work and the support of people who care. Your donation helps ensure this lake remains a place we can all be proud to share. Give today at focl.org/donate.

07/30/2026

🚨 APPALACHIAN POWER COMPANY TO CONDUCT HYDROELECTRIC TEST AT CLAYTOR DAM JULY 30 🚨

Appalachian Power Company (APCo) will conduct a required test of its generating units at the Claytor Hydroelectric Project in southwest Virginia on Thursday, July 30, 2026.

The test will temporarily increase downstream flows on the New River, with impacts varying by
distance from the dam. Areas closest to the dam, including Radford, can expect river levels to rise by
approximately 2.5 feet Thursday afternoon. Flows are expected to peak during the afternoon before
decreasing throughout the evening.

Recreational and commercial users of the river and shoreline areas should be aware of temporarily higher water levels and faster-moving water. People fishing, boating, swimming or otherwise recreating on the New River should use caution and be prepared for rapidly changing river
conditions.

Weather or other operational circumstances could affect the timing.

The twice-yearly testing is required by PJM Interconnection, the regional transmission
organization that coordinates the movement of wholesale electricity in the mid-Atlantic region.
This capacity test applies only to the Claytor Hydroelectric Project. At this time, no
capacity test has been determined for the Smith Mountain Project.

Address

6580 Valley Center Drive Suite 318
Fairlawn, VA
24141

Telephone

+15403953625

Website

http://www.focl.org/

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