Apr 17, 2017 3 min read

MARIANNA – A group of fishermen cast their lines Monday at the base of a dam along Ten Mile Creek where rushing water added oxygen to the stream and attracted fish to this popular hole in Marianna.

The current created by the manmade waterfall also adds to the beauty of this recreational area that, fishermen say, will change for the worse if plans materialize to demolish the crumbling dam along Main Street.

“That will pretty much mess the entire stream up,” said Steve Hanko of Jefferson, Greene County.

“It’s a beautiful stream as it is now,” said Hanko, who was fishing Monday a short distance downstream of the dam.

Marianna Borough Council President Wesley Silva said the 4-0 vote by council Wednesday to remove the aging dam was not done for “spite,” and several organizations were involved in the decision.

“We all agreed that the best option is to remove the dam,” Silva said.

He said the state Department of Environmental Protection wanted the dam brought into compliance with state regulations when the borough had a water company and used the area upstream of the dam as a reservoir. The dam is now no longer needed since the water plant has been closed, he said.

There also isn’t any money available to repair the dam, which increases the risk of flooding during heavy rains upstream in West Bethlehem Township, Silva said.

He said the borough had a March 17 meeting about the dam with the representatives of DEP, American Rivers, Washington County Conservation District and the state Fish and Boat Commission.

The dam contributes to erosion that has been washing out the base of Main Street, and it has had a negative effect on the creek’s aquatic life, partly because it makes it impossible for fish to travel upstream to spawn.

American Rivers, a national charitable organization, has agreed to demolish the dam at no cost to the borough, Silva said. The conservation group works to revitalize waterways by removing dams and restoring floodplains, its website indicates. A date had yet to be set for the project to begin, Silva said.

Meanwhile, fishermen said Monday they expect there will be a fight to save the dam.

“It will change the water flow,” Hanko said. “It’s enjoyable coming down here.”

A petition calling for the dam to be saved has been posted to Facebook, and it gathered 223 signatures by 2 p.m. Monday.

The creator, Nicole Grimes, said she believed borough council made a rash decision to eliminate the dam.

“A lot of people in the community are highly upset about this,” Grimes said. “The main point is that we are willing to raise funds to restore it.”

Grimes stated on the petition the removal of the dam would eliminate potential business opportunities and put an end to the annual canoe race.

The Marianna Outdoorsmen Association will hold its 11th annual canoe and kayak race and Outdoor Fest April 29 and 30.

Silva said the race in future years would not be harmed by the removal of the dam, and kayaks and canoes would be able to navigate straight through the area after the dam is gone. He said the demolition project also will increase access to the area.

The DEP was approached by Marianna about the potential removal of the borough-owned dam, and it provided information on the types of permits that would be needed to move the project forward, said department spokeswoman Lauren Fraley in Pittsburgh.

She said the DEP has not required the borough to take any action and the department is not funding the project.