Hall mayors urged to support Glades Reservoir

GAINESVILLE - Hall County officials at Monday night's joint local government meeting in Gillsville called on city mayors to support construction of Glades Reservoir.

The mayors were urged to sign a letter addressed to the Corps of Engineers supporting Hall's permit application to build the reservoir.
Gainesville's Mayor ProTem Ruth Bruner said Glades has city support, but Cedar Creek Reservoir is built, its full and could provide water sooner.

“We’re ready to go ahead and do Cedar Creek and we can get that on line in three years as opposed to Glades Farm which will take about seven years,” Bruner said.


The Joint Local Government Association members heard Hall County consultant Harold Reheis say the proposed 850 acre Glades Reservoir is more important than ever. Reheis said the recent federal court ruling reduces Lake Lanier as a water resource because in three years Georgia could not use it.
Gainesville and Buford’s use would be cut to 1970’s levels if the ruling cannot be successfully appealed.

Reheis, A former state Environmental Protection Division Director, said reservoir construction far outweighs water conservation efforts supported by environmentalists because of Hall County's fast growing population.

“You can’t conserve your way into meeting twice as much water as you need now,” Reheis said, adding that Hall County’s population is nearly tripled in the past 30 years and may double in the next 30 years.

Reheis said if the permit application process goes well with no snags, the Corps of Engineers could permit the reservoir in about 13 months, and then work could begin.
He said design could take a year with a couple of years for construction and then three years to fill the reservoir.