Wellsville Daily Reporter, 12-3-1974
Transcribed by Crist Middaugh
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Study is stopped
The Genesee River Basin Regional Water Resources Planning Board is to be commended for its recommendation that the authorization study of the proposed Stannards Dam project be dropped.
In a letter to Harland Hale, chairman of the Allegany County Board of Legislators, the River Basin Board said it would recommend to the Army Corps of Engineers that the study be dropped because of several reasons.
First, flood control benefits…”are not adequate to justify a flood control reservoir.” It seems incongruous to inundate what would be over 2,300 acres of land between Stannards and Genesee, PA. in the name of flood control. Once taken, the land is lost.
Second, recreational benefits were questioned by the Office of Parks and Recreation. That office concluded a reservoir in this county should not be formulated for recreation at the cost of millions of dollars.
Third, fish and wildlife interests stressed that a reservoir of such a size would damage the ecology of the region.
Fourth, agricultural interests were not united and would not have received enough benefits in the upper Genesee Region to support the project.
Finally, because an authorization study is costly, strong commitments from local interests are required. Present local interests, the River Basin Board concluded, are not intense enough to justify completion of an authorization study.
We agree with the recommendation to drop the authorization study. We like the Town of Willing as it is.