Agenda - 10-25-1982 - Laserfiche WebLink

Browse Search

/r I Memo September 29, 1982 Page 2 In 1975, approximately 6100 acres of land acquired by the City of Durham for the Eno Reservoir was sold to the State of North Carolina for incorporation into the Eno River State Park. Evaluation Construction of a reservoir at the Eno River site would not only flood the scenic Eno valley and the gorge from Cole Mill Road to the dam site, but would include the taking of some 25 homes, b barns and 2 trailers, the closing of 0.7 miles of roads and 'brid- ges, and the relocation of at least a mile of electric power trans- mission lines on steel towers. . A reservoir on the Eno would change the very nature of Eno State Park from that of a natural park to one based on a man-- made lake. The Eno River Park is one of only two parks based on natural areas in the State of North Carolina. The Eno is one of major remaining free—flawing streams in the Piedmont of North Carolina. Construction of a reservoir would inundate half--a�-'dozen his- toric mill sites as well as the historic Piper—Dixon house. The Eno River above the dam site drains 144 square miles. This large area includes the 'Down of Hillsborough, and some 13 miles of Interstate highway. The watershed on the south side of the reservoir site has become very suburban in character with many homes and subdi.visiocaslocated there. There are seven point sources of pollution along the Eno above the dam site including the Town of Hillsborough's waste treatment plant, an industrial discharger and several mobile home park waste system discharges. The reservoir would drain a large area, an area which will develop further and present some of the same water quality problems, per- haps on a smaller scale, as the Jordan Reservoir. Ana A reservoir on the Eno does not seem to be a practical, alter-- native for meeting Orange County's fixture water supply needs for the following reasons: (1) The City of Durham. has considered this site along with others and has rejected it in favor of the Orange Factory site on the Little River and Nello Teer. Quarry further downstream on the Eno. (2) The majority of the actual reservoir site is in Durham County and not under Orange Countys control (see attached mapL It would depend for its preservation as a reservoir site on the actions of Durham County. (3) Utilization of the water 3n this reservoir by Hillsborough and Orange- Alamance water systems would require pumping the water 10 miles with an increase in elevation of 200 feet,