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The Dream of A Lake is Complete, the Tax is Gone

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HUNTINGDON (January 26) — Skeptics said it would never happened. Well it did and now the Carroll County 1000-Acre Recreation Lake is fulfilling the goals - recreation, flood control, and economic development.

Brad Hurley, president of the Carroll County Chamber of Commerce organized a meeting of former Carroll County Watershed Authority board members to celebrate the end of the $10 annual wheel tax, the new ownership by the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, and a dream come true.

The late Dale Kelley dreamed of the lake. As the state representative for the area, he introduced legislation to create the Beaver Creek Watershed Authority. After engineers told him it was impossible to site a lake along Beaver Creek, he then entered legislation to create the Carroll County Watershed Authority. After many years of challenges and setbacks, a site was selected on Reedy Creek in the Leach Community outside of Huntingdon.

The people of Carroll County approved a $10 annual wheel tax to pay 30 percent of the cost of the lake.

A referendum on November 7, 2000 was approved by a narrow 53 percent margin.

That wheel tax was conditional on a 404 Permit by the U.S. Corps of Engineers. The permit was granted, the wheel tax started and construction of the 1000-acre lake soon commenced.

In May 2010, construction of the lake was complete and the flood gates were closed at the dam. The natural flow of Reedy Creek and auxiliary water pumps filled the lake. Now it is used for fishing, swimming and pleasure boating. Many new homes were built along its banks.

Hurley said the skeptics claimed the lake would not fill - there was too little water on Reedy Creek to do so.

Skeptics incorrectly stated that two landowners owned all the land. There were 46.

Skeptics also said the ‘temporary’ wheel tax would never be eliminated.

The tax ended December 31, 2022 after the State of Tennessee appropriated approximately $11 million to purchase the lake from the Carroll County Watershed Authority. Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency is now the owner and is improving the lake and its amenities.

Natalie Porter, chairman of the Carroll County Watershed Authority said the lake was the vision of the late Dale Kelley, who believed that if you build it, they will come. She thanked all the members who served on the board for their service through the years.

County Mayor Joseph Butler said the construction of the lake and the removal of the tax are promises kept. He thanked TWRA for making the lake better.