Removal of the dam opened up more than 35 miles of prime habitat.
For decades, an obsolete concrete dam at Balm Grove impeded fish passage.
Neighbors and partners came together on-site in 2019 to discuss plans for the dam's removal.
Aerial view of the construction site, showing the diversion channel, access culverts, cofferdam and dam. Water pumps beside the dam channel water into an adjacent field (top right).
A seine net prevents fish from coming back upstream into the job site after they have been salvaged.
Thanks to the coordinated efforts of our partners, more than 600 salmonids were salvaged in the dam removal process.
Crews capture the remaining fish, count and catalog them, and then reinsert them downstream.
Removal of the dam opened up more than 35 miles of prime habitat.
Community members and partners attended an open house celebrating the dam’s removal.
Partners will continue to monitor site conditions to promote ecological health and to protect this critical fish habitat for generations to come.
