LITTLE ROCK — Residents of a southwest Bono neighborhood have been told for a decade that a proposed $3.3 million lake project would alleviate the flooding that plagued the area every time hard rain fell.
Now, 11 years after the proposal was first made, residents are beginning to see progress.
Workers are building an 80-foot-long dam in a Crowley’s Ridge valley about two miles north of Bono to stop up a creek and create a 120-acre lake. Officials have said the lake should be completed by early next summer.
“We’re moving along with this,” said Craighead County Street Department supervisor L.M. Duncan, who came up with the lake idea in 1999when he was mayor of Bono.
Duncan envisioned that the lake would serve as a reservoir for the stormwater runoff and stop the flooding.
“The weather’s been great for working on this,” he said. “We want to get this done.”
The creek where the dam will be placed takes water off the ridge and into a ditch that runs along the western edge of Bono - where the flooding problem begins.
The water rushes through the ditch and begins pooling under a Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroad trestle that acts as a levee. It then backs up, flooding yards along South Deborah Street west of the Craighead County town’s downtown.
The water comes within inches of Kim Crutchfield’s door whenever heavy raincascades off the ridge.
“It came right up to the front door the last time we had a big rain” Crutchfield said. “We always worry when it rains.”
Richard Leonard, who also lives on South Deborah Street, said he’s required to buy flood insurance every year because of the problem. Water has never entered his home in thesix years he’s lived there, but it’s gotten close.
“I’ve complained about having to buy the insurance,” he said. “I never had to use it. Maybe this lake will help change that. I hope it does.”
The Federal Emergency Management Agency bought six flood-damaged houses in November 1999 and demolished them, converting the area into a flood plain.
“It still always floods up whenever we get a good rain,” said Bono Mayor Billy Stephens.
The lake was originally set to be completed in 2001, but difficulties in finding funding stalled the project. Bad weather and delays in getting land surveys further hampered the project.
In 2007, Craighead County voters passed a temporary 1 percent sales tax to help pay for the lake’s construction. The measure passed 2,932 votes to 1,207 votes. The tax - collected in October, November and December 2007 to capitalize on Christmas shoppers - totaled about $4 million.
When completed, the 120-acre lake will be about 40 feet deep and offer fishing andswimming, Duncan said. Future plans call for adding a 150-acre campsite and park area.
Stephens sees the lake’s completion as an economic boon to his town.
“We’ll see a lot of people coming in here to fish,” he said. “I think this will be good for the town.”
The Bono lake, which has yet to garner a name, will be one of the largest lakes between the Mississippi River and Norfork Lake in northern Arkansas. Craighead Forest Lake in Jonesboro is about 60 acres.
“When it’s done, it’ll really be like a dream coming true,” Duncan said.
Arkansas, Pages 11 on 06/26/2010