The Associated Press
A dam holds back the water of Hickory Log Creek for the reservoir in Canton, Ga.CANTON, Ga. – The towering concrete slabs of the new Hickory Log Creek Reservoir look like steps leading to a Mayan temple, somehow transported to suburban North Georgia.
That mass of concrete holds back a slow-growing reservoir that Canton and the Cobb County-Marietta Water Authority view as their backup supply in case the Etowah River and Lake Allatoona, the water sources for this fast-growing stretch of Georgia, run low.
“The concept of our project is kind of like a savings account,” said Glenn Page, general manager of the Cobb County-Marietta Water Authority. “You put the money in a savings account for when you need it.”
Hickory Log Creek, one of the state’s newest reservoirs, shows the benefits and the problems of Republican Gov. Nathan Deal’s promise to spend $300 million over fours years to support reservoir development and other storage options.
The project took years to finish and was expensive, running $75 million over original budget estimates.