DNR board approves reservoir for Haralson County

ATLANTA - The board of the state Department of Natural Resources has approved the sale of $46 million in bonds to build a 2,300-acre reservoir in Haralson County in west Georgia. <br> <br> The lake is 1,200 acres smaller than a proposed impoundment near the state line that led Alabama to file a lawsuit in 1990, leading to tri-state negotiations over river rights. <br> <br> The reservoir on Little Beach Creek, designed to alleviate water shortages and spur economic growth, would serve Haralson, Paulding, Polk and Carroll counties. <br> <br> The original proposal was for a 3,500-acre lake on the Tallapoosa River, but the size and location concerned environmental groups and Alabama officials fearful of the downstream impact. <br> <br> Bob Kerr, Georgia&#39;s chief negotiator in the water talks with Alabama and Florida, said Alabama&#39;s objections were resolved when officials demonstrated that the new location and smaller size would have less impact downstream than the previous site. The reservoir would not affect Florida. <br> <br> The DNR board approved the bond sale in a 20-minute conference call Thursday. Board member Sally Bethea abstained. <br> <br> ``Even though the size of the reservoir has changed dramatically, I felt I couldn&#39;t vote for it in good conscience without more information,&#39;&#39; said Bethea, director of the Upper Chattahoochee Riverkeeper. <br> <br> State House Speaker Tom Murphy, D-Bremen, has promoted the reservoir in his home county for years. The state approved the bond money four years ago, needing only Thursday&#39;s DNR vote to activate the sale. <br> <br> The dam project must now survive public hearings and win permit approval by state and federal agencies. It could be completed within three to five years with no major obstacles. <br> <br> Brad McLane, director of the Alabama Rivers Alliance, said his group was ``categorically opposed&#39;&#39; to the previous reservoir site, but it has little information about the new location. <br> <br> ``We will be reviewing the permit and making sure they comply with all the environmental laws,&#39;&#39; he said.