CHESTERFIELD — The environmental group that fought a proposed Mounds Lake reservoir in Madison and Delaware counties says a study it commissioned shows its rival idea of a trail system could generate about $13 million in annual benefits.
Hoosier Environmental Council senior policy director Tim Maloney said the Mounds Greenway would bring tourism, environmental, transportation and public health benefits.
He spoke Monday to the Chesterfield Town Council. Chesterfield is one of the municipalities that would be affected by either a greenway system of paths or the proposed reservoir.
“The Mounds Greenway’s forecasted benefits mirror what communities around the country have discovered firsthand: investments in river conservation and greenways produce positive, tangible, and major impacts for our economy, health, and environment,” said Maloney.
He said the Mounds Greenway would be an amenity people in the community can enjoy in addition to attracting visitors to the region.
"One of the best assets in the state is right here in your own backyard," Maloney said.
He said the next phase in the development is determining community support and the design of the trail system.
The greenway project, which is not yet built, is estimated to cost $15 million to $40 million. It would link several communities and parks with hiking or biking trails near the White River.
The trail proposal is a response to a proposed $450 million reservoir that would be created by damming the White River in Anderson to create a 2,100-acre lake in Madison and Delaware counties. Reservoir project leader Rob Sparks says that proposal is still in the study stages.
The Mounds Greenway study was released Monday evening at a public forum hosted by the town of Chesterfield.
A second public forum will take place in Daleville on Monday, June 27, at 6 p.m.
Additional forums on the Mounds Greenway are to be scheduled for Yorktown, Anderson and Muncie.