Plans to remove dams in two parts of the state have brought sharply different reactions.
A proposal to decommission a dam in Gloucester County and drain the 204-year-old Ewan Lake is being fought by some neighbors and one town that says it will cause a public safety hazard.
Meanwhile, the decision to remove the Warren Mill Dam in Warren County is being hailed by local and state officials.
Both dams are classified as hazards by the state DEP and require either repair, decommissioning, or removal. And while public officials came to the same solution, the locals in each area were wide apart on the outcome.
“The reason we’re doing what we are doing is it is critically important to maintain the quality of our category one river,” Tom Dallessio, executive director of the Musconetcong Watershed Association, told NJ Advance Media. “The Musconetcong River is trout production, trout maintenance and it is literally the canary in the coal mine. If the water gets polluted or doesn’t flow properly, the fish will start getting sick and we’re going to see it immediately.
“Removing the dam will allow free-flowing water and allow the trout and shad to go up the river and create opportunities for better recreation.”
The DEP said Gloucester County, Harrison Township, Elk Township, YD Development and Camden Diving Operations are the owners of the Ewans Mill Dam and are now “overdue” in responding to adjustments needed to its plan to decommission it. The lake created by the dam, however, sits on private land in Elk and Harrison.
Carolyn King-Sammons, mayor of Elk, said she and her township are against draining the lake and decommissioning the Ewans Mill Dam. She said it would create a public hazard because the township fire companies use it as a source for water.
“I’m not sure how Elk can obtain state or federal money since we have no claim to the property,” King-Sammons told NJ Advance Media this week. “I have no idea about the county, as they have never responded to my letters, and Harrison Township passed a resolution basically not wanting anything to do with Ewan Lake.”
A resolution Harrison passed unanimously in 2022 to support draining the lake said it was created by a dam in 1820, noting the dam was rebuilt by Gloucester County in 1938 with federal money.
“We don’t want the lake to go away,” Louis Manzo, Harrison’s mayor, told NJ Advance Media. “As much as any of us wanted to save the lake, it was a pretty quick conversation that we’re not in a position to do that.”
Manzo said the township’s estimate of how much it would cost to repair the dam was more than $2 million.
The Musconetcong Watershed Association gave the state DEP $210,000 last month it had received from the federal Fish & Wildlife Service. The money will pay for preliminary studies needed to remove the dam and coordinated efforts with the state to help remove the dam.
“The removal of the Warren Mill Dam represents a major step forward in helping to restore the Musconetcong River to its natural free-flowing condition,” DEP Commissioner Shawn M. LaTourette said in a statement from the association last month. “The Musconetcong is one of New Jersey’s wildest and most beautiful rivers and is a critical resource for the people and wildlife who inhabit its watershed, as well as the outdoor enthusiasts who enjoy the recreational opportunities it provides.”
The association’s stewardship has led to the removal of six dams in what it believes is environmental restoration, the group said.
“Together, we can look forward to a future where the river flows freely, supporting a rich diversity of aquatic life and providing enhanced recreational opportunities for generations to come,” Dallessio said.
Nearly a third of the 1,727 dams regulated by the state DEP are classified as a high or significant hazard. All 21 counties have endangered dams and the owners are under orders to fix or decommission them. That’s what led to the proposal to drain the 204-year-old Ewan Lake.
“Upon removal, a stream will reestablish through the former impoundment and the lakebed will likely reestablish to conditions that existed prior to the dam being constructed,” DEP spokesman Larry Hajna told NJ Advance Media last year about the Ewans Mill Dam and the Raccoon Creek.
Gloucester County has 27 dams listed as hazards. A hazard condition rating does not mean that a dam’s condition poses a significant and immediate risk to the public, the DEP said. It indicates that a dam does not fully meet current regulatory requirements or that further critical studies are needed.
“Federal and state assistance was sought by our legislative representatives and (U.S. Rep. Jeff Van Drew, R-2nd Dist.) in the past to no avail,” Manzo told NJ Advance Media in an email this week.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has classified the Warren Mill Dam as a significant hazard since 1981. Its removal will significantly reduce the risk of flooding and property damage, improving safety for the communities and ecosystems downstream. The removal of the dam will facilitate the restoration of 8 stream miles and 100 acres of migratory fish habitat and contribute to the resilience of the local ecosystem against extreme weather events, the Musconetcong Watershed Association said.
“What we try to do is be good neighbors and try to bring people together by removing dams and restoring rivers,” Dallessio said.
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Bill Duhart may be reached at bduhart@njadvancemedia.com.
