Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Pond project goes to Washington, D.C.

Supporters of the Gurdon Timber Lake Project (pond number two) met with Congressman Mike Ross to discuss a time table on getting government funding for the proposed $314,000 lake revitalization project.

Mayor Clayton Franklin said Ross admitted every application in Washington, D.C., usually takes about a year of red tape for approval.

"He did say he thought he could get some money, but did not know how much," Franklin said.

The supporters will now be keeping up with the financial progress of the process through consultations with Brent Talley, Ross's aid, and the West Central Arkansas Planning and Development District, out of Hot Springs.

"Brent will be our liaison to work and bid for money out of Washington," Franklin said.

"Senator Blanche Lambert's office also called city hall about this, so we may have a Congressman and a Senator working to get our pond functional."

In addition to the mayor and Congressman Ross, also in attendance were: Jim Malcolm, FTN assessment firm representative, Earl Smith, of Arkansas Soil and Water, and Tommy Potter, advocate for the pond and local businessman.

Representative Tommy Roebuck was there as well. Roebuck arranged the funding options meeting with Congressman Ross.

"Clark County Judge Ron Daniell was there too," Franklin said. "The judge continues to be willing to help us with the access road.

"Ross told our group he would need an environmental impact study for the federal government to review. It is to cost us about $2,000."

According to the mayor, the impact study will be started within two weeks. The purpose of the study is to be sure if project supporters rebuild the lake, and fill it back up, there is no pollution to endanger the water.

"We can use part of the $35,000 Roebuck got in the last legislative session for Gurdon to pay the $2,000 cost of the study."

Big Timber Lake was built in 1938. The primary selling point to fill it back up, since it was drained in 1990, has been the notion it could help Gurdon as a back-up water source.

Potter said Gurdon currently has five wells. When the control gate is installed on pond number two, there will already be in existence an 18-inch pipe water access.

"There was some old pipe already down there, but the group has agreed to put new pipe in because the old was rusty and metal. We worried how we might effectively clean it," he said.

"I still think we will have to find private sources, able and willing, to pool their money and buy a $150,000 control gate."

Potter said the Game and Fish Commission intends to provide the materials for the access road, 20 feet wide, covered with 6 inches of compacted clay gravel.

The county judge will supply the labor.

"I mentioned to Congressman Ross there are several churches interested in a pavilion for primitive camping out there," Potter said.

"Sometime, we would like to be equipped for RV s and showers."

Potter said the refilling of the pond will help Gurdon take advantage of natural resources, create a needed secondary water supply, "and give kids something to do that is clean fun."

Potter has been advocating the rebuilding of the pond for more than a decade.

"This would be a great recreation place," he said. "But getting this dream to become reality starts at home. We need to take care of our own. We cannot just sit back and wait for the governmental sources and others to do it for us."