Lake Updates

Latest Updates on The Lake

Carroll County Lake Summary, January 27, 2008

Twenty-two and a half miles of shoreline will be created by the construction of Carroll County's 1000-acre
recreational lake. The dam will be constructed parallel to and south of Highway 70 in the Leach community,
just two miles west of Huntingdon. The dam and waters will be clearly visible from the highway.

For more than twenty years, many of us—from McKenzie to Clarksburg and Cedar Grove to Bruceton—have
joined together, offering our voices, our hands, and our wallets in support of the development of one of the
largest watershed lakes in West Tennessee, Northern Mississippi, Eastern Arkansas, and Western Kentucky.

With the construction of Carroll County's 1000-acre recreational lake, we can bring renewed energy to tourism
in Tennessee. Through the lake's potential $23 million economic impact, we can invigorate the business climate
in Carroll County and the surrounding region, and we can offer new prospects for residential development.

But perhaps most importantly, the lake—and its creation of more than 300 acres of new wetlands—will serve as
a prime example of Tennessee's commitment to preservation and protection of our environment. In short, this
lake will serve as a gift to all members of our community for generations to come.

The lake will have a tremendous impact on Carroll County's economic engine. The lake will create jobs through:
a) new housing developments, b) new restaurants, c) new retail stores, d) new lodging facilities, e) new boat and water ski dealers, and more. he lake is estimated to have a $23 million dollar impact on Carroll County's economy in the early years of operation.

The lake will improve the quality of life by providing increased recreational opportunities for our county and West Tennessee. The recreational opportunities include: a) beach area, b) boating, c) swimming, d) skiing, e) fishing,
f) picnic areas, g) playground, h) hiking, i) jet skis, and more.

The lake will increase Carroll County's attraction as a tourist destination. Tourists can spend a day at the lake relaxing and an evening at the Court Square in Huntingdon enjoying a performance at The Dixie Performing Arts Center (just a seven minute drive from the lake).

The lake will create and preserve 300 new acres of wetlands. The lake will create more than 300 acres of new wetlands in Carroll County, which will serve as a tremendous example of Tennessee's commitment to our environment and its preservation and protection.

Quietly, the Carroll County 1000-acre recreational lake project has quickly become a national model as it relates to its 300-acre mitigation site. The lake project is generating excitement and interest from as far away as Massachusetts, Florida, Texas, Georgia, California and others.

In providing the most recent updates on the progress of the Lake we will be addressing
some of the following points necessary in the development of this major project:

1. Installation of permanent water quality monitoring station on Reedy Creek
immediately downstream from the dam site.

2. Perform Phase II archaeological investigation at three sites to be inundated by the Lake.

3. Install groundwater level monitors and develop two one-acre test tree planting plots
at the mitigation site on Crooked Creek.

4. Develop a master plan for development of the Lake and mitigation sites including shoreline
management, land use restrictions and public access and use facilities.

5. Define all property to be impacted by the reservoir and mitigation sites
and begin property acquisition appraisals.

6. Develop a marketing plan:
        Phase I • 'Name-the-Lake', develop symbol/logo for all literature and marketing materials
        Phase II • Create brochure/flyers to show steps in construction of lake
        Phase III • Update all materials to show completion of project and start marketing lake in and around West Tennessee

The Carroll County Chamber of Commerce issued this news release on Nov. 21st 2002

Today, the Carroll County Watershed Authority (CCWA) announced the receipt of the Section 404 Permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers which allows for the construction of a 977-acre lake in Carroll County. "We are excited to finally have the 404 Permit in hand," said Tommy Surber, Chairman of the CCWA. "The Watershed Authority wishes to express its appreciation to all the Federal, State and local government agencies, our consulting engineers J.R. Wauford and Company, and to all of the individuals involved in making this day a reality"

Kevin Young, Senior Vice President with J.R. Wauford & Company, Consulting Engineers, Inc. stated the lake will impound Reedy Creek at a location on the south side of U.S. Hwy.70 between Leach Road and Baker Road. Young also stated the lake will be 50 feet deep at the dam and will be 20 feet deep or more over 70% of the its area. Young further stated the lake will support water skiing, fishing, boating, swimming, picnicking and jet-ski activities and that one-third of the lake will be reserved for exclusively for fishing.

"Today's announcement is a major positive step forward in the history of Carroll County," said Kenny McBride, County Executive for Carroll County. "The lake will be located in the county and none of the municipalities have any plans to annex the lake in their 20-year growth plans".

"The receipt of the 404 Permit marks an end of an 18-year journey to reach this stage in the process," said Dale Kelley, Secretary/Treasurer of the CCWA. "The Beaver Creek Watershed Authority was formed in 1984 with the purpose of getting a recreational lake built in Carroll County and in 1997 the authority's name was changed to the Carroll County Watershed Authority." Kelley, who was serving in the State House of Representatives in 1984 was the sponsor of the Beaver Creek Watershed Authority Legislation. "The impact of the lake on Carroll County for generations to come will be unmatched," said Kelley. Today's announcement will open another chapter in the history of Carroll County."

"The new lake will provide an economic boost for all of Carroll County," said Brad Hurley, President of the Carroll County Chamber of Commerce. "The new lake will benefit our school children all across Carroll County from the increase in sales tax collections from the new businesses that will be created around the lake site". Hurley further stated that a study of the economic impact of the lake on Carroll County performed by the Carroll County Chamber of Commerce, with input from the University of Tennessee at Martin, indicates the lake will generate $23.5 million in spending during the first ten years, including $1.68 million in annual spending by lake users. The estimate does not include the increase in property values in the vicinity of the lake which are expected to increase 30 to 300 times in the their pre-lake value.

"All sales monies collected from businesses around the lake will go directly to the County of Carroll and each and every school district in the county," said County Executive McBride. "Students from Hollow Rock-Bruceton, Huntingdon, McKenzie, South Carroll and West Carroll will benefit from the increased sales tax collections generated by the new lake".

Kevin Young stated the Carroll County lake project is a model for mitigating the potential environmental impacts associated with constructing a lake. Young said, "the CCWA will convert 300 acres of former wetlands now being farmed back into wetlands, buy and preserve 81 acres of existing wetlands and put approximately two miles of Crooked Creek ditch and its tributaries back into their original meandering channels to mitigate the impacts of the lake construction.

According to Young, the cost of the lake project is estimated to be $9.7 million, including the purchase of land, mitigation of impacts to wetlands and construction of the lake itself. "Seventy percent of the cost of the lake will be born by Federal and State agencies," said Dale Kelley, Secretary/Treasurer of the CCWA. "We are aggressively seeking all avenues of the Federal and State funding for the lake." " Thirty percent of the cost of the lake will be funded by an additional $10 Wheel Tax which will go into effect December 1st. 2002" according to County Executive Kenny McBride. "In November of 2000, the citizens of Carroll County approved this source of funding by a vote of 5,441 to 4,851."

We owe a huge debt of gratitude to Kevin Young of J.R. Wauford & Company and to Craig Parker, formerly with J.R. Wauford for their commitment, dedication and hard work on this project, said Surber. "Also, without the dedication and commitment of Dale Kelley to this project, I seriously doubt this day would have ever come."

Surber went on to say: "The lake is a true example of what can occur when we focus all the energy in the county toward one single purpose." "The lake will benefit all of Carroll County."

"This project has received the support of all former Governors, Lamar Alexander, Ned McWherter and Don Sundquist." "We are optimistic that Governor Phil Bredesen will continue this support," said Surber.

     Current members of the CCWA are:
    Tommy Surber, Chairman
    Dale Kelley, Secretary/Treasurer
    Janice McClain; Robert Clark;
    Larry Wade; Kenny McBride.