MUNCIE – A new study from a group promoting a two-county reservoir says the proposal is challenging, but feasible.
The Corporation for Economic Development of Anderson this week released an executive summary of a feasibility study for the latest phase of the multi-year project that would dam White River in Anderson, creating a 2,100-acre lake that would stretch from Anderson in Madison County and past Daleville to near Yorktown in Delaware County.
"The project is feasible to build," Rob Sparks, executive director of the CED, said in releasing the report. "We believe it can fund its construction from water sales, and we believe there is a regional water need."
The project, which would take years to complete if it goes forward, would create an 11-billion gallon reservoir at a cost of more than $440 million. The project has been moving through studies and public meetings for more than a year.
Opponents of the plan say the project — often cited by its creators for its economic-development and water-creation potential — isn't needed. Opposition groups say Mounds Lake would have a negative impact, particularly on homes and businesses in Anderson that would be flooded, and on Mounds State Park and the park's historical features.
Groups like the Heart of the River Coalition continue to oppose the project. Sheryl Myers, a group member, released to The Star Press a document, "Top 10 Concerns after Reading the Phase II Study Results"on Thursday.
Objections include not only the impact of the project — which the group believes will be negative — but no apparent demand for another source of water.