In 1936, the Works Progress Administration (WPA) was instrumental in arriving at a plan to submit for the construction of 16 reservoirs located in Daviess and surrounding counties. The cost of the project would be approximately $740,000.
Only farmers certified for relief due to crop failures were eligible for the work. It was estimated that between 800 and 1,000 farmers would be used on the 16 projects. The farmers were to furnish their teams for which they would be paid 25 cents per hour. Daviess County had been awarded $57,000 for their project.
The sites were chosen so that dams could be constructed at a low cost, and there had to be a large enough territory draining into the reservoirs to keep the water level at a high mark. The absolute minimum size of the reservoirs or lakes was to be three acres and could only be built if 10 or 12 feet of water could be stored in them.
The dams were to be built on private property, but the landowners had to agree to give the public the right to use the water for human and livestock consumption in case there was a water shortage or at any time there was a necessity.
The 16 reservoirs were located in the following counties: Andrew, Atchison, Buchanan, Caldwell, Carroll, Clinton, Clay, Daviess, DeKalb, Gentry, Harrison, Holt, Nodaway, Platte, Ray and Worth.
Gallatin newspaper 9/24/36 No. 11;
— researched and presented by Wilbur Bush, Gallatin, MO
