Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Elba Dam Removal topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Authority seeks contract to remove Elba Dam, reopen river for Gulf sturgeon
Summary
A watershed authority asked the committee to approve design services to remove an inoperable dam on the Elba River to restore connectivity for Gulf sturgeon and other species; presenters said the dam has been inoperable for years and removal will support endangered-species spawning runs.
Lisa Harris, representing the Tot Hatchie Pea and Yellow Rivers Watershed Management Authority, asked the committee to approve a contract for design services to remove the inoperable Elba Dam and restore the river.
Harris told the committee the removal will reopen upstream habitat and migration routes for Gulf sturgeon and other endangered species that travel from the Gulf to spawn in Elba and Coffee counties. "The dam has been inoperable for numerous years, so to move it out of the river ... it opens it up for Gulf sturgeon and endangered species," Harris said.
Committee members asked clarifying questions about previous submission problems and were satisfied that the current filing corrected earlier issues. Officials noted the project will involve design and river-restoration work and that moving the dam will have ecological benefits for spawning fish and associated habitat.
The committee did not record a formal vote during the public docket discussion. Next procedural steps would be standard contracting oversight and, if approved, the design and permitting process required for in-stream work and endangered-species considerations.
