CullmanTimes.com, Cullman, Alabama

Local News

November 4, 2009

Smith Lake residents split on water plans

By Tiffany Green

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  • Smith Lake resident Scott Jones wants whatever decision made to be a unanimous one; but if he had his choice, he thinks the Duck River project would be best. Tiffany Green

    Smith Lake residents split on water plans

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Residents on Smith Lake seem to be spilt which secondary water source would be best for Cullman County.

Smith Lake resident Scott Jones thinks the Duck River plan is the best plan for the county.

“Whatever is best for Cullman is what we want, but if we had the choice, we would rather not use Smith Lake,” he said.

Jones and wife Michelle said over the three years they have lived on the lake, they have only seen dirty water a handful of times.

“There are occasions when it is muddy and dirty, but it doesn’t happen very often,” Michelle said.

Even though the county plans call for only a one-inch reduction in lake levels over a year, it is still a concern for residents.

“We don’t need any more variables in lake levels,” Scott said.

Smith Lake resident Robin Speegle agreed.

“I would hate to see the water levels drop anymore. We have good water now.”

Jerome Speegle wants whatever is best for the county, but wants the Cullman County Commissioners and the Cullman City Council to agree.

“The Smith Lake project is fine, but they should be together,” Jerome said. “The part of the lake where they would get the water should stay level and it’s going to be clean.”

The city’s proposal would create a dam at Duck River, establishing a 640-acre lake and a six-mile pipeline with a 32-million-gallon-per-day capacity. The reservoir would resemble the one at Lake Catoma, currently the county’s sole water source. The project is expected to generate as many as 1,000 jobs.

The county’s plan includes upgrading the treatment facilities at Lake Catoma and constructing a new treatment facility that would pump water from Smith Lake. Included in the proposal is the creation of a regional water board to oversee water distribution in the county.

Currently, the city — through the Cullman Utilities Board — controls and sells all water distributed from Lake Catoma.

Customer water rates are expected to increase regardless of which plan is implemented, though the increase would likely be lower if the two work together on the same project.

Billy Williams, Smith Lake developer, said he is for the Smith Lake choice 100 percent.

“Smith Lake should have been the primary source of water for Cullman County all along,” Williams said. “It is one of the cleanest lakes in the country, so why not use it?”

He said he has never had an issue with dirty water.

“We have never had problems with Smith Lake water,” Williams said. “There is no industrial spillage so it’s Cullman County’s best choice,” Williams said.

Williams said why waste more money on another dam, when Smith Lake has one.

“Why build a dam somewhere else when we have one here on the lake,” Williams said. “I don’t see why they don’t use it. Why build a dam on a little creek when we have this nice big lake here.”

Jones said after spending so many years and dollars on researching the Duck River project, it seems best.

“Duck River seems to be the most sensible thing to do,” Jones said. “It doesn’t matter, but if it’s so much economically better to go with the Smith Lake project, I would support it. But as long as there’s another idea out there such as Duck river, I would support that.”



* Tiffany Green can be reached by e-mail at tgreen@cullmantimes.com or by telephone at 734-2131, ext. 220.

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