20030179 Ver 6_Public Comments_20071022

Hearing Officer Steve Tedder
c/o John Dorney
NC Division of Water Quality
401I1Netlands Unit
1650 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699-1650
October 19, 2007
Dear Steve Tedder,
I am writing to express my support for the removal of Dillsboro Dam on the Tuckas~eegee river.
Removal of this dam will benefit not only the town of Dillsboro but also the entire region through
increased tourism, improved water quality, increased fish habitat, and improved vie~wshed quality.
Removal of obsolete low head dams such as the dam in Dillsboro should be a fairly simple issue.
The dam is no longer needed for its original purpose of hydropower generation, it k~lorks
upstream passage of fish, and it creates an unnaturally flat, aesthetically unattractive sediment
trap for nearly a mile upstream.
Although I live out of state, I do vacation in the region at least annually, and I have followed this
issue as best I can through online media stories. Apparently, a few vocal Dillsboro residents are
objecting to the loss of the "waterfall" created by the dam, claiming that its scenic and hi~~toric
value is one of the major attractions for the town of Dillsboro. I have no doubt that one or two
businesses have taken advantage of this feature, especially when viewed at a distance. Up
close, however, the dam can be seen for what it really is - a decaying, poorly maintained piece of
industrial equipment. The powerhouse is filled with sediment, slime, broken board: and the
remains of rusted up generators. The dam itself is no beauty, either, with a uniform, featureless
spillway. In fact, this dam would look much more at home on one of the industriali~:ed rivers of
Northern Ohio that were made famous in the 1970s by flaming oil spills than it doe:> in the midst
of the scenic Smoky Mountains.
Removal of this dam would uncover natural rapids and riffles that would provide a iruch more
scenic backdrop for those few individuals whose businesses overlook the river at this point. It
also would open up a prime paddling and fishing area right next to the heart of dawntowri
Dillsboro and provide additional public green space. The sorts of tourists who are ;attracted to
such spaces are exactly the ones towns like Dillsboro should be courting. Canoeists, kayakers
and fly fishermen who are drawn to class one and two float streams tend to be in ttie prime of
their earning years and often travel with family in tow. Such individuals are quite likely to
patronize the businesses in Dillsboro, not only to support their own avocations but ,also as a
separate activity, in and of itself.
I will not pretend any expertise on the environmental benefits of removing this dam, as numerous
experts have already weighed in on the issue. Instead I simply wish to go on recorci as supportincl
the return of this part of the Tuckaseegee watershed to a free flowing river.
Please abide by the original decision of the FERC relicensing process and approve: the removal
of the Dillsboro dam.
Best --
`,-='
Sean they
4724 Angei Ridge Rd.
Athens, OH 45701
OCT 2 2 2007
DENR - WATER a JAI.ITY
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