Crossville Dam Project Plans Begin

The planning process has begun for a $18 million dam project in Cumberland County.

Crossville City Council members met Tuesday to discuss plans for the project. Crossville City Manager Greg Wood said this dam will be able to store more drinking water over the next 50 years.

“Crossville and Cumberland County sit upon the Cumberland plateau, so we don’t have rivers and lakes and things like that,” Wood said. “Everything runs downhill off the plateau, so you really need a water storage mechanism to be able to provide water.”

Wood said he hopes to be able to treat 7.5 million gallons of water a day, providing Crossville, South Cumberland, and Crab Orchard.

The permitting process could take up to three years, Wood said.

“It’s a necessity, people can’t get by without water,” Wood said. “The other alternative that has been suggested is pumping water up the hill…just operational costs of that would make our water so expensive it would not be a practical alternative.”

A 40 year financing plan will allow funding for the project. Wood said that time frame is worth it since the dam will help residents generations to come.

The current 300 acre dam off of Lantana and City Lake Road Road will triple in size after the project is complete, Wood said.