County Expects State To Reduce Allowed Intake From Apalachee

Oconee County is expecting the Georgia Environmental Protection Division to modify its June 2008 Apalachee River Withal Permit and reduce the amount of water Oconee and Walton counties can withdraw from the river for the Hard Labor Creek Regional Reservoir.

The state Environmental Protection Division also is likely to add monitoring requirements to the permit, including using new stream flow gauges, quality monitoring stations and biological monitoring activities.

Oconee County Commissioner Mark Saxon made these announcements at the Board of Commissioners Town Hall meeting held on Tuesday at Oconee Veterans Park.

Oconee County’s application for state funds for an expansion of the Senior Center in Oconee Veterans Park was unsuccessful, and the county will have to reapply, Commission Chair John Daniell told the small number of citizens who turned out for the quarterly open meeting.

Oconee County plans to turn over to the city of Watkinsville responsibility for design of the widening of Experiment Station Road in the city when, at some point in the future, the Georgia Department of Transportation decides to move forward on that project, Daniell said.

Daniell had scheduled comments by Saxon and by Brad Tucker from the Economic Development Taskforce that the Board of Commissioners appointed as a means of drawing people to the Town Hall Meeting.

Tucker said the Taskforce has completed its work and agreed on three strategies for development in the county: invest in existing businesses, target professional and technology jobs, and leverage the proximity to the University of Georgia.

For more about the Town Hall meeting, with a video of the session, please go to Oconee County Observations.