Oktibbeha county board of supervisors trying to cleanup old lake
OKTIBBEHA COUNTY, MISS. (WCBI) A recent study shows that the Oktibbeha County Lake’s dam is in unsatisfactory condition, and it’s showing some of the same issues found in a study conducted more than 40 years ago.
At their meeting Monday night, Supervisors addressed some of the federal funding that they are receiving from the National Resources Conservation Service.
“MDEQ deemed this dam unsafe probably 8-9 years ago, and there is a report that has been put out on this dam back in the mid 70’s,” said Marvell Howard, District Three Supervisor. “It says that when it was constructed, it was not constructed to proper standards. Over a period of years, that issue has expanded”
Brandon Womble lives by Oktibbeha County Lake.
He said the dam sometimes has an impact on his property, so he was very interested to hear what supervisors had to say at the hearing.
“I am impacted by it by property, it is harder to sell houses, said Womble. “We have lots for sale that are lake front lots, so they are depending upon there being a lake here, so it is harder for us to move property for the county. You are not getting the increase in tax dollars, because people are not wanting to build out here if there is no lake”
The USDA and Natural Resources Conservation Services (NRCS) are giving the board of supervisors four options of what to do about the Dam. Those options include completely rehabbing the dam, leaving the dam the height that it is but raising the homes that are behind the levee, decommissioning the dam, or to do nothing at all. Once the county has directed these options, the supervisors will then discuss the matter of construction and granting permits.
“I hope they rehabilitate it and bring the lake back, said Womble. “Decommissioning seems like the worst solution you can take, especially now that the county has approved of federal funding. I do not know why you would spend that and ruin the future for yourselves and your kids, when you have an option of rehabilitating.”
There is always a possibility of the dam breaching, and there are some other unknown issues about the dam. District three Supervisor Marvell Howard wants the County to do what’s best for residents in the area.
“I hope people know that the board of supervisors care about what happens to the citizens that live here, and number two, said Howard. “I would like for people to know that this is not just a repair, it is an investment into the community.”
The Oktibbeha County Board of Supervisors will make a final decision on what will be done about the lake in December.
