New Albany's mayor takes to social media to defend emergency work at Silver Creek Dam

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- After New Albany Mayor Jeff Gahan was ordered by state and federal agencies to stop any construction at the Silver Creek dam, city council members are now asking him to stop wasting taxpayer money.

Gahan took a defiant tone on social media on Thursday as his actions remain a mystery to council members.

In a lengthy social media post, Gahan said, in part, "We declared a state of emergency and mobilized crews to eliminate the dangerous hydraulic roller effect. We accomplished this through restoring the dam to its original condition."

That restoration, without state or federal approval, led to a cease and desist letter from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on Wednesday, ordering the mayor to develop a plan within 30 days to restore the area.

Gahan acknowledges his actions have caught the attention of regulators.

"This is now a legal matter, which limits some of the comments I can make," he wrote in the social media post. "However, because of this action, not another person will drown because of the hydraulic roller effect at our historic Glenmill Park Dam on Silver Creek."

The River Heritage Conservancy Group was awarded a permit to remove the dam, but Gahan sued to stop them.

It's the same area where 14-year-old AJ Edwards fell from the dam and drowned on Memorial Day. His death reignited the controversy over the future of the Silver Creek dam, the dangers of which are well known to residents in the area. Following Edwards' death, his family joined renewed calls for the dam to be removed.

Now, the city council is asking Gahan to stop the emergency maintenance he ordered earlier this month.

"Removing the dam will not be a disservice to the people of New Albany. Continuing to waste taxpayer dollars on frivolous lawsuits," Louise Gohman, who represents the city's Fifth District, said.

Last week, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources ordered the city to stop the emergency repair work because a permit wasn't acquired from them or the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

No council members publicly supported the mayor's emergency order in court, which included dumping several hundred tons of rocks into the creek. They also haven't been told how much the mayor spent on dumping rock into the creek, or how much he has spent in legal fees related to the dam.

You can read Gahan's full statement by clicking here.

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