The final permits to begin construction on Little Otter Creek Reservoir were issued in late October 2020. Bud Motsinger, Presiding Commissioner of Caldwell County credits the success of this endeavor to the patience and support of the Citizens of Caldwell County and the hard work of present and past Commissioners, as well as elected officials at the State and Federal Level.
The groundbreaking ceremony will take place on March 19, 2021, at 1:00 pm. Governor Mike Parson as well as other elected officials and state Department Directors will be in attendance. The ceremony will take place on-site approximately three miles southeast of Hamilton off NE Cottonwood Drive. In case of inclement weather, the ceremony will be moved to the Hamilton United Methodist Church. Covid-19 precautions will be in place to protect attendees.
The 344-acre reservoir will be the primary water source for Caldwell County. Newly elected State Representative and former Green Hills Regional Planning Commission Director, Randy Railsback is excited to see construction begin. “For years, Caldwell County has been susceptible to severe drought and undependable water sources,” says Railsback. This is an important first step to upgrade our water infrastructure. The reservoir will provide up to 1.2 million gallons of water per day for Caldwell County residents and businesses.” The reservoir will also provide recreation and flood control benefits.
The $25.6 million project is funded primarily through federal funds provided by the United States Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service. Other sources of funding include Caldwell County’s 0.5% sales tax and State of Missouri appropriations.
For more information, see the Caldwell County website.
For directions on how to get to the Little Otter Creek groundbreaking ceremony, see the graphic below. You can double click on the graphic, which will cause it to open in a new browser window for easier readability.
