Map of Proposed Holdenville Lake
The Holdenville City Council discussed the possibility of a new, and bigger Holdenville Lake which according to many people in the community would solve our water problems well into the next century. The weekend rains which brought the water level at the lake up about a foot, did not solve the problem, according to the Mayor and the problem Holdenville faces with the water supply would not have been permanently solved if the lake had been completely filled by the showers. "We are dealing with a situation that has occurred about every 20 years," said Holdenville Mayor Jack Barrett. "The lake levels get low because of a lack of rain in the community and it creates a situation where we find our water supply threatened by the impending dry weather." The weekend thunderstorm which dropped about two to three inches of rain on the community were a help in bringing up the lake levels, but officials say that the water is still about nine feet lower than what it is supposed to be. Barrett said the proposal that the council was scheduled to discuss involves linking the lake with the old city lake and increasing the water table by nearly double the amount it will currently hold. "This is a combination of three different ideas or thoughts," said Barrett. "John Upton who worked for the Soil conservation office in the 1980's, had a concept of tying the old lake into the new one. Last year the Soil Conservation Board came up with the idea of building three different small compounds between the old lake and the new one. Fayne Lindsey came up with the idea of combining the two, ideas, with a channel between the two to link the lakes together." Barrett suggested a feasibility study by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers or the Hughes County Soil Conservation Department to determine whether or not the plan can be put into action. According to the mayor, the project will require a large amount of funding from the community, but he says it will provide an answer the water problem the community has faced repeatedly. "Even if the lake fills, we still have a repeated history of water shortages in the community when the lake levels fall," said Barrett to the members of the Public Works Authority. "This is an economic tool for Holdenville. We need to get rid of the image that Holdenville has a water problem if we are to grow in the 21st Century." Lindsey's lake expansion proposal has met some opposition with members of the Public Works Authority which is made up of members of the Holdenville City Council, but he believes the idea could solve the water problems the community will face in the future. "An adequate water supply is essential to the growth and progress of the community," said the Mayor. "I am in favor of pursuing his proposal and having the experts to decide whether or not it is feasible. This would solve Holdenville's water supply problems for the 21st century and in my opinion will have a powerfully positive impact on the economy of this area." There was no debate among the council members when the resolution was put on the floor for discussion, although one member of the council did vote against the proposal when the Mayor who chaired the meeting of the Public Works Authority put it up for a vote. Gene Holliman voted "No" when the measure was put up for a vote by the Holdenville Public Works Authority without any further comment. The nine-year member of the City's municipal authority declined comment about the issue other than to say he had doubts about the project. "I will only say that I have reservations about the project," said Holliman after the meeting was adjourned. "I want to wait until the feasibility study is completed before I comment any further." The measure was approved by a vote of five to one in favor of pursuing the feasibility study and going towards starting the project. The Mayor in his role as chairman of the Public Works Authority now has the permission of the membership to pursue the project completing the feasibility study and looking into the purchase of land that will be needed to expand the city's water source. According to the Mayor the project could take as much as five to six years to complete if the engineering study proves it to be beneficial to pursue.
