Thirteen months ago the residents of Richwood were looking for a miracle.

A miracle in the form of two dams on the Cherry River to control flooding and provide economic relief in the form of a private lake and hydro-electric facility for this Nicholas County community.

Hope of a miracle vanished Thursday in the chambers of the Nicholas County Commission when Mark Kessinger with the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers notified county officials that the Corps will not recommend the building of dams on the north and south forks of the Cherry River. Kessinger stated that the Corps study found building the Cherry River Basin dams, at a total cost of over $670,000,000, did not fall within the Benefit-to-Cost Ratio guidelines.

Richwood Mayor John McClung said that reality is setting in but was not giving up on the project. “Many of us have had in the back of minds for a good while that this was a long shot,” the mayor said.

Nicholas County Commissioner Yancy Short stated that early warning systems may be the best immediate flood control measure for Richwood but an economic solution could take years. “People were counting on that and it’s going to be a blow on them emotionally and financially,” he said.

An additional study to develop a more detailed plan could cost an additional $2 million.