Plans to remove two historic low-head dams (weirs) on the Eel River in Logansport are moving forward, as the utility company has now selected Deichman Excavating’s bid to complete the work.
The project will remove the larger dam located at 10th Street and the three-foot dam located downstream. The 10th Street dam was first built in 1854 and completed in 1857 for the Logansport Waterworks and Electric Company. The smaller dam was constructed in 1835. Neither dam is in use.
In the past, the Eel River had 14 dams along it, mostly for milling and power sources. Many of them were destroyed naturally. Other Indiana cities have removed four Eel River dams. The dams at Manchester and Liberty Mills were removed in 2012, followed by one near Mexico in 2016.
The project is estimated to cost $300,000.
LMU has already begun the process to release more water flow from the dam gates, allowing water to drop and be rerouted for equipment to be brought in safely. Equipment for the ongoing demolition at the former electric generating plant will also be brought in, to remove the coal conveyer that runs from the south to the north side of the river. Local ecologist Jerry Sweeten and other environmental officials are collaborating with LMU for conservation efforts of wildlife and the land.
The removal is expected to begin on October 17, 2021 and be completed by December 1, 2021.
SOURCE: News release from Logansport Municipal Utilities