Clean Rivers, Clean Lake Conference April 25, 2013

No One Wants Their Dam Back Once Its Gone

The rivers (and their communities) best tell the story of dam removal.

But arent they a handy cork against Asian Carp?

Baraboo River, Sauk County 4 dams removed 1999 2001 Marked improvement in water quality, fish and other aquatic animals flourish The community has a new asset

Ward Paper Mill Dam

Prairie River at Merrill, Wisconsin

..shoreline frontage along small impoundments confers no increase in residential property value compared to frontage along free-flowing streams . Non-frontage residential property located in the vicinity of a free-flowing stream is more valuable than similar non-frontage property in the vicinity of a small impoundment.

Provencher, Sarakinos, Meyer Contemporary Economic Policy Journal (April 2008)

Site of the former Woolen Mills Dam

West Bend, Wisconsin Milwaukee River

As for city accomplishments during his [18 years] as mayor, Michael Miller cited the demolition of old Woolen Mills dam
April 18, 2005 Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Centerville Creek, Manitowoc County

Centerville Dam

Centerville Creek 50-year rain event (March 2013)

(Image courtesy Inter-Fluve, Inc.)

Went up

But arent they a handy cork against Asian Carp?

to the dam til dark caught 15 sauger and 1 walleye 1 legal sauger all on plastics we also caught what we beleive to be a big head asian carp about 4 feet long and somewhere around 75 lbs not sure but comparing pictures to the internet it sure looks like it
Hughseee, Lake-link.com

Clean, free-flowing rivers will repel invasive species..they cannot thrive in healthy rivers.

The healthy rivers argument

But is really dams that will keep Asian carp out of Wisconsin rivers?
They catch minnows all the time at Prairie du Sac dam And what if the guy throws the bighead carp back in the river above the dam or into another river?

MAYBE dams could be first line of defense..but very few dams are in that position.