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Letters of Support Needed for NC Dam Removal
posted November 1, 2002
American Whitewater and a group of stakeholders hope to sign a settlement agreement in February
that will have broad ranging effects across the Tuckaseegee and Nantahala Watersheds. Currently,
there are numerous proposals on the table that could lead to different seasonal lake levels, more
recerational flows, rec flows in new river reaches, higher minimum instream flows, land
conservation, water quality enhancements, and one rather special proposal: the removal of Dillsboro
Dam.
Duke Power itself suggested in a Trial Balloon that the most effective and efficient way to mitigate for their dams' impacts on fish passage is to remove a relatively small dam on the mainstem of the Tuckaseegee River in downtown Dillsboro.
The removal of this dam would reconnect more than 30 miles of biologically rich riverine habitat, allowing distinct populations of rare and endangered species to be rejoined. It would also allow recreational passage where now there is none. Perhaps most exciting of all for many AW members is the potential for the construction of a whitewater park where the lake currently exists. If the dam is removed, the river channel will have to be restored. In this process it is very possible to construct high quality play spots that minimize erosion and create fish habitat. Under this proposal, 3 acres of land and the powerhouse would be donated to the town which would present the perfect opportunity to create a riverside park. Obviously, AW thinks this is a great idea.
Still, there is opposition. Some people in the town of Dillsboro do not want to lose the small reservoir or the dam itself which vaguely resembles a cascading waterfall.
Paddler support for the removal of the Dillsboro Dam would raise the chances of the proposal being carried forward in a settlement agreement. If you would use a roadside set of play features and an associated riverside park in Western North Carolina with ample flows nearly every day of the year, please consider writing a letter or email of support. Letters should be addressed to Mr. John Wishon, Duke Power Project Manager. State your support for the dam removal and that you would benefit from the recreational passage and the creation of play features.
Click
HERE for photos and more information, or feel free to call Kevin Colburn in the Southeastern AW office.
Please send letters to: shane@dillsbororiver.com
or by snail mail to:
Dillsboro River Company
PO Box 250
Dillsboro, NC 28725
Duke Power itself suggested in a Trial Balloon that the most effective and efficient way to mitigate for their dams' impacts on fish passage is to remove a relatively small dam on the mainstem of the Tuckaseegee River in downtown Dillsboro.
The removal of this dam would reconnect more than 30 miles of biologically rich riverine habitat, allowing distinct populations of rare and endangered species to be rejoined. It would also allow recreational passage where now there is none. Perhaps most exciting of all for many AW members is the potential for the construction of a whitewater park where the lake currently exists. If the dam is removed, the river channel will have to be restored. In this process it is very possible to construct high quality play spots that minimize erosion and create fish habitat. Under this proposal, 3 acres of land and the powerhouse would be donated to the town which would present the perfect opportunity to create a riverside park. Obviously, AW thinks this is a great idea.
Still, there is opposition. Some people in the town of Dillsboro do not want to lose the small reservoir or the dam itself which vaguely resembles a cascading waterfall.
Paddler support for the removal of the Dillsboro Dam would raise the chances of the proposal being carried forward in a settlement agreement. If you would use a roadside set of play features and an associated riverside park in Western North Carolina with ample flows nearly every day of the year, please consider writing a letter or email of support. Letters should be addressed to Mr. John Wishon, Duke Power Project Manager. State your support for the dam removal and that you would benefit from the recreational passage and the creation of play features.
Click
HERE for photos and more information, or feel free to call Kevin Colburn in the Southeastern AW office.
Please send letters to: shane@dillsbororiver.com
or by snail mail to:
Dillsboro River Company
PO Box 250
Dillsboro, NC 28725
Contact not found. (144031)