future lake

Future site of new reservoir.

That old farmhouse near the middle of the picture is where my friends M and J live. When, and if, the proposed new reservoir is built the water level will be 19 feet over the top of their roof. You can see a bit of the creek to be dammed over to the left of the road.

They had a glimpse of what it might be like during the summer. The creek overflowed and came up to within a few feet of their front porch steps. They climbed up over the hill behind the house to safety. That is the same path I took to get to the spot where I took the photo.

Comments (9)

  1. Carol wrote::

    It looks like a beautiful, peaceful valley. I’ve heard of people having to move to make way for highways, but not for reservoirs.

    Wednesday, November 7, 2007 at 10:08 pm #
  2. Joel wrote::

    Carol: Done all the time, especially in China.

    Thursday, November 8, 2007 at 1:48 am #
  3. Look at those great Texan autumn colors. The rusts and russets and tawny golds and live oak green.

    As for valleys and towns being swallowed by man-made lakes, think Coen brothers flick, “O Brother, Where Art Thou?”

    Thursday, November 8, 2007 at 10:41 am #
  4. Bill wrote::

    MSS: The colors are not as good this autumn as usual. I think it is because there was not much rain in October. The picture was taken on Saturday and since then a cold wind has blown in and the leaves are beginning to fall now.

    It looks like there is a haze in the air, but there isn’t. The sun was just out of the camera on the left and it created a glare. It was taken about 5 pm.

    Thursday, November 8, 2007 at 11:35 am #
  5. Jes wrote::

    Georgia doesn’t have any natural lakes–we only have reservoirs. I guess I take them for granted, never thinking about how back in the day someone probably lived where the water now is. It’s surreal to think that reservoir making is a contemporary feature and not merely historical.

    I hope your friends don’t lose their house to “progress.”

    Thursday, November 8, 2007 at 11:46 pm #
  6. Kimberly wrote::

    Is this reservoir planned to serve a water-hungry city, or to prevent flooding downstream? By and large, I’m in favor of dam-breaking (some of which is going on in my part of the country) rather than dam-making.

    Friday, November 9, 2007 at 4:21 pm #
  7. Bill wrote::

    Jes: Texas has one natural lake - Caddo, on the border with Louisiana.

    Kimberly: It may help a little with flood control but the main reason for the lake is to fuel potential growth of a nearby small town.

    Saturday, November 10, 2007 at 2:54 am #
  8. Linda wrote::

    Bill, I am not trying to promote my own posts, but I thought you might be interested in a post about the area where I grew up near Junction City, Kansas. It is an odd feeling to think about memories being under water. http://lhanney.blogspot.com/2005/01/land-down-under-milford-lake_31.html

    Saturday, November 10, 2007 at 10:22 am #
  9. mary lou wrote::

    Oh What a pity! Such a pretty little valley!

    Thursday, November 15, 2007 at 1:08 pm #