Browns Mill Dam removal begins

A ribbon-cutting ceremony for the removal of Brown's Mill Dam in the Rutherford County community of Lascassas will be held on Thursday, Nov. 13 at noon. The location is the intersection of Brown's Mill Road and Lofton Road.

The removal of Brown's Mill Dam will improve aquatic habitat and make the East Fork of the Stone's River safer for paddling. The Stones River at Brown's Mill will be a more natural river following removal of the dam. It will be a free-flowing system that will allow water and aquatic life to move upstream and downstream where, historically, fish and mussels were trapped. This is very important to fish species that need to migrate to spawn and to mussels that require particular species of fish hosts to reproduce.

There has been a growing movement nationally to remove dams where the costs (environmental, safety and socio-cultural) outweigh the benefits (hydropower, flood control, irrigation and recreation).

The removal project was funded by the Tennessee Healthy Watershed Initiative and the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency State Wildlife Grants.

A short program will follow the ribbon-cutting ceremony, including comments from officials from supporting agencies and organizations. For further details contact Pandy English, TWRA Instream Flow Coordinator (615) 781-6643.