Restoration Systems restored 6.2 miles of the Neuse River in 2017 by removing the Milburnie Dam. The dam was built in 1901 and was preceded by other dams at the location since 1760. The project was permitted as a Mitigation Bank, the first approved bank nationwide using dam removal as a restoration method.
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For more than a decade the Milburnie Dam has sat idle. No electricity has been generated in all that time. It has simply fallen into disrepair, suffered frequent vandalism and trespass, becoming a dangerous eyesore.
It has known tragedy too with the drowning of at least 11 individuals, including two athletes in 2008 and two young children in 2012. The power of the water coming over the dam is easily under-estimated and can trap even the best swimmer.
Like any dam, Milburnie has a serious impact on the ecology of its river. The Neuse River has been unnaturally flooded above the dam for decades and blocks the migration of fish.
In 2002 the North Carolina interagency DRTF (Dam Removal Task Force) designated Milburnie Dam as a priority for removal.
This task force comprises staff from the NC Wildlife Resources Commission, NCDWQ, Marine Fisheries, Coastal Management, NCNHP (North Carolina Natural Heritage Program), USFWS (US Fish and Wildlife Service) and the USACE (US Army Corps of Engineers). These are the experts in assessing the environmental impact, viability and removal options of a dam.
Their conclusion was the dam should be removed, primarily to remove the barrier to migratory fish such as striped bass and American shad.
The dam owners will be working with local Raleigh-based environmental restoration experts, Restoration Systems, LLC. This means the dam won’t just be demolished. In it’s place they will create a purpose-built ‘mitigation bank’.
Mitigation banking is the careful restoration of natural habitats to repair the damage made by the dam on the original stream ecosystem.
No dangerous eyesore, just more fish, more people and more enjoyment…
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