Dalton Utilities officials first looked at turning the Haig Mill reservoir into a recreational facility seven years ago, said utility president and CEO Don Cope. And the utility is prepared to do what it can to help the city with its current plans for the lake.
Cope briefed the utility’s board members on the project and the city’s plans to create greenways connecting local recreational areas at their meeting on Monday.
“It is a good idea to think about, and we have been involved in preliminary work relating to some of that for quite some time,” he said.
Cope said much of those plans will involve property the utility controls, such as the reservoir, or has an interest in because of its water withdrawal permits, such as Mill Creek.
Cope said he proposed turning the reservoir into a recreational area in 2003.
“We were unsuccessful, primarily because of security issues. This is our primary water supply. We’ve talked to the state since the city came out with its plan. The state said they were very cautious about turning the lake into a recreational area but they will not fight us,” Cope said.
But he said state regulators were adamant that they would not allow swimming or motorized boats in the reservoir.
“They will only allow canoeing and paddle boats. That sort of thing,” he said.
Cope said when the utility developed its plans in 2003 the estimated cost was $3.2 million. He said those estimates would have to be updated.
“Somebody will have to come up with the money to pay for this,” he said.
Cope said the city’s plans to create walking and bicycling trails along Mill Creek could work.
“There would have to be a lot of stream bank restoration,” he said.
But Cope said he’s skeptical that the creek can support canoeing as city planners hope. He said that much of the creek is too shallow for canoeing and other parts flow through culverts or under sewer lines.
Cope said he was particularly interested in the city’s plans to turn Crawford Street into an outdoor mall and to create a park between Glenwood Avenue and the railroad tracks.
“It’s a good thing to think about, and it’s the kind of thing the community needs to do to move it forward and to attract young professionals,” he said.
Board members reviewed the utility’s first-quarter financial statement. Dalton Utilities had net income of $5.2 million in the first quarter, compared to an operating loss of $302,000 in the first quarter of 2009. After capital spending, the utility had negative operating income of $3.2 million, compared to negative operating income of $5.8 million in the first quarter of 2009.
The utility also received a report from its auditors at Deloitte & Touche. They said they found no serious issues during the 2009 audit.
Cope also briefed board members on the biodiesel pilot project at the utility’s land application system property on the Conasauga River. He said preliminary results show the process creates biomass and removes phosphorus and nitrogen from the waste stream well within the limits the utility had forecast. Utility officials have said that creating biodiesel for the utility’s use is one goal of the project but their main aim has been to remove phosphorous from the waste stream.
Local News
May 18, 2010
Dalton Utilities eyes recreation on the Haig Mill reservoir
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