By allowing ads to appear on this site, you support the local businesses who, in turn, support local journalism.
City hears reservoir comments
Placeholder Image

The Dawsonville City Council Tuesday heard the details of a second reservoir projectthe Etowah Hills Reservoir.

Lumpkin County resident Rebecca Carter, president of the Etowah Hills Corporation, presented the city with what she called an alternative to the Calhoun Creek Reservoir project.

The Calhoun Creek project was recently presented to the city in a closed door session by the Georgia Reservoir Co. Neither the public nor the press were invited to attend the presentation.

People will be thrown out of their homes with a Calhoun Creek project, Carter told the council. Our historic water ditches will be 110 feet under water.

Using maps to illustrate, Carter called the Calhoun Creek project a monster dam and compared its size to Lake Laniers Buford dam.

The crowing glory of their (Georgia Reservoir Cos) plan is a monster dam nearly 2,000 feet long, 230 feet high, which holds back approximately 458 acres of surface water, Carter said. This dwarfs Buford dam at 1,630 feet long ... Buford is 192 feet high. This is 230 feet high.

In February, shortly after the closed door presentation by the Georgia Reservoir Co., the city applied for two surface water withdrawal permits from the Georgia Environmental Protection Division.

Dawson County, Lumpkin County, the City of Dahlonega and the Dahlonega Water Authority have rejected the Calhoun Creek project.

The City of Dawsonville is the first to align with Georgia Reservoir Co., and to apply for permits.

If approved, the city would be allowed to take water from the Etowah River and hold it in the proposed Calhoun Creek Regional Reservoir for future use.

Carter also highlighted the benefits of the smaller Etowah Hills Reservoir project saying they would drop their water levels 100-ft. saving people from being forced to move from their homes.

We drop water levels 10 feet more, and now our disturbed water ditches are safe. We have saved 18,000 linear feet of creek where the endangered Etowah darter lives, said added. And because the Etowah Hills Reservoir will be a different type of reservoir with a fairly stable water level, we will not have the environmentally damaging mud flats ....

Carter stated the Ethowah Hills Corporation is a non-profit group with plans in place to become a local economic engine. She cited hiring locally and allowing employees to form a co-op, which will serve as the human resources arm for the corporation, and that the co-op will give back to community projects such as Blackburn Park.

At the end of the presentation, Mayor James Grogan questioned Carter.

How many million or billions of gallons are we talking about?

I dont have that figure, said Carter. This is a concept presentation. Im glad to get those for you. Im glad youre interested.

Council member Chris Gaines asked about funding and land acquisition.

(Its the) same as Calhoun Creek a feasibility grant through the governors reservoir initiative, through loans, grants, federal and state funds and a bond issue if we need to, Carter stated.

Additionally, Gaines asked if the project was asking the government to purchase land for private development.

No, sir, Carter said. This is a concept stage that would be later in a more developed business plan, in a more highly developed phase. The land that is sold around here, that money wont go off to some fat cat developer like it usually does in the corporate world. This money would go to the corporation and the corporation would use the net proceeds (for) community projects . . ..

The council took no action, but agreed to take Carters presentation under consideration.

Rebecca Carter did a good job of presenting her concept of her reservoir, Mayor Grogan said Tuesday morning. It is the responsibility of the council to look, see, and listen to all proposals concerning reservoirs. They did that last evening. We, as the mayor and Council of Dawsonville, must make a difficult decision on water and revenue needs for the future as it relates to all of our citizens. This is not a hurry process. It takes years to develop and we are in the formative stage.

During the public hearing portion of the meeting, the council approved:

A request by Amicalola Propane to re-zone 3.024 acres at 383 Hwy. 53 West from Highway Business to Restricted Industrial. According to a letter from Matt Richardson, president of Amicalola Propane, plans include moving an 18,000 gal. propane tank from its 858 Hwy. 9 location to the Hwy. 53 location. This site will be utilized to store propane and serve as a distribution point for our delivery trucks, the letter states.

A sign variance for the size, height and illumination located at the Dawsonville Municipal Complex, 415 Hwy. 53 West.

A 1.391 acre annexation request made by Mark Byrd on behalf of Hattie Kincaid. The area is known as an unincorporated island and will be re-zoned from Residential Sub-Rural to Restricted Single Family Residential.

In other action, the council:

Agreed to move forward with the process of retaining the services of eCivis, an online provider of federal, state, and foundation grant information and management tools at a cost of $7,500 per year, which includes a multi-year discount. The council asked that an opt-out clause be added to the contract.

Approved a resolution recognizing Georgia Cities Week, April 20-27 which reads in part: . . . this week offers an important opportunity to spread the word to all the citizens of Georgia that they can shape and influence this branch of government which is closest to the people . . . .

Approved Mayor Grogans attendance at a Georgia Rural Water Disaster Preparedness course, May 19-21, Jekyll Island, at a cost of $330.