HomeMy WebLinkAboutC.054.93010_0677 (2)water is Hunting Creek at Highway 21. The county needs to specify to the state department of
transportation that (1) water supply is needed for all water systems as a backup supply, (2) in
areas where bridges are due to be replaced, especially in all streams north of Highway 70 and I-
40 west, that they be evaluated for flood control, hydropower, irrigation, and recreation and (3)
a determination needs to be made on whether or not the Huey Mill Bridge should be left as the
only remaining overhead steel bridge and issue a request for the department of transportation to
solicit funds for building impoundments as an alternate to building the bridge and see if enough
money can be found to accomplish this goal. "
Crosby said the area would also be an excellent site for a state or county park.
Commissioner Williams asked if a cost study had been performed on the land that would
be flooded. He asked how this would be funded.
Crosby said he understood that on the Third Creek project, the land was not purchased
-- it was donated. Mr. Crosby said the area he was referring to did not have many landowners.
He said that most of them had indicated they would like to have a lake.
Williams asked about the property owners that would not be in favor of the proposal.
He asked how the land would be acquired.
Crosby said, "from my standpoint, it's sort of like the roads. If you don't want one, it
will go somewhere else" He said there were many choices, and the size of the lake would be
determined by the willingness of the property owners and the benefits they would receive.
Williams asked Mr. Crosby who would survey the area.
Crosby said it would be under the Soil & Water Conservation's jurisdiction. He said
there was already a Hunting Creek Study done by this agency.
Williams said he understood Mr. Crosby's proposal to be that if the Soil & Water
officials approached the board of commissioners with a recommendation about flooding the
properties, the county would then apply to the highway division to request state bridge
replacement funds to build the dams.
Crosby said he felt the highway department officials should be contacted first to
determine their willingness to participate. He said the bridge on Hwy. 21 had been scheduled
and unscheduled several times during the past 20 years. Crosby said that when 1-77 went across
the Hunting Creek, a water impoundment effort was made on behalf of the Iredell Water
Corporation.
Attorney Pope said the 1985 study used 1984 price levels for calculating the cost
of the dam construction and benefits. Pope asked how the numbers would be impacted by
inflation, or what they would be today.
Crosby said most of them would be the same or less. He said the interest rate at
the time was eight and three eighths. Crosby said the rate today would not be that high.
lie said the electricity would be the same.
Commissioner Johnson said he would assume that if bridge replacement money
became available, then a cost benefit analysis could be done to see if a conventional
bridge was in order or some other structure, e.g., bridge and water impoundment device.
Commissioner Williams said he had some doubts that landowners would be as
willing today to give up their bottom lands as they might have been fifteen years ago.
Commissioner Bowles asked if the water corporation supported the proposal.
Crosby said yes. He said $500,000 would have to be spent by the water company
just to stay even.