When the Fayette County Water System gets around to dredging Lake Peachtree, it will likely drain the lake and then scoop out the silt the old-fashioned way.
That’s the best way to visually confirm how much silt and sediment are removed, county water system director Lee Pope told the Fayette County Commission last week.
Pope also suggested the county look at conducting stream bank restoration upstream of the lake to help prevent silt and sediment from becoming a problem in the lake. As Pope noted, part of the reason for dredging the lake is to make sure there is adequate volume for storing water, since the city-owned lake also serves as a reservoir.
The other dredging option would be to keep the lake full and use the same barge-type system that was used the last time Lake Peachtree was dredged. It would cost a lot more and take longer than the dry-bed option, along with possibly tying up Drake Field for a dewatering operation before the sludge is hauled off, Pope explained.
Furthermore, keeping the lake full would make it more difficult to confirm how much silt and sediment were actually removed by the end of the process, Pope added.
County Manager Steve Rapson pointed out that Peachtree City has several events planned on the lake, so it will be important to work with the city on the timeframe for the dredging process.
