TU asks for Help on Dawt Mill Dam

[Al Agnew]

My best MO trout fishing buddy and a friend are all up in arms about this.  The friend lives on the river and my buddy has been fishing it with him a lot lately, and they are convinced it will be a disaster for the wild rainbows if the dam is removed.  I listened to them respectfully but am finding it hard to agree with them.  However, they said that during years when a flood coincides with the striper migration and they get above the dam, the trout population drops considerably.  I don't have any idea if that is true.  They definitely want the dam repaired.

Personally, I lean toward removing it.  Yes, the wild trout population is pretty cool, but I kinda doubt that the stripers will wreck it.  

[fishinwrench]

I dunno, the constantly cool water will certainly appeal to Stripers and hybrids, but not SHAD so much.  I can visualize the Stripers taking up residence in the river and munching heavily on Trout, and even being able to naturally reproduce since the NFOW is long enough and has enough current for the striper eggs to do their thing.  

[bigredbirdfan]

The beautiful little girl who died (Chole Butcher) was a friend of mine's daughter. She wasn't "playing" or "goofing around" on or around the dam. She came to the aid of a much younger and smaller swimmer who had been sucked into the giant hole in the dam and became trapped. She was able to free that girl but ended up losing her life in the process. She is a hero in my opinion. It's very easy to be opinionated about this subject when it wasn't YOUR child killed needlessly because 1) Dawt Mill was negligent in preventing it's own campers and swimmers from out of the area of danger and failing to repair a dam 2) Corps of Engineers was negligent preventing people from the area of danger. They haven't really been proactive protecting anyone. There could have been a rope like a swimming area on a lake warning people but they chose not to install one but managed to turn a small campground into a multi million dollar complex instead. I myself a healthy active middle age male felt uncomfortable getting my canoe over to their ramp with the amount of current sucking you down to that chute. I am also happy that dam is coming down because I want to float through it on down to the Bryant creek in Tecumseh and will now have that opportunity. As for stripers and trout as a smallmouth bass fisherman I could care less about them as well.  Human life outweighs such topics in my mind.

[sean c]

I have no idea what will happen to the trout population long term if the dam is removed but neither does TU or Shawn Taylor. I know there has been a hole in it for a number of years there have been stripers in the river and from a fishing perspective the trout population is just fine in my experience. That doesn't mean long term if the dam is removed the trout population won't be severely impacted.

In my opinion the MDC should own the dam and repair and maintain it or remove it based on what's best for the river long term it seems from the outside looking in the decision is being made based on what's the quickest and most cost effective solution to remove the the hazard based on the terrible tragedy  that happened this summer.

I don't understand the dirty politics that go on behind the scene on these types of deals but it seems to me everyone involved or that has a financial stake in this deal is missing the point. Sad really.

[Riverwhy]

I have heard recent rumors that a plan has been put into place to remove the western half of the Dawt dam.  Does anyone have some current information concerning the dams status?

[Flysmallie]

Just saw a video on Instagram from Sunburst Ranch. There is an excavator in the river removing the dam. 

[Flysmallie]

Here's a picture Justin or Amy from Sunburst posted on facebook. 

 

 

[Ham]

Maybe it will turn into a Great striper fishery

[BilletHead]

  Maybe?

In the great words of Ness,    DANG      They could get up there in high water, now noting to stop them correct me if I am wrong.

  BilletHead

[fishinwrench]

Could very well be our only naturally reproducing Striper fishery.

I'm officially moist with anticipation.