The Blount County Board of County Commissioners voted Jan. 15, 2026, to adopt Resolution 2601012 opposing removal of Perry's Mill Dam, carrying the motion with 16 votes in favor and one opposed.

The vote followed public testimony and several commissioners' remarks about public safety, historic value and limited local authority over federal decisions. Sarah Kate Rines, executive director of the Little River Watershed Association, told the commission she "strongly oppose[d]" removal of the structure and said "Perry's Mill Dam has been deemed the deadliest dam in Tennessee, taking 4 lives in the last 20 years," noting the dam was built in 1910 and saying its lack of maintenance creates risks for downstream infrastructure and river users.

Several commissioners said they wrestled with competing concerns. Commissioner Giles said additional information from the mayor and the sheriff's office raised structural questions, recounting that investigators "find some major concerns with things that like cavities that are 8 feet deep underneath the foundation," and said that possibility weighed heavily in his consideration. Commissioner Carver told colleagues that swift-water rescuers have been injured responding to incidents at the site, which informed his view that community safety should be central to any decision.

Other commissioners cited local sentiment and practical limits on county authority. Commissioner French said he reviewed sheriff's case records and constituent emails and concluded that removing the dam would not stop people from gathering at the remote site. Commissioner Jopling, while supporting the resolution, said it "does not mean everyone in our district is in support" and acknowledged federal agencies have the ultimate authority, observing that passing the resolution "means absolutely nothing, and they are probably gonna do what they're gonna do regardless of what this says." Resolution sponsor Commissioner Bowers said he believed safety and preservation objectives could both be met and urged the commission to register local opposition to removal.

The resolution and much of the discussion referenced outside agencies: the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (the agency with permitting authority over many federal waterways projects) and the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA). Commissioners repeatedly noted that the commission's action is a local statement of position and does not bind federal decisionmakers.

The commission adopted the resolution after debate; the clerk announced the final tally as "16 yes, 1 no." The resolution was read into the record before the discussion and adopted that evening. The Army Corps of Engineers and TWRA were identified repeatedly in testimony and discussion as the agencies that would determine any eventual removal or remediation. The county also received and considered a sheriff's office report and a letter from the mayor that commissioners said influenced their deliberations.

Next steps: The county's action is a formal local expression of opposition; the transcript records no subsequent directive sending the resolution to a particular agency, and commissioners acknowledged that the federal agencies retain decision authority. The commission did not adopt any binding remediation plan or allocate funds for structural work at the meeting.