LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — An Indiana dam is coming down, but it's not the one in New Albany.
The city of Seymour is losing a dam, and the state is helping foot the bill.
This is like the plan to remove the Silver Creek Dam where a 14-year-old boy drowned on Memorial Day.
Ethan Campbell and his buddy Zack fish a section of the East Fork of the White River just outside of Seymour regularly.
“I have caught three flat heads over 50 pounds in the past two years below that dam,” said Zack Tolbert.
The dam is owned by Indiana-American Water Company. This week, a contractor started taking out the dam.
“And they started full demolition including some removal today, some portions of the concrete dam,” said Brittany Montgomery, Operations Manager for Indiana American Water, Southern Indiana Region.
The dam is 450 feet across the river's width, built to collect water for Seymour. Indiana American Water Company switched to well water 30 years ago.
“We started looking into it about 5 years ago or so and determined the best thing to do was go ahead and remove that dam,” Montgomery said.
The dam's removal requires a $90,000 grant from the state and another $150,000 from the U.S Fish and Wildlife, along with two years of working with state and federal regulators to get the project started.
“It is a long process to go through. We received our final DNR permit late last fall,” said Montgomery.
Indiana American Water issued this statement:
“Removal of the dam will improve safety for recreational users of the river by eliminating recirculating currents that are typically associated with low-head dams. The project will also enhance habitat and aquatic species biodiversity and restore the natural river ecosystem, which gained the attention of several organizations seeking to restore aquatic ecosystems.”
Removing low-head dams in Indiana is getting much attention from the Department of Natural Resources.
There are similar plans to remove the Silver Creek dam, which the City of New Albany sued to block the removal.
In June, New Albany's mayor ordered tons of rocks and boulders placed next to the Silver Creek dam for safety. State and federal agencies have ordered the mayor to have the rocks and boulders removed.
Back on the East Fork of the White River, even with the dry weather there is enough water in river to navigate a small boat upstream of the dam. On the downstream side, the water is shallow. Once the dam is fully removed, WDRB News is told fish and other wildlife will be able to navigate the river with ease.
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- Family of 14-year-old who drowned in Silver Creek joins renewed calls for removal of dam
- 14-year-old boy's Memorial Day death reignites controversy over future of Silver Creek dam
- 14-year-old boy found dead after swimming in Silver Creek, New Albany police say
- City of New Albany files lawsuit to stop removal of dam on Silver Creek
- New Albany to object to dam removal for southern Indiana parks project
- After burying son who drowned in Silver Creek, family wants action from New Albany leaders over dam
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