The United States Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service announced Thursday that it will provide another $5.600,000 for construction of the Little Otter Creek Reservoir in Caldwell County.
The 344-acre lake will provide a dependable water supply for about 10,000 residents, flood control, and recreational opportunities. State Conservationist J. R. Flores says the funding completes the federal commitment of $16,000,000 for the project. State and local entities will provide the remainder of the funds for the estimated $24,000,000 project.
The NRCS reports the Little Otter Creek Watershed project began in 1990 when Caldwell County officials met with the NRCS to discuss the possibility of building a rural water supply system that would offer protection from severe droughts.
Construction for the project is now scheduled to begin in Spring 2019, and the reservoir could be filled by 2020. A 72-foot-tall earthen dam across Little Otter Creek about two miles southeast of Hamilton will create the 344-acre lake.
The NRCS is assisting the Caldwell County Commission as well as the Soil and Water Conservation District on the project.
