VOTE FOR DAM REMOVAL

poll by twiigs.com

Why is removing the dam the most "green," inexpensive, and overall beneficial option? Find the answers here:

http://www.hrwc.org/argodam/index.html

MEETING ANNOUNCEMENT

A special meeting of Ann Arbor City Council has been scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 8, 5:45 - 6:45 p.m., to discuss options regarding the Argo Dam, in response to the action deadline set by the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality. Further details can be found on the news web page.

Talk with Rosencrans: Dams, Movies, Jobs
The Ann Arbor Chronicle - Ann Arbor,Michigan,USA
Among the topics we discussed on the totter was Argo Dam, which was a campaign issue that might have affected how Ward 5 residents voted. ..

Delhi bridge returned to its place over the Huron River
The Ann Arbor News - MLive.com - Ann Arbor,MI,USA
by John Mulcahy | The Ann Arbor News Photo by Lon Horwedel, The Ann Arbor NewsThe metal truss of the Delhi bridge is lifted over the Huron River Wednesday ...
See all stories on this topic

Positions on Argo Dam critical to upcoming city council elections

3rd Ward Democratic Primary
(From MLive.com)

LuAnne Bullington

• Favors maintaining and repairing the Argo dam for recreation. Supports the concept of a greenway west of downtown.

Leigh Greden

• Undecided about whether to repair or remove Argo Dam until he learns more. Supports expansion of city's green-energy efforts.

Stephen Kunselman

• Favors preserving Argo Dam and resuming discontinued youth activities in parks.

Reasons behind dam removal

Why remove non-functioning dams? With regard to resource management, the most significant environmental benefits of dam removal include:

• Re-connection of important seasonal fish habitat

• Normalized temperature regimes

• Improved water clarity (in most cases)

• Improved dissolved oxygen concentrations

• Normalized sediment and energy transport, and

• Improved biological diversity

Stimulus funds used for dam removal in at least two Michigan cities during 2009

The Hastings Banner>Nashville Dam drawdown begins
More than 20 citizens were on hand for the Nashville Dam Committee meeting at the village hall Tuesday, May 26, to see the engineering plans for the Nashville Dam removal project. Joanne Barnard, executive director of the Barry Conservation District (BCD), began the meeting by announcing that the drawdown of the millpond had begun...

The Ann Arbor Chronicle » Huron River of Data
By Dave Askins Back in mid-June, Paul Christensen, who's president of the Huron River Fly Fishing Club, gave us a heads up that some fishermen plying their craft in the waters downstream from Argo Dam – himself included – had been surprised the ...

Letter: Clarifying the science behind Argo Dam debate
MLive.com - MI,USA
The fish community of the Huron River in Ypsilanti has 33 percent more species and 15 times as many fish as the dammed impoundment. ...

Mayor: Decision on Ann Arbor's Argo Dam unlikely to come in July
The Ann Arbor News - MLive.com - Ann Arbor,MI,USA
Located on the Huron River near Main Street around Depot Street, the Argo dam was originally built to produce hydropower. It now serves primarily as a ...

30 Kayakers Gather at the Huron River for Paddling Exhibition

Ann Arbor, MI – June 13, 2009 – Members of Lower Michigan’s community of whitewater kayakers gathered at the Huron River on Saturday to paddle the free-flowing waters of the Huron River between the Delhi Metropark and the bridge crossing near the intersection of Huron River Drive and Tubbs Road. The demonstration was intended to raise awareness of the Huron River’s value to whitewater kayakers and to highlight the potential for new whitewater resources in the event that Ann Arbor’s Argo Dam is removed.

Whitewater kayakers have been using the Huron River to train, practice, and teach the basics of the sport for over 40 years. The local kayaking group—the Raw Strength & Courage Kayakers (RSCK), a part of the U of M’s Rec Sports program—introduces 200 new individuals to the sport of kayaking each year. Winter training takes place in the pool at the North Campus Recreation Building and includes both students and community members. Spring is the season of introducing new paddlers to the flowing waters of the Huron River, while summer and fall are months where paddlers drive hundreds of miles to enjoy the free-flowing rivers of Western Pennsylvania and beyond. Kayaking groups that use the Huron River exist in Ypsilanti, Rochester, Lansing, Flint, Windsor, and Toledo.

According to former RSCK President and U of M student, Bryan Toth, “Paddlers all over Michigan would happily flock to a single, high-quality whitewater feature.” The potential to create a whitewater feature such as a standing wave or hydraulic could exist if Argo Dam is removed. Argo Pond occurs along one of the steepest drops of the entire Huron River watershed. The projected 30 acres of parkland the City of Ann Arbor hopes to gain would allow for greater access to the river, as well as a forum for whitewater kayakers to demonstrate their sport to the public.

Toth has paddled engineered whitewater parks on Western Rivers like the Arkansas River in Salida, Colorado. The Salida Whitewater Park is the result of a partnership between the City of Salida and the Arkansas River Trust. Similar collaborations to create new whitewater resources exist in Rochester, New York; Wassau, Wisconsin; Des Moines, Iowa; and South Bend, Indiana.

Whitewater kayaking is a tradition on the Huron River in Ann Arbor. Removing Argo Dam could create a unique new recreational resource in the form of aesthetically-pleasing whitewater features.

For more pictures of the event, CLICK HERE

Free-flowing Huron provides opportunities for whitewater paddlers

Come to the Huron River, west of Ann Arbor, for an opportunity to learn more about Ann Arbor's community of whitewater kayakers. Paddlers will be meeting tomorrow (Saturday, June 13) at 11:00 am at the Dehli Metropark to demonstrate the concept of "park-and-play" kayaking--an opportunity that could exist in downtown Ann Arbor if Argo Dam is removed.

Community and student leaders of the Raw Strength & Courage Kayakers (a program of the U of M Rec Sports department) will be on site to answer questions about use of the river, access needs, paddlers' economic impact, gear, and more. There will even be a tandem whitewater kayak available if visitors would like to try kayaking the Delhi Rapids with an experienced paddler at the helm (dress accordingly if you're interested)!

This will be a fun, casual gathering you won't want to miss. On behalf of all kayakers who use the Huron River, thank you for your consideration of spending a Saturday with us.