To say the turnout for the public hearing on the proposed Smith Mountain Project water release protocol was far greater than the event's hosts had expected would be an understatement. Pre-meeting buzz had predicted a full house, but perhaps no one could have predicted a crowd that was estimated at around 2,000. Those who wanted to speak out on Appalachian Power's proposed protocol, known as HL-8, packed the 450-capacity auditorium at Gretna High School and spilled over outside.

About 30 minutes in, Pittsylvania County Administrator Dan Sleeper announced that the fire marshal would shut down the Aug. 7 meeting hosted by Department of Environmental Quality as part of Appalachian's relicensing process to continue operating the Smith Mountain Project, if it wasn't moved.

After it was relocated to the football stadium, the downstream and upstream attendees seemed to divide into opposing teams: HL-8 and run-of-river.

David Marsher of Moneta argued for run-of-river, or having Leesville Dam release the same amount of water into the Staunton River that comes into the Smith Mountain Project.

"From the very outset, Smith Mountain Lake was designed to be a 795 [foot] lake," he said. "Over the past 40-plus years, people have built their homes and docks on Smith Mountain Lake with the knowledge that Smith Mountain Lake would be 795."

If the protocol isn't changed to reflect run-of-river, Marsher said lake homeowners would be stuck with mud flats worth a fraction of their recently assessed property values.

Bill Reidenbach of Moneta said the run-of-river protocol should include a further step to prevent lake levels from dropping.

"Should Smith Mountain Lake levels drop below 792, AEP should stop generating power," he said.

Downstream residents, however, argued against run-of-river, saying that such a protocol would ultimately dry up the Staunton River.

"The people who want to keep all the water, they don't know what's happening to the river," said Roy Bradley. "The river is dying and dying quickly."

Bradley was one of many downstream residents who spoke about portions of the Staunton River drying up during drought conditions such as the one currently in effect. With waning waters, downstream businesses suffer, they said.

"The river is our lifeline," said Brenda Guthrie Short, who lives in Mathalie, but also owns a home on Smith Mountain Lake.

By the time Guthrie Short spoke, the meeting had deteriorated into a name-calling session with some audience members shouting insults and profanities at each other.

Downstream residents were called "rednecks"; SML residents were referred to as "idle rich."

"We've been called a bunch of tubing rednecks," said Guthrie Short. "If tubing and canoeing on the Staunton River makes me a redneck, then I'm proud to be one."

When SML resident Jim Berman, took the microphone, he expressed disappointment at the way some of the attendees were handling themselves.

I thought this was going to be a public hearing where people explained what was going on," said Berman. "What I'm hearing is a tremendous amount of bias and bigotry."

He requested that DEQ consider the recommendations of those who spoke before him and delay the Oct. 16 decision unless a second meeting can be held in September where a solution can be reached.

Ron Willard, lake developer, agreed. He grew up on the Staunton River and has made his home and his livelihood at Smith Mountain Lake. Willard did not offer an opinion on the water release protocol, rather an apology and a suggestion.

"I apologize to you tonight if anyone above you on Smith Mountain Lake in Bedford County and Franklin County offended you," he said. "And I accept your apology if you offended me tonight.

"I don't want us to make Smith Mountain Dam the Mason-Dixon Line," he said. "We're not going to get anywhere calling each other names. We will get somewhere by working together."

Residents who were unable to attend the meeting can still have their opinions and concerns heard. Comments, which are due by Sept. 12, can be mailed to: Joe Hassell, DEQ, Water Division, P.O. Box 1105, Richmond, VA 23218 or to jphassell@deq.virginia.gov.

Per the relicensing timeline, DEQ would issue a 401 Certification to Appalachian Power on Nov. 2. Then Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, which grants licenses, would issue an Environmental Assessment for comment on Jan. 10, 2009.

The license would be issued on June 24, 2009, unless FERC determines that a draft and final environmental document are necessary, in which case other steps would ensue and the license would be issued on Nov. 21, 2009.