“Removing Tait Station Low Dam is a real positive for the paddling community,” said Sarah Hippensteel Hall, Miami Conservancy District (MCD) manager for watershed partnerships. “Low dams are notoriously dangerous. Boaters can be trapped at low dams and drown. Now, people will be able to more safely enjoy this section of the river.”
Once completed in October, water will riffle over stones, creating a safer experience while improving river access and water quality, according to MCD.
Another low dam at Monument Avenue in downtown was partially removed beginning in Sept. 2016 and transformed into one of the features of the $4 million RiverScape River Run, a kayak play area with boating passages that opened in May 2017.
Credit: Lisa Powell
Credit: Lisa Powell
Credit: Lisa Powell
Credit: Lisa Powell
The Great Miami River is not only a resource for water, but also a driver of recreation, tourism and economic development for 16 communities up and down the 99-mile corridor extending from Sidney to Hamilton, according to a regional coalition promoting the waterways.
Seven of the cities — Dayton, Hamilton, Miamisburg, Middletown, Piqua, Troy and West Carrollton — have projects in the works to leverage the natural resource or are putting new riverfront plans together.
According to group, Great Miami Riverway, more than $500 million has been spent in 19 jurisdictions on projects directly affecting riverfronts over the past decade. Dayton officials say riverfront developments like RiverScape have helped fuel $1 billion in downtown investment since 2010 in apartments, condos, restaurants and other amenities.
MCD worked with the Ohio Department of Transportation which is fully funding the Tait Station dam removal. The project is not only expected to remove a threat but should also improve habitat for fish, insects and birds along the river.
Credit: Chris Stewart
Credit: Chris Stewart
Because of the way they are engineered, low-head dams recirculate water and can trap objects — including people — said Amy Dingle, director of Outdoor Connections at Five Rivers MetroParks.
“They look benign, but they truly aren’t,” she said. “That’s because the majority of the hazard is underwater where you can’t see it.”
The deteriorating Tait Station dam serves no flood protection service nor any other current purpose, but would require $5 to $8 million in repairs, according to MCD.
Dingle, a former Olympic kayaker, said low dams are marked on maps and typically with signs to alert paddlers to the danger and direct them where to safely portage around the obstacles.
“But if you were to miss all of that, the other way to recognize (a dam) is by seeing a horizon line in front of you that indicates a drop,” she said. “If you aren’t aware of the piece of water you’re on, you should go ahead and get out and scout and make sure it’s safe to go over.”
The two dams nearest the Tait Station dam on the Great Miami River are one upstream just below Island MetroPark and one downstream spanning the river between West Carrollton and the Moraine Airpark.
A 2015 US Army Corps of Engineers report about the Great Miami River Corridor recommended removing the Tait Station low dam. Both the city of Dayton and Montgomery County passed resolutions supporting the project.
Dingle said paddling the region’s rivers can be a safe, positive and enjoyable experience with a little preparation.
“We have a lot of people in our rivers and a lot of people looking out for them and caring for those hazards and trying to mitigate them,” she said. “But it’s always helpful to have people do their part by being educated.”
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