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WEDNESDAY I june 20,2018 Dawson News ► com dawsonville, GEORGIA $1.00
Russell Creek dam to be 'a big deal'
Construction timeline set for reservoir
By Allie Dean
adean@dawsonnews.com
Based on future population esti
mates, the amount of water that the
Etowah Water and Sewer Authority
can pull from the Etowah River will
cap out within the next 10 to 12
years.
The authority, the county’s only
water provider, currently has a per
mit from the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers to draw water from the
Etowah River, but the amount that is
permitted will not be enough to sus
tain growth or see the county
through a drought. The authority is
planning to construct a bigger dam
on Russell Creek, a tributary to the
Etowah River, in order to create a
more permanent water supply.
According to Etowah Water and
Sewer Authority General Manager
Brooke Anderson, who presented
an update on the reservoir project at
a recent Dawson County Chamber
of Commerce luncheon, the author
ity is now working to select a
design engineer for Russell Creek
Reservoir, which will be capable of
producing 17.3 million gallons per
day, compared to the authority’s
current usage of 5.5 million gallons
a day.
The authority is building the dam
and reservoir based on a growth
projection that goes out to the year
2057, which estimates the Dawson
County population at 126,000.
The current population rests
around 24,000.
“This reservoir will allow a lot of
room for growth. The authority is a
service provider,” Anderson said.
“Whatever this county wants to be
when it grows up, it needs to have
the water resources available to be
whatever that is, that is not our deci
sion. Our decision is to make sure
See Dam 16A
Allie Dean Dawson County News
Brooke Anderson, general manager of the Etowah
Water and Sewer Authority, presents a map of the
proposed site of the Russell Creek Reservoir to mem
bers of the Dawson County Chamber of Commerce on
June 14.
Main Street Park Phase 1 begins
Allie Dean Dawson County News
Dirt has officially started moving on the city's Main Street Park project, and elected officials and city staff
celebrated the occasion Monday with a groundbreaking ceremony. Pictured from left are Public Works
Operations ManagerTrampas Hansard, councilmen Mike French, Stephen Tolson and Caleb Phillips, City
Manager Bob Bolz, Mayor Pro Tern Jason Power and contractor T.W. Phillips. T.W. Phillips Grading was
recently awarded the $1.4 million contract for construction of phase one, which is scheduled to take 120
days.This phase will consist of installing a road that runs through the park as well as grading and grassing
the land.The park sits on 18 acres behind the Dawsonville Municipal Complex and Food Lion. July 22 will
mark four years since the Downtown Development Authority closed on a loan to buy the land.
Rainbow Family group gathering in Lumpkin
By Megan Reed
DCN Regional Staff
Record crowds are expected at the
Chattahoochee National Forest in
Lumpkin County in coming weeks
as a counterculture group holds its
national gathering.
Members of the Rainbow Family
of Living Light have already begun
arriving in the Bull Mountain area,
and attendance is expected to peak
around the July 4 holiday, according
to the U.S. Forest Service. Crowds
are expected to range from 2,000 to
10,000 visitors.
Steven Bekkerus, public affairs
officer for the Chattahoochee-
Oconee National Forest, said the
Forest Service has spoken with
members of the Rainbow Family
group and has been preparing for
the crowds. The service has devel
oped a resource protection plan for
the area and has several traffic con
trol measures and road closures
planned to deal with increased traf
fic.
See Rainbow 18A
New phone
rules take
effect July 1
By Nick Bowman
DCN Regional Staff
Georgians have two weeks to prepare for the
new hands-free driving law coming July 1.
Drivers caught using a mobile phone or simi
lar device face a $50 fine and a point on their
license, according to the Governor’s Office of
Highway Safety. A second citation comes with
a $100 fine and two points, a third $150 and
three points.
If a driver racks up 15 points in two years, his
or her license will be suspended, according to
the Georgia Department of Drivers Services.
There are a wealth of explainers of the details
of the law online, including at the Office of
Highway Safety itself. Here are a couple of
highlights from the office:
A driver cannot have a phone in his or her
hand or use any part of their body to support a
phone. Drivers can only use their phones to
make or receive phone calls by using speaker
phone, earpiece, wireless headphone, phone
connected to vehicle or an electronic watch.
Music streaming apps can be used provided
the driver activates and programs them when
they are parked. Drivers cannot touch their
phones to do anything to their music apps when
they are on the road.
GPS navigation devices are allowed only
when mounted on a dashboard or used with
some other hands-free device. Drivers also
can’t place a phone call or enter GPS directions
while driving.
Video is not allowed. If you’re using a
streaming service that includes video, you can
be ticketed.
While it’s not legal for drivers to use head
phones to listen to music while driving, head
phones that include a microphone can be used
for communication behind the wheel, according
to the office.
The explainer from the Office of Highway
Safety also includes tips for commercial drivers
and school bus drivers.
See Phones 18A
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Inside
Volume 3, Number 38
© 2018, Dawson County News
Dawsonville, Georgia
Church Events
3B
Classifieds
8B
Dear Abby
7B
Deaths
2A
Legals
8B
Opinion
9A
Sports
1B
3A New pool
house at
Veterans
Memorial Park
4A Dawson
Humane
Society
celebrates
10 years
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