Peachtree City has submitted both the federal and state permit applications which must both be approved before work can begin to rebuild the dam at Huddleston Pond, according to City Engineer David Borkowski.

Once the permits are approved the city will be clear to begin the repairs, which will be funded by the city’s stormwater utility budget.

The pond’s pool level was lowered March 2006 when structural problems were found with the pond’s dam. Attempts to make temporary repairs to the dam’s spillpipe were fruitless, and the city had to drain the lake almost completely in September 2006 to avoid a potential breach of the dam because more extensive problems were discovered.

Officials are hopeful they can begin construction in September.

The city needs a federal wetland disturbance permit and a state buffer variance permit. The federal permit application was delayed because the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers wasn’t accepting applications for several months while it changed its permitting rules.

The new dam will have a slope that’s less steep than the current dam, which will allow the area closer to the lake to be mowed. The city will also have to remove some trees from the dam area because they were part of the problem: with roots intruding into the spillpipe.

Another item that partially held up the project was soil testing. But the result of that testing showed the city will be able to re-use soil from the dam site instead of having to truck in additional dirt: a savings of at least $100,000.

The lake’s size will increase after all the work is completed, and the city plans to replace the existing exercise equipment with new models, including some designed for older adults. It will cost about $40,000 to upgrade the exercise equipment and to add new playground equipment according to city estimates.

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