Maryland Dam Removal in August Will Benefit Fish, Stream Habitat

The removal of the Octoraro Dam in Cecil County, Maryland, on August 15 will open 19 miles of stream habitat to American and hickory shad, river herring, American eel, and other fish species. Other benefits will include opening of stream access for recreational paddling, and elimination of dam safety issues.

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources will use construction equipment to remove the dam, which is near Rising Sun on Octoraro Creek, a tributary of the Susquehanna River. The removal is part of a movement to restore the natural flow of rivers in the Chesapeake Bay watershed.

The project is a partnership of the Octoraro Watershed Association, Octoraro Water Authority, American Rivers, Maryland Department of Natural Resources, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Cooperative efforts of these partners have prompted the two approving agencies – the Maryland Department of the Environment and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – to take a less rigid approach to permitting dam removals. Four more dam removals are in the planning process.

For more information, contact David Sutherland, Fish and Wildlife Service Chesapeake Bay Field Office, (410) 573-4535.