The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1934-07-16
lBENT CREEK DAM PLANS
ABANDONED

The Bent Creek dam will not be erected
by iva.
This announcement was made public
Saturday in Knoxville by c. A. Book, IVA
engineer in charge of the project.
Mr.. Book gives as the reason for aban-
.doning the project the fact that prelimli-
nary surveys and examination of this sec
ton show that the cost of manufacturing
power at this site would be too high to be
profitable.
80" This is one of the reasons advanced
against the construction of this dam By
citizens who opposed the project. The
value of the land to be flooded, the de-
struction of public improvements, high
s-ways and railroads, and other damage to
1.-THE counties of Henderson, Pennsylvania
land Buncombe, would be too great price
to pay for storage or power development
flin this region. The investment it would be
necessary for IVA to make in this project
would make the capital cost top-heavy
and, therefore, Mr.. Book states, the Bent
Greek dam is abandoned as an economical
~-ly unsound proposition.
The people of this area can now cast
. aside their fears and forget the Bent Creek
Y dam. The French Broad valley will not be
- flooded. However, citizens who have been
most active in opposition to this construc-
r tion project, are as enthusiastic as they
: have been in the past for a program Of
constructive development in the valley.
These citizens advance the argument
that some of the public money being eX-
pended by IVA should be dropped in this
section; and they direct attention to the
statement made only a few days ago by
DIR. A. E. Morgan that all sections of the
Tennessee Valley area will be given due
consideration in the planning and develop
gment work of the Authority They do not
6elieve that abandonment of the Bent
3reek project means that IVA proposes
to cast this French Broad valley section
.,aside entirely.
! The conviction of The Times-News is
that the future of the section is assured
OF great advancement and increased pros
Aperity. We believe that the amount of
public money that will ultimately be ex-
Spended in this area will be as large as the
amount that would have been poured out
for the building of the Bent Creek dam
Wand that every dollar of it will be used for
aSoundly constructive development and not
sasdollar in any way that will prove of Iasr-
eng injury to this section of North Caro-
tina.
~ ~ The position of Henderson county and
Hendersonville has improved almost be-
syend computation in two days.
SsThe biggest and best tourist season this
section has experienced since boom DAYS
will be climaxed by safe and sane in
4zerease in real estate prices and sales and
general progressive movement which
=should speedily bring the restoration of
Ebusiness to plane approaching normal.
What is true of Henderson county Is
true of Pennsylvania, which was involved
| with this county in the proposed Bent
Creek project, and which will undoubted-
I ~ be tied in with Henderson in any TV 4
i development of this section.
. This region is at the beginning Of pc
! riod of development, on a safe, sane and
representative scale, which will advance il
far beyond anything that has been at
$tained in the past.