The Fayette

County Water Committee is recommending to the county commission that a

consultant be hired to perform an environmental impact study for the planned

Lake McIntosh reservoir.

Meanwhile,

a public hearing about the proposed construction of the 650-acre reservoir

lake will be held Tuesday, Oct. 29, at 7 p.m. at the County Commission

chambers at the Stonewall government annex.

At the water

committee's meeting last week, County Attorney Bill McNally said the consultant

would study the possible effects the lake's dam would have downstream

from the area. The planned 650-acre lake would be built on Line Creek

between Peachtree City and Coweta County.

The U.S. Fish

and Wildlife Service will perform a similar study, but having a separate

study will be important, McNally said. The estimated cost for Fayette's

own consultant is $10,500, McNally reported.

"We really

need to do it," McNally said. "We need to have our expert look

at what the effects will be."

The plans are

to build a dam for the lake west of Dividend Drive and north of McIntosh

Trail in Peachtree City. An area of 69.5 square miles would form the lake's

drainage basin.

The lake is

expected to boost water production by eight million gallons a day.

After comments

are received from the public, the Army Corps of Engineers will get input

on the proposal from several other agencies, chiefly the U.S. Fish and

Wildlife Service and the Environmental Protection Agency.