News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
A project that would create a long-term solution for potable water in Cumberland County is entering its second phase.
The Crossville City Council received a progress report from the consulting firm leading the work Tuesday night.
The project would raise the Meadow Creek Park Dam in Crossville by 20 feet. Consultant Kevin Young said 360 acres of extra water storage would be created as a result.
“Streams now are going to be flooded,” Young said. “Wetlands now are going to be flooded and wildlife. Wildlife habitat now will become fish habitat. Those impacts can be legally allowed only on the terms of a federal permit.”
In order to move forward with the permit process, Young said protected species on the land must be relocated. Young said surveys of the land found protected bats and a Bald Eagle family living on the acreage. Young said this work should take about a year to complete.
Young said the total acreage of wetland impacted will then be measured.
“When we get the wetland detail information together, we’re going to take the stream detail information we already have and compile that into a very formal document called the complete waters of the U.S. delineation report and that’s what we have to put with out permit application to give to the Corp. That will be the central part,” Young said.
Young said the next step would be mitigation work to make up for the wetland and streams impacted. Young said Crossville would then be responsible for recreating the habitat.
“Every acre of wetland that we flood, we’re going to have to create 3 acres of wetland somewhere or buy three acres of wetland somebody has already created,” Young said.
Young said at this time he could not give an estimate as to the costs to acquire this land. Young said this water project would be one of the largest habitat projects to occur in Tennessee over the last several decades.
Young said he hoped to return to the Crossville City Council next spring on an update on phase 2.
In other business, Crossville City Manager Greg Wood received a 4.17 out of five on his performance evaluation shared to council members Tuesday night. Mayor James Mayberry called Wood’s work a “B+”
Wood has served as city manager for some five years and signed a two-year extension in December of last year.
