NEW A.V. RESERVOIR EYED WATER OFFICIALS RESURRECT 40-YEAR-OLD IDEA.Byline: Jim Skeen Staff Writer LANCASTER - Taking the first small steps in a project that could last 10 to 20 years, Antelope Valley This article is about the Los Angeles County region. For the census-designated place in Wyoming, see Antelope Valley-Crestview, Wyoming. The Antelope Valley water officials are exploring the creation of a $40 million reservoir near the California Poppy California poppy: see poppy. California poppy Annual garden plant (Eschscholzia californica) in the poppy family, native to the western coast of North America and naturalized in parts of southern Europe, Asia, and Australia. Reserve. Officials with the Antelope Valley-East Kern Kern, river, 155 mi (249 km) long, rising in the S Sierra Nevada Mts., E Calif., and flowing south, then southwest to a reservoir in the extreme southern part of the San Joaquin valley. The river has Isabella Dam as its chief facility. Water Agency - the area's largest water provider - are weighing the construction of a dam between Fairmont and Antelope buttes Buttes is a municipality in the district of Val-de-Travers in the canton of Neuchâtel in Switzerland. , just north of the reserve. The 31,000-acre-foot reservoir would be bounded by 150th and 160th streets west and Avenues E and G. Funding for the project has not yet been determined. ``This is a very-long-term project,'' said Russ Fuller, AVEK's general manager. ``This is probably a 20-year project.'' The reservoir is being considered now as a hedge against future water shortages. The water agency does not have any above-ground water storage capability. The reservoir also could be used for recreation and power generation, officials said. AVEK plans to spend about $5,000 for preliminary engineering work and the production of a brochure that would be sent to local and state entities that might be interested in the construction of the reservoir. The idea for the reservoir has cropped up periodically over the past 40 years. Back in the 1970s, it was included in the $71 million facilities construction project that connected AVEK to the California Aqueduct The California Aqueduct is a 444 mile (715 km)-long[1] aqueduct in the United States that carries water from Northern California to Southern California. , but it was deleted from the plans because of the cost, said AVEK board member George Lane George Lane (born 1940 ) is a British "mental calculator" and author. He is a three-times world champion and one of only three Grandmasters of Mental Calculation, as recognised by the Mind Sports Organisation. . ``It wasn't feasible then; it might be feasible now,'' Lane said. AVEK wants to perform a ``fatal flaw'' analysis of the project to see whether there are major issues or problems that would stop the dam from being built. Lane said he expects that the agency would want to start the analysis within a few months. One of the issues that would have to be looked at is the archeological significance of the area. The area around Fairmont Butte Butte, city, United States Butte (by  t), city (1990 pop. 33,336), seat of Silver Bow co., SW Mont.; inc. 1879. It is a trade, ranching, and industrial center. is known to have Indian artifacts artifactssee specimen artifacts. , and archeology students have held digs there as part of their class work. State parks officials said they had not heard about the latest look at the reservoir project. The state system runs the poppy reserve, which overlooks the reservoir site. ``For projects of this sort we need to see details,'' said Kathleen Franklin, parks superintendent. ``Until we have something, it's far too early to surmise on the impacts.'' CAPTION(S): map Map: Possible reservoir site |
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