An undiscovered gem

Though a bad economy has stalled development at quiet Leesville Lake, commercial growth is inevitable for the Dan River Region’s well-kept secret.

“The economy … has slowed it down, but it’s coming,” said Fred Tannehill, owner of Tri-County Marina at the lake and vice president of the Leesville Lake Association’s board of directors.

County officials and Tannehill say 17-mile-long Leesville Lake — which is connected to Smith Mountain Lake — has great economic potential.

“Right now, Leesville is pretty much an undiscovered lake,” said Tannehill, who has lived at the lake and owned Tri-County Marina since 1976. Most of its 100-plus-mile shoreline is natural, with about a third of it developed, Tannehill said. Leesville Lake covers 3,270 acres, with water levels fluctuating between 600 and 613 feet above sea level, according to the association’s Web site. 

With roughly half the lake in Pittsylvania County and parts of the rest in Bedford and Campbell counties, the holding pond for water used to generate electricity at Appalachian Electric Power at Smith Mountain Lake is an untapped tax-revenue gold-mine, especially for Pittsylvania.

“It could be a boon for the county,” said Staunton River Supervisor Marshall Ecker, whose district includes part of the lake. Businesses could locate there, where lots of people fish and participate in other recreation, and the lake could hold events such as fishing tournaments, Ecker said.

Though 13-foot fluctuations in its water level pose challenges — and hazards — for Leesville Lake, it’s “secluded, quiet, peaceful,” said Mollie Holmes, realtor with Aaron W. Johnson Auction & Realty. The tide occurs because water there is pumped back to Smith Mountain Lake to produce electricity.

“I’d love to see it take off,” Holmes said. “I think it’s going to be discovered one way or another.”

The lake boasts plenty of trees, foliage and wildlife, said Holmes, who has two lots for sale at the lake.

Leesville Lake provides a getaway for those looking to escape the crowds at the larger, more popular Smith Mountain Lake. It’s part of the Smith-Mountain hydroelectric pump storage project on the Roanoke River built by AEP in the early 1960s, the Leesville Lake Association’s Web site states. The lake runs from Smith Mountain Dam’s base and winds 17 miles to Leesville Dam.

According to Tannehill, real-estate values at the lake are climbing to levels comparable to those of the more tony Smith Mountain Lake. Houses at Leesville Lake range from $250,000 to $1.5 million, with lots going for $30,000 to $200,000, Tannehill said. But, Tannehill said, “we haven’t gotten the oversaturation.” Tannehill says he gets about 200 boats at his marina per weekend in peak season, up until Labor Day. “After Labor Day, it dies,” he said.

Leesville Lake has two marinas, including the Stacy Compton-owned Pit Stop Marina, which, along with about 1,200 acres and other plots also owned by Compton, was auctioned Saturday.

The area has seen residential growth in the past 8 to 10 years, Tannehill said. More than a dozen neighborhoods are found at Leesville Lake, with names like Meadow Shores, Playcation Retreat, Sunset Bay and Falcon Ridge.

The lake does have its drawbacks. Access to Leesville can be difficult for those unfamiliar with the area, Tannehill said. Fluctuation in water levels, which amounts to a tide, can temporarily affect the shoreline by up to 25 feet, said County Administrator Dan Sleeper.

However, growth in size means growth in clout, Tannehill said, and that’s one reason why economic progress would benefit the lake. Leesville Lake has a skimmer to clean up the lake, which has had problems with debris, and Appalachian Power will provide money to test the lake’s water and supply hazard markers to identify sandbars and large rocks dangerous for boats, he said.

Tannehill said he has mixed emotions about the coming growth spurt at Leesville Lake. He wants to keep things there the way they were decades ago, but as a business owner, he recognizes the political and economic spoils that come with progress.

“I feel good about what’s going to happen here,” he said.

w Crane is a staff writer with the Danville Register & Bee.