Another town votes against joining Mounds Lake commission

A second town council has voted not to join a commission that would have overseen a proposal for a $450 million reservoir on the White River in central Indiana.

The Yorktown Town Council voted 6-1 Monday against joining the commission for the Mounds Lake reservoir, a week after a similar rejection by the Daleville Town Council.

Daleville's vote meant the commission wouldn't be able to go forward with the next step in the plan as written. Anderson and Chesterfield officials had voted to join the commission, which would have overseen a feasibility study expected to cost $28 million.

Rob Sparks, the leader of efforts to build the reservoir, earlier said that supporters still think the proposal is viable, and that steps to keep the project alive would be considered.

Project supporters say the reservoir could help the state's long-term water needs and attract additional investment and residents to the area.

Opponents maintain the reservoir isn't needed for water supplies and warn that the project would waste millions of dollars, flood a stretch of the river, destroy wildlife habitat and threaten historic sites, including some in Anderson's Mounds State Park.