City in Grant Application Process for Removal of Deteriorating Structure
By Marilyn McConahay
Record Herald Writer
Anyone driving through West Milton right now will be bombarded by the sight of dozens of “Save the Dam” signs popping up all along main streets of the village and in outlying areas as well.
One version of the signs displays the telephone number of the Village Offices, 698-4191. When asked why that number is on the signs, Iddings Road resident Don Haller, one of the originators of the Save the Dam movement, said, “Who else can answer all the questions about it?”
City Manager Tony Howard said having the phone number on the sign gives him an opportunity to tell callers what is going on with the situation regarding the dam. “I don’t know what the intention of the sign is, but it gives me the opportunity to tell people all sides of the story,” Howard said.
Haller said all 100 hundred signs that have been made so far have been taken. “We are getting lot of requests for more signs, but they’re expensive. It costs $245 for 50 of them,” Haller said.
The lowhead dam was built in 1920 on the Stillwater River north of the city to generate electricity. It has not been used for that purpose for many years, but residents who live near it like to use it for fishing and other recreational purposes. The discussion to remove the dam is a result of a 2002 agreement with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR).
People in support of keeping the dam say removal of the dam will reduce fish population, reduce property values and have a negative impact on water wells in the area. Some people who want to preserve the dam just want the area left alone and others would like to see a hydroelectric generator put in to generate electricity for surrounding homes. The city has said that a DPL study concludes that idea is not feasible, but the group that wants to save the dam disagrees.
The Ohio River Foundation (ORF) has been coordinating efforts to help the state remove the lowhead dam for a number of reasons. According to ORF executive director Rich Cogen, who attended some of four public meetings that have been held with residents and city officials, removal of the dam would re-connect 240 mile of the Stillwater River watershed to the downstream section, remove a potentially libelous safety hazard, avoid expensive repair costs and present additional recreational opportunities. Cogen’s ORF presentation shows photos of extensive damage to the dam’s structure.
At a meeting in November, Howard said that repairing the dam would cost around $1 million and that the village had applied for a state grant of around $1.3 million to cover the cost of removal. As of last week, even as the Save the Dam signs were going up, Howard said the grant process is still under way. “We’re in the last phase of the grant. If our project is selected, we’ll have to comply with government criteria. We need to come up with viable ideas that will fit the criteria. Right now, we have our attorneys working on a draft,” Howard said. “If it (the application) is accepted, we’ll probably start the removal process.”
Howard addressed some of the concerns raised by the Save the Dam group. “The land would not be used for commercial development, such as industry or condos. It would be recreation-based. We would make it more water-accessible for things like kayaking, canoeing and fishing.
“The river runs in my back yard,” Haller said. “We think this is a waste of government money. That money could be used to help clean up the mess at Lake St. Marys.”
Members and sympathizers of Save the Dams group have placed these signs in numerous locations in and near West Milton in recent weeks as they fight to prevent the removal of a lowhead dam on the Stillwater River. Some of the signs show the telephone number of the village offices.
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