Army Corps of Engineers scopes possible removal of Little River dams

The Army Corps of Engineers is exploring the possibility of removing or altering three dams on the Little River in Blount County. Townsend Dam, Peery’s Mill Dam and Rockford dam are all the subject of an evaluation in the interest of restoring the natural ecosystem of the river.

A letter posted to the Corps’ website Feb. 21 states that the Nashville District is initiating “scoping” of the river under the National Environmental Policy Act. The goal in potentially removing or altering the dams, it says, would be to restore natural conditions to the river and increase river passage for aquatic life.

“By way of this letter, the corps is soliciting the public and agency comments concerning environmental or socioeconomic issues that should be addressed during the NEPA process,” the letter reads, adding later that engineers are required to to consider what effects changes may have on historic properties. Members of the community will have until March 24 to submit comments in writing or via email.

Possibilities

Chip Hall is the corps biologist assigned to the study. He said scoping is simply the first step in a longer process, and doesn’t necessarily mean anything will be done to the dams.

“There’s lots of different ideas, but nothing in place yet,” he said. “Where we’re at right now is really the beginning of the study. The letter is sort of the initiation for the public for their considerations so we can take those things into account while we’re doing the study.”

Hall will be in charge of drawing up a report on the watershed, including looking at the possibilities of removal or modification for the dams. Each dam would be handled individually, meaning one dam could be modified, while another removed.

And, there is always the possibility that the corps decides not to change anything.

Hall, for one, is excited at the possibility of restoring some natural diversity to the area. The Little River is part of the Fort Loudon Lake Watershed. It originates on Clingman’s Dome in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and drains parts of Blount, Knox and Sevier Counties. The wildlife across that watershed, Hall said, is very diverse.

“You’ve got many endangered, federally protected species,” he said. “There’s several mussel species and fish species. It’s a very valuable resource.”

Local impact

Hall isn’t the only person interested to see the outcome of the study. Andrew Gunnoe teaches sociology at Maryville College, but he’s also an avid kayaker and president of the Little River Watershed Association.

“Dams are problematic for river health,” he told the Daily Times in a phone interview. “Once we see the results of the study, we’ll know more about those effects. But there’s also the human health issue as well.”

The “human health issue” is a record of fatalities caused by the dams. All three are a kind of low-profile dam called a low-head dam, which makes them harder to spot while still potentially creating strong currents. A Little River fact sheet on the Army Corps of Engineers website states that human fatalities have “consistently occurred” near all three.

The Daily Times reported the drowning death of a 12-year-old girl at Peery’s Mill Dam in 2019. A year before, a 33-year-old man drowned at the same location.

The examination of dams on the Little River is not an isolated incident, Gunnoe said. Rather, it reflects a greater national trend.

“This is kind of a new emergent field of science as we come to terms with the reality that we have all these dams, and a lot of them are no longer necessary,” he said.

Removing dams can have a beneficial effect on wildlife, but that doesn’t always mean it will be beneficial to the people living in the surrounding communities. Gunnoe hopes the Little River Watershed Association will be able to help play an educational role in the greater process.

“Whether it’s a swimming hole behind a dam, or just seeing it there, people get attached,” he said. “From our perspective, any effort to remove dams should very much take into consideration local concerns about the impact of dam removal.”

Comments from the public can be mailed to the corps’ Nashville district office, or emailed to CorpsLRNPlanningPublicCom@usace.army.mil. Hall plans to have a draft of the report, which will be available to the public, ready in June.