Dam hearing almost a dam mess

The public hearing began at 6 p.m., the nice lady with the U.S. Corps of Engineers finished explaining the process by 6:03 p.m., and by 6:04 p.m. the hearing dissolved into a dull and raucous cacophony of folks not at all happy with what they perceived as a lack of a program to allow a truly public airing of opinion.

The public input process related to the potential construction of Pine Mountain Dam in northern Crawford County was the focus of the public hearing held Monday night (Oct. 26) at the Concord Baptist Church in Alma. The Army Corps of Engineers is holding meetings and accepting written comments as they evaluate long-term water supply needs and solutions for the River Valley Regional Water District (RVRWD). A second meeting is planned for Tuesday, Oct. 27, at the Botanical Gardens of the Ozarks, Carl Totemier Center, 4703 N. Crossover Road, in Fayetteville.

An environmental impact statement is being prepared in conjunction with a study called the Pine Mountain Dam Reevaluation Study. The study is exploring whether a proposed lake on Lee Creek in Crawford County is the best approach to meet the long-term water supply needs, or whether other alternatives would do the same.

The RVRWD was formed in June 2000 for the purpose of building a long-term water
supply for western Arkansas. While initial engineering studies have identified Lee Creek (Pine Mountain Dam) as a suitable location, federal environmental rules require a thorough analysis of all “reasonable alternatives.”

Tricia Anslow, a Corps official, tried to quiet Ronn Rogers, but he was initially having nothing to do with the Corps process — which was to collect public input individually at several “stations” in the church hall instead of through a wide-open public comment atmosphere.

“You’re just trying to steamroll this (Pine Mountain Dam) through. This is what I thought. You don’t really want our thoughts, because you already have your plan,” said Rogers, who is the chairman of Save Our Streams.

Rogers, clearly opposed to the construction of Pine Mountain Dam, called the hearing a joke. Jerry Friddle, a Chester resident who would like to see Pine Mountain Dam built in his lifetime, agreed with Rogers.

“This meeting is a farce. I have no idea what this meeting can accomplish, pro or con,” Friddle said.

Not to be outdone, Rogers said inviting a few hundred people “to just fill out cards and then go home” is not the way the process should be handled.

“I may be the lone person here who is against the dam, but I’d really like to know what the rest of these people think,” Rogers said, pointing to the growing crowd gathered around he and Friddle.

What the rest of the people think may take years to filter out.

Assuming the Corps receives full and timely funding for the Pine Mountain study, it could be 2017 before a final report is issued. Yes, 2017. It will likely be near the end of 2010 before a needs analysis is conducted to determine the near- and long-term water requirements of the RVRWD. A draft report and more public comment will happen in the summer of 2013, with a final report and public comment scheduled for summer 2014. All of the draft and final reports and public comments will then be encapsulated in a final Final Report in 2017.

However, according to Anslow, a short list of possible water sources to meet expected water needs will be released in about three years.

But the Corps study schedule is not the tough part.

Potentially barring construction of Pine Mountain Dam is Arkansas’ Extraordinary Water Resource designation that has been placed on the upper portion of Lee Creek that would be dammed to create Pine Mountain Lake.

According to the ERW regulation, lifting the designation requires two triggers: “(1) the sole purpose for the funding and construction of the reservoir is to provide a domestic water supply; and (2) there are no feasible alternatives to constructing a reservoir in order to meet the domestic water needs of the citizens of the State of Arkansas.”

More than 35 bodies of water in Arkansas are named Extraordinary Resource Waters, which prevents mining, construction, dams and other activities that would alter the quality or nature of the water. The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, The Nature Conservancy, the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Arkansas Heritage Commission and the Sierra Club are on record opposing Pine Mountain.

Friddle, the Pine Mountain Dam proponent, said the ERW designation was put in place without public input and thinks a dam on Lee Creek will in fact have a positive environmental and economic impact on the region.

Rogers, the Save Our Streams chairman, smiled up at Friddle and politely disagreed.

“Our message is simple: Stay out of Lee Creek. Stay out of it. You need to follow the ERW designation. If one (stream) falls, then the other (ERW) streams will go. … This is about more than just Pine Mountain (Dam).”

By the way, Anslow was eventually able to direct a more calm Rogers to fill out a form. And within 20 minutes of the rough start, most in the crowd were calmly and quietly gathering at various stations to provide their individual input.

Questions or written comments from the public should be addressed to:
Laura Cameron
Little Rock Engineer District,
P.O. Box 867,
Little Rock, AR  72203-0867
(501) 324-5601
[email protected]