History of the Lake
Stonewall Jackson Lake State Park was completed in 1990. The park and associated lake were a project of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers who purchased the property to construct a flood control dam. A portion of the lake covered the former site of Roanoke, WV, which was completely flooded in over 60 feet of water. The finished dam was put in service in 1988. Today, the state park is known as Stonewall Resort State Park.
Private & Public Sectors Working Together
Stonewall Resort is the first state park in the nation to be developed, constructed, financed and operated by a private developer in partnership with the state. This bold and pioneering initiative is now being heralded as a national model for public/private development. The project was completed in late 2002 after years of painstaking discussions and planning by the State of West Virginia, the US Army Corps of Engineers, Senator Robert C. Byrd and the Charleston-based development firm of McCabe-Henley LP.
The State of West Virginia invested $23 million and McCabe-Henley LP organized the private investment of $42 million to provide the total funding necessary to build the project. To provide relief to the state, Sen. Robert C. Byrd developed and passed single-purpose federal legislation in 1995 which erased $1.00 of debt for every $1.00 spend on the construction of facilities within the boundaries of the state park, giving West Virginia ownership of present and future park facilities. As a result of the $65 million investment, the State of West Virginia satisfied a $35 million debt to the US Army Corps of Engineers.
Cairns (KAR-ens)
The park is home to an interesting archeological curiosity. A total of 150 unique stone structures, called cairns, are scattered throughout Stonewall Resort State Park. Cairns are manmade structures, ranging from loose piles of stones to fully-formed stone towers.
The structures are found throughout the world, which is evidence of historic construction by a variety of cultures. Previously, they have been associated with navigation, natural resource indicators, fortification, burial markings and as indications of former battlefields. These mysterious structures have been remarkably difficult to date. Historians are unsure of who built the cairns or what their original purpose might have been. Some believe they might have been constructed by Native Americans.
Also, a 150-foot section of wall can be found at the park, running parallel to the Hevener's Orchard Trail. Local historians claim that the structures do not fit the pattern of fortification structures, ruling out the possibility of Civil War soldiers constructing them. For now, the origin of the stonework remains a mystery for both historians and archeologists.
Green Initiatives
Stonewall Resort currently participates in several of the Green Initiative programs which fall under the Audubon Green Leaf Eco-Rating Program. In addition, the Arnold Palmer Signature Course is an active participant and is currently certified in the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program dating back to 2003. Below is a list of current procedures and programs that are implemented and/or in the process of being implemented throughout the resort and are in compliance with the Green Leaf Eco-Rating Program.
Green Initiatives at Stonewall Resort
- Recycle cardboard and aluminum
- Conference center notepads are recycled paper with soy ink
- Use glassware instead of plastic for conference breaks
- Regional collection point for plastic pesticide containers and a recycling program in partnership with WVDA
- Recycling collection points throughout the park, marina and campground
- Every campsite has an aluminum collection container
- Arnold Palmer Signature Course recognized as a Cooperative Sanctuary by Audubon International for meeting the criteria for Environmental Planning, Wildlife and Habitat Management, Water Conservation and Management, Chemical Use Reduction and Safety and Outreach and Education
- Collect pesticide rise water and reuse for other spray operations
- Monitor surface and ground water quality through semi-annual testing for fertilizer and pesticide compounds
- Installed water saver shower heads in the lodge
- Low consumption toilets
- Domestic hot water recirculation system to provide hot water on demand which helps control water waste
- Hobart brand high efficiency dish washers
- Salvajor dish rinse equipment that reuses water to rinse dishes
- Energy efficient domestic hot water boilers with multi stage operation to help reduce gas consumption
- Digital thermostats on all lodge and club house HVAC units
- Timers on all exterior lighting
- Timers on non-essential room lighting
- High efficiency heat pumps throughout lodge with closed loop cooling tower
- Energy Recovery ventilators on lodge heat pump system
- Provide green cards in all guest rooms that provide guests the option to not change the linens and/or towels during the stay to help conserve water and energy
- Lighting for Lightburn’s entrance sign is solar powered
- Changed to recycled paper products and peroxide-based cleaners for campground, marina and day use areas
- Active paper reuse initiative with the departments to reuse printer paper for draft copies and note pads
- Installed 98% efficient tankless hot water heaters in campground
- Selection of low water use turf and plant species in newer development areas
