Oconee and Walton Counties Get Loans from State for Hard Labor Creek Reservoir Project

The state of Georgia Wednesday announced approval of $32 million in loans to Oconee and Walton counties to allow them to move forward with construction of the Hard Labor Creek Reservoir in Walton County.

The two counties have halted construction on the reservoir because they cannot justify raising additional money in the regular bond market because there is no current need for water from the reservoir.

The state loans will give the two counties money to build the dam to create the reservoir. They will not provide sufficient money to build a water treatment plant or distribution system for any water such a plant would produce.

One long-term criticism of the project has been that it would produce a lake that would benefit landowners in Walton County rather than serve the need of water customers in the two counties.

For additional information on the loans and on the project, go to Oconee County Observations.