Wednesday, May 22, 2002
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Wednesday, May 22, 2002 |
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Best method to clean the lake is by bucket barge I have been reading with interest the recent articles and letters regarding the upcoming dredging of Lake Peachtree. Let's keep in mind the purpose of this entire effort is to enhance our water supply, removing silt in order to regain capacity. In light of the recent boom in local development as well as the ongoing drought, this dredging project is timely and necessary. I caution all Fayette County Commissioners and Water Committee members, however, to recall the last time the silt was removed from Lake Peachtree in 1986. Let's make sure we are smart enough to learn from past mistakes. In 1986, three silt removal methods were available: Excavating with the lake full using draglines, hydraulic pump dredging, and excavating with the lake drained. Fayette County opted to excavate with the lake drained, which required the lake to be drained and dry. We quickly learned that this method had several limitations. Since drying the lakebed depended on local rainfall, project schedule and duration were unpredictable. Draining the lake also resulted in an ecological disaster. The fish all died, of course; turtles, ducks and other bird species disappeared. It took five years to complete the reintroduction of the native fish that sustain local wildlife, part of the pride of Peachtree City. Draining a lake during a drought is a foolish notion. Because Lake Peachtree was emptied in 1986, we temporarily had no local source of water. The project required purchase of water from our neighbors to the north for the duration of the project. This is no longer a viable option (refer to the Atlanta Journal Constitution headline article dated May 15, which detailed our alarming lack of available water throughout the entire metro Atlanta region). While we now have Lake Horton as a backup reservoir, another short period of drought might make this a precarious situation. Another mistake made in 1986 was the removed material was re-dumped into the lake in the form of a new island. Please keep in mind the purpose of the entire silt removal project is to increase capacity! Building the island was, of course, self-defeating. Hydraulic pump dredging, now being considered, also has several limitations. This method involves pumping the silt (along with a tremendous amount of water) from the lake and dumping it onto several acres of a holding area where the water is allowed to drain off. The remaining dried silt is then scooped onto trucks for hauling. We would need a very large area to dump the anticipated 20,000 cubic yards of silt. Even if Drake Field could hold this quantity, we should all question the appropriateness of dumping acres of slurry in the heart of our town. Fortunately, there is a method for removing the silt from Lake Peachtree that does not jeopardize our water source. Newer, cleaner technology involves "bucket" dredging onto a floating barge. This method does not require emptying the lake or dumping slurry. It preserves the water supply, minimizes the mess, and keeps the ecosystem intact. Best of all, it is a proven technology, having been used by several of our neighboring communities, including Robin Lake at Callaway Gardens. The only technology that can reasonably be considered for the silt removal of Lake Peachtree is the barge type bucket dredging. Draining the lake and hydraulic pumping should not be considered viable options. I implore the members of our Fayette County Commission and Fayette County Water Committee, as well as our City Council, to make sure bucket dredging technology is specified for this project. Let's get it right this time. Kim Learnard Peachtree City kimlearn@mindspring.com
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