New Salem on the lowering of Lookout Mtn Lake: “This is a shame”

Members of the New Salem community attended the July 2 Dade County Board of Commissioners meeting to voice frustration over the plans to lower the Lookout Mountain Dam and Lake.

 

Melvin Bradford, brother of Commissioner Allan Bradford, acted as the sole speaker for 10 community members in attendance. Melvin began by showing the commissioners a petition against lowering the dam and lake that had around 257 signatures.

 

“If that lake didn’t run over on [April 12], it’s not going to run over,” Melvin said.

 

Melvin then asked the board how much taxpayer money would be used to cover the cost of the project. County Executive Ted Rumley said the total would be around $300,000.

 

“We need roads and stuff fixed in our county instead of [spending money] on a lake that you couldn’t blow it down with dynamite,” Melvin said.

 

Melvin said that he and others use the lake for baptisms, adding that if the county drops the water level when the dam is lowered, baptisms will not be a possibility.

 

“This is a shame I’m telling you,” Melvin said.

 

“It is,” Rumley said.