Michigan Radio - Swimming Upstream: A dam problem (part 3)

"And that's another thing - dam removal is never cheap."

Argo and Geddes Dams, Ann Arbor Hydropower Study Final Report by the US Army Corps of Engineers for the VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System

The Pros and Cons of Dam Removal

Welcome Friends of Argo Pond!  

Argo Pond is a Unique City Park

• Argo Pond hosts thousands of canoers and kayakers each year.
• Argo Pond provides safe, flat water for non-expert canoers and kayakers.
• Argo Pond hosts hundreds of anglers each year.
• Argo Pond is a calm body of water where seniors and kids can recreate with confidence.
• Argo Pond is the ONLY place for safe, competitive rowing in the city.

• Removing Argo Dam WILL NOT improve the health of the river.
• Preserving Argo Dam is not contrary to environmental values.
• Argo Pond meets MDEQ water quality standards (Geddes and Barton don’t).
• There are 4 dams in Ann Arbor; removing one will not return the river to a free flowing waterway.
• Argo Pond provides habitat for fish (bass, bluegills) and pond wildlife (ducks, amphibians).
• There is much more habitat for game fish in an 85 acre pond than in a short stretch of river.
• Argo Pond is not filling with sediment. Sediment is trapped by Barton Dam, 1 mile upstream.
• Draining Argo Pond will expose acres of mudflats; susceptible to invasive plant species.

• Argo Dam was built new in 1972, after citizens voted and approved a $3 million bond.
• Argo Dam is in excellent condition (2007 MDEQ Safety Inspection).
• The down-stream embankment needs maintenance and repairs (2001 MDEQ Safety Inspection).
• MDEQ directed the City to make repairs to the embankment in July, 2002: the City did not comply.

• The cost for repairing the embankment IS FAR LESS than the cost for removing the dam.
• There are no federal or state grants for removing Argo Dam.
• Keeping Argo Dam is not expensive: less than 1% of the City's Parks and Recreation budget.
• Argo Dam is a potential source of revenue through hydro-power; a significant “green” asset.

WHAT CAN YOU DO TO SAVE ARGO POND?