Facility formally named in honor of retired County Manager Virgil Hazelett
Henrico has accepted responsibility for the operations of Cobbs Creek Reservoir, following a declaration Friday that construction has reached “substantial completion,” a key milestone in a 22-year project to secure the county’s long-term water needs.
The Board of Supervisors celebrated the achievement and announced the facility’s formal name – the Virgil R. Hazelett Reservoir at Cobbs Creek – in a gathering this afternoon atop the facility’s 160-foot main dam, near the James River in Cumberland County.
With its name, the 1,117-acre reservoir honors Virgil R. Hazelett, who served as Henrico’s county manager from 1992 to 2013 and guided the project during its conception and initial planning. The reservoir was first proposed in 2002, during a record drought in Virginia.
In revealing the name, Board of Supervisors Chair Tyrone E. Nelson, of the Varina District, noted the project’s early challenges, including the loss of regional partners and the Great Recession. He said Hazelett remained steadfast through it all, recognizing “that Henrico would be able to grow and thrive if it had the water to do so.”
“Virgil, you didn’t just help build the foundation of Henrico, you helped secure its long-term success,” Nelson said. “In all its vastness, the Virgil R. Hazelett Reservoir at Cobbs Creek is a reminder that leadership always sees beyond the horizon.”
The reservoir is designed to hold up to 14.8 billion gallons of water that can be released, as needed, to augment river flows in the James, particularly during periods of drought. By constructing the facility, Henrico received authorization to draw an additional 47 million gallons per day from the river, which is expected to help meet the county’s water needs for decades. In addition, by mitigating against low flows, the reservoir is designed to support the James’ health, environment and aquatic life.
Given its massive scale, the reservoir represents a series of superlatives, County Manager John A. Vithoulkas said. For example, the $137 million construction contract is the largest contract awarded in the county’s history. For a time, the reservoir also was the largest public capital project in Virginia, and it remains the state’s largest municipal reservoir in acreage, volume and total cost, he said.
Vithoulkas called the facility “a marvel of civil engineering” and “a testament to incredible vision and leadership.” “Without question,” he added. “Cobbs Creek Reservoir is about ensuring our future. With it, we’ll have the water to meet the needs of our community and deliver the future that our residents want and deserve.”
Filling of the reservoir began in June with testing of its pumping system. Depending on precipitation, the facility is expected to be filled completely and operational sometime in 2025. A declaration of final completion is expected in late 2025.
