By Jennifer Ramsay & John Bynum / The Nugget
The City of Dahlonega is diving into a plan that could eventually lead to recreational swimming at Lake Zwerner and Yahoola Creek Reservoir.
The idea is part of the overall long-term plan for the local reservoir.
"The City is continuing to explore options for recreation and ecotourism," said City Manager Bill Schmid. "The City is working with County on their [reservoir] property, trying to supplement each other to make the best use of the public investment."
The road to more recreational activities goes through the Georgia Environmental Protection Division.
"The city council approved the revisions to the Reservoir Management Plan during the April 5 meeting," Schmid said. He added that now it will be sent back to the state EPD director for approval, a process that isn't expected to be a quick one.
The council members approved a request by John Jarrard, Director of Water/Wastewater Treatment, to approve a budget amendment allowing for water testing at the reservoir.
That water test would examine the bacteria levels in the water to ensure it is safe for swimming.
“We would be checking for E.Coli and that sort of thing,” Jarrard said.
Though Jarrard stressed that this does not mean that water will be unsafe for drinking.
The Yahoola Creek Reservoir currently has a water treatment capacity of 6 million gallons per day and serves over 7,000 residents in the City.
The water testing is one of the steps to allowing recreational swimming, which has previously been prohibited.
The Reservoir Management Plan (RMP), which has been in the works for several years, will allow swimming May through October, pending EPD approval.
However, certain activities will still be prohibited.
“Diving, snorkeling or scuba diving in Project Waters is prohibited... Diving or jumping from bridges or other structures that cross Project Waters is prohibited,” states the plan.
Activities like canoeing and kayaking will also be restricted to seasonal uses.
Swimming will only be allowed if the water quality remains within the Environmental Protection Agency’s Water Quality Criteria guidelines.
Should the quality go outside these levels, the area will be closed for a minimum of three days, and then every day until it returns to a safe level.
These tests will be conducted weekly and monthly, costing approximately an extra $2,000 a month.
"We're not talking about wide open swimming," Schmid said. "It will be in a cove area in the north portion of the lake." Schmid added that there are not yet any improvements in that area, such as a road or access.
Schmid said the most immediate project in the master plan is completing the sidewalk system which will eventually allow pedestrians to have a loop from Hancock Park to the reservoir and back up to town past the Walmart area.