2026 SESSION

INTRODUCED

26100864D

SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 28

Offered January 14, 2026

Prefiled January 14, 2026

Requesting the Department of Conservation and Recreation to study methods to mitigate flooding in Prince Edward County. Report.

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Patrons—Cifers and Mulchi

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Referred to Committee on Rules

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WHEREAS, flooding can damage critical infrastructure, including main thoroughfares, bridges, and drainage systems, compromise the structural integrity of homes and businesses, critically disrupt power grids, lead to extensive property damage and loss of valuable personal possessions and business inventory, and inhibit economic investment; and

WHEREAS, the Town of Farmville is situated near the headwaters of the Appomattox River at the intersection of U.S. Route 15, U.S. Route 460, and State Route 45 and is a community of approximately 8,000 permanent residents, two institutions of higher education, a full-service hospital system that serves a multi-county region, and many businesses; and

WHEREAS, the Appomattox River and its tributaries have a history of significant flooding in and around the Town of Farmville, with 103 flooding events recorded since 1928; these incidents of flooding prevented travel across the major highways and smaller local roadways and the State Route 45 bridge until such flood waters receded and caused damage to homes and businesses; and

WHEREAS, studies to determine mitigation strategies, and the resulting implementation of such strategies, can provide a significant cost-savings for local communities and the Commonwealth, with research indicating that for every dollar invested in flood mitigation, local communities can see a return on their investment of five dollars or more in the future in avoided costs from losses and disaster recovery efforts; and

WHEREAS, the Commonwealth has expanded efforts to study and address flooding impacts and mitigation strategies across the Commonwealth in recent years, but no recent or current study addresses flooding in Prince Edward County; and

WHEREAS, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers should be consulted on any potential flooding mitigation efforts because it maintains jurisdiction over portions of the Appomattox River, gauges water levels and flow, operates emergency response measures to control flooding, and provides permits for approved projects that impact the river and wetlands; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the Senate, the House of Delegates concurring, That the Department of Conservation and Recreation be requested to study methods to mitigate flooding in Prince Edward County. The Department of Conservation and Recreation, in collaboration with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, shall focus specifically on mitigation strategies for flooding within the Town of Farmville and its surrounding areas stemming from the Appomattox River and its tributaries.

In conducting its study, the Department of Conservation and Recreation shall work in collaboration with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to (i) determine recent and historical areas of flooding within and around the Town of Farmville and the areas of the Appomattox River, its tributaries, or its adjacent floodplains that consistently experience flooding that impedes individual activity and negatively affects residential or business infrastructure; (ii) identify feasible infrastructure additions or adaptations to mitigate severe flooding while avoiding adverse environmental impacts to the extent possible; (iii) determine which permits from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, if any, would be required in order to implement study recommendations; and (iv) determine potential sources of revenue for mitigation efforts, including cost-sharing between the locality and the Commonwealth, federal funding or grant options, and any private funding sources available.

All agencies of the Commonwealth shall provide assistance to the Department of Conservation and Recreation for this study, upon request.

The Department of Conservation and Recreation shall complete its meetings by November 30, 2026, and shall submit to the Governor and the General Assembly an executive summary and a report of its findings and recommendations for publication as a House or Senate document. The executive summary and report shall be submitted as provided in the procedures of the Division of Legislative Automated Systems for the processing of legislative documents and reports no later than the first day of the 2027 Regular Session of the General Assembly and shall be posted on the General Assembly's website.