MORGANTOWN — As the future emergency water supply for the greater Morgantown area, the Morgantown Utility Board’s $50 million Flegal Reservoir is all about hydration.
But will it also be about recreation?
That’s the question MUB, the city of Morgantown and the Board of Parks and Recreation Commissioners have once again begun to consider.
MUB General Manager Mike McNulty said he is working with Assistant City Manager Emily Muzzarelli and representatives from BOPARC to look at the potential for “some picnic shelter options, trails and maybe some entry points for some kayaks.”
The 370-million gallon reservoir is under construction on a 125-acre site along Cobun Creek Road, between Grafton Road and Kingwood Pike.
Questions about whether the site could also be a focus for recreation are nearly as old as the project itself.
In January of 2019, former MUB General Manager Tim Ball said recreation options have been on the table for years, describing the “open invitation we’ve had with BOPARC since the fall of 2015.”
Ball also noted it was MUB’s stance that any recreational amenities would fall under the city/BOPARC’s management responsibility.
Further, as the reservoir is a potential water source, no motorized watercrafts will be permitted.
Those sentiments were echoed during the most recent meeting of the MUB Board of Directors.
“We’ve certainly conveyed all of that to the city, and I think they are respecting that thought and that’s part of what we’re getting started in the conversation, so everyone can get a good look at what’s really there and what’s available,” MUB General Manager Mike McNulty said.
As for the city, Communications Director Andrew Stacy reiterated that the recreation topic has gone hand-in-hand with the reservoir project. He said the city has been a part of that discussion all along.
“The city remains committed to working through these discussions with MUB in a collaborative fashion so that we can maximize the benefit of this important community resource,” he said.
As for the project itself, the dam structure needs to be built to full height this construction season in order to allow settlement to occur through the winter.
MUB Spokesman Chris Dale said substantial completion of the project is currently expected sometime next fall.
Once the project is complete, MUB will plant some 14,000 trees at the site.
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