BETHEL, Ohio — For over 80 years, a concrete dam along Cloverlick Creek in Clermont County has made the forest its home.
Now, officials have begun the process of removing it and restoring the stream it blocks.
The project is a collaboration between the Ohio Department of Natural Resources' (ODNR) H2Ohio-Rivers program, the Clermont County Soil and Water Conservation District and the Village of Bethel.
Village Mayor Jay Noble said removing this dam has been in the works for years.
"When we first started this, we would've thought it would have been done by now, but then the cost started getting more and more," Noble said.
WATCH: See how officials say removing the dam will improve safety and the environment
The various agencies involved gathered Tuesday morning near the dam for a ceremonial groundbreaking.
"Cloverlick Creek's home to a lot of critters that are impacted by a low-head dam that’s been here since the '40s. And over the next couple of months, as this dam is removed, their world is gonna change, and it’s going to change for the better," said John Horn, H2Ohio-Rivers program manager.
The restoration will have four major accomplishments: removing a public safety hazard, reconnecting aquatic habitat, restoring natural stream processes and building for long-term recovery, according to the project's details.
“As a kayaker, when you, or a [canoeist] or any kind of boater, when you come up on these, you don't seem them until it’s too late, unless it's extremely well marked. And even then, a lot of people miss them; so they have been dangerous across the state," ODNR director Mary Mertz said.
Mertz explained how old dams can damage the ecosystem they inhabit.
“When we have dams that we no longer need, they aren’t serving a useful purpose; we look to remove them for ecosystem purposes to support aquatic species and for cleaner water," Mertz said.
“When it is finally complete, I think we’re hoping to see reduced water temperatures, restored oxygen levels, reconnecting miles and miles of the creek,' Mertz said.
Officials said they expect actual construction to begin sometime in November.
