Opposition remains for state reservoirs

As much water as Alabama has flowing through it, the state has only one natural lake within its borders, the 500-acre Lake Jackson in Florala that was formed by a sinkhole.

The remainder of Alabama's lakes are man-made reservoirs, many created during the first half of last century when streams were dammed to hold water to drink, produce hydroelectric power, control flooding, improve navigation, or make a place to live and play.

The last large reservoir state officials can remember being built in Alabama was created 40 years ago. But it hasn't been for a lack of trying.

Officials involved in several proposed projects to build reservoirs for new drinking water supplies know it's not as easy as blocking up a stream and watching the water rise. Each plan has run into problems, including expenses from stricter environmental rules and opposition by residents and environmentalists.

Among the proposed projects:

Birmingham shelved a proposal in the 1990s to dam the Locust Fork to create a reservoir after opposition from groups in Blount County. But that project could be revived as part of the Birmingham Water Works' search for more water.

Fayette County officials got a permit from the Army Corps of Engineers in the early 1990s to build a 100-year water supply reservoir for the region. That project has yet to be built because costs have risen to $30 million.

Cullman has been working for nearly two decades on a proposal to dam the Duck River to create a new drinking water supply. Twice, the Corps has issued permits for the project, and each time environmental groups have sued. A judge could resolve the second suit this fall.

A group of cities, counties and water authorities in southeast Alabama agreed last month to seek permits to dam the Little Choctawhatchee and create a 1,464-acre reservoir. The reservoir would cost an estimated $140 million. The southeastern part of the state relies on aquifers, and communities there need a surface water reservoir to allow aquifers some time to recover, said Barbara Gibson, executive director of the Choctawhatchee, Pea and Yellow Rivers Watershed Management Authority. The reservoir was a recommended option in a Corps engineering study, she said.

Proposals to dam streams usually are met with opposition from groups worried about the lack of free-flowing streams for kayaking or canoeing and the health of wildlife.

"Dams are just so awful. They are so permanent," said April Hall, watershed protection specialist with the Alabama Rivers Alliance.

E-mail: kfaulk@bhamnews.com