The Ohio Department of Natural Resources announced a $2 million project to improve the water quality and biodiversity of one of the state's creeks by removing a defunct dam.
Demolishing the 200-foot-wide dam will reconnect 86 miles of Cloverlick Creek, which flows 14 miles into William H. Harsha Lake in East Fork State Park and drains 42 square miles of watershed. It also serves as a major tributary in the Clermont County section of the East Fork Little Miami River watershed.
According to a press release from ODNR, the low-head dam has degraded stream habitat, reduced the abundance of fish species, and disrupted its hydrology.
Eliminating it will restore the stream gradient, floodplain connectivity, and fish passage, ultimately improving the water quality of the creek, watershed, and reservoir. Additionally, the plan will create safer conditions for recreational activities such as paddling and fishing while rehabilitating stream and riparian habitats for fish, mussels, invertebrates, and migratory birds.
Similar projects elsewhere in the country have had a positive impact on the local ecosystem. Salmon have returned to portions of the Klamath River at the California-Oregon border for the first time in over a century after the largest dam removal effort in U.S. history.
Meanwhile, eastern hellbenders, the nation's largest salamander, have benefited from the demolition of the Shull's Mill Dam from Watauga River in North Carolina.
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Removing the Cloverlick Dam is part of governor Mike DeWine's H2Ohio initiative and involves efforts from the ODNR's H2Ohio Rivers Program and Division of Wildlife, the Clermont Soil and Water Conservation District, and the Village of Bethel.
Several federal, state, and local agencies support the project, including the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, and Clermont County Park District.
"We know that having successful partnerships is critical to success in the H2Ohio initiative," ODNR director Mary Mertz said in the release. "Collaborating with others also spreads the word about all of the great work being done."
Part of the funding will come from a $1.1 million federal grant awarded by America the Beautiful Challenge to the Division of Wildlife, while the H2Ohio Rivers program will supply another $920,000.
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Project partners will start the removal process later this year and expect to finish in 2026. They will continue removing invasive species and assessing the progress of fish populations and habitat restoration through 2028.
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