A year-long analysis of three sites for a potential Jackson County reservoir failed to provide a conclusive answer, but given the economy, that’s pretty much a moot point.
There’s just no money for a project that would cost a minimum of $127 million.
Engineer Rob MacPherson unveiled the results of Prime Engineering’s analysis of three potential Nicholson area reservoirs to the Jackson County Water and Sewerage Authority last week. Aside from rejecting the largest of the three -— site 3 located inside of the Brockton Loop — because of its cost ($365 million), the study came to no firm conclusions.
MacPherson recommended that the authority do further analysis to see if the lowest-cost reservoir — site 4 off Sanford Road — could be enhanced by raising the dam 20 feet to increase the lake’s capacity and that it study building reservoirs there and at site 5 (near Berea Church Road) in a phased program.
Instead, the authority voted unanimously to table action on the reservoir, due to the economy.
“Nobody has any money,” chairman Randall Pugh pointed out. “If we wanted to proceed today, the authority has no money and no ability to finance this. The county has no ability. Maybe it has the ability, but not the appetite. The state has no money.”
The only hope for funding, said Pugh, is that significant state or federal grant money becomes available when the economy recovers.
“That’s the dilemma for us,” he concluded.
For the full story, see the Nov. 18 edition of The Commerce News.
