The Ballville Dam on the Sandusky River that for decades been a road block for Lake Erie's spawning walleye is finally coming down. The dam is scheduled for removal starting in 2013 as Fremont nears completion of a new 140-acre reservoir to provide water for the city.
Mayor Terry Overmyer of Fremont (right) takes Director Sean Logan of the Ohio Department of Natural Ressources on a tour of the old Ballville Dam on the Sandusky River. The dam is scheduled for removal in 2013, providing Lake Erie walleye 22 more miles of potential spawning habitat each spring. FREMONT, OHIO - The Ballville Dam on the Sandusky River has for decades been a road block for Lake Erie's spawning walleye is finally coming down. The dam is scheduled for removal in 2013 as Fremont nears completion of a new 140-acre reservoir to provide water for the city, as well as boating, fishing and recreation.
Mayor Terry Overmyer took state officials on a tour of the new reservoir on Thursday, which is to be to completed next spring. Next will be the removal of the century-old 52-foot high Ballville Dam and draining the old reservoir behind it, returning the Sandusky River to a more natural state. Overmyer feels confident the city will meet a 2013 dam removal deadline from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.
"We can't say enough about the persistence of Terry Overmyer and local and state officials, considering the many hoops they've had to jump through," said Director Sean Logan of the ODNR. "The end result will be quality drinking water for Fremont, and increased spawning habitat for walleye and white bass."
An avid Lake Erie walleye fisherman, Overmyer said a driving force was the opportunity to boost a Lake Erie walleye population that has slumped in recent years.
"Removing the dam opens 22 more miles of the Sandusky River to spawning walleye," said Overmyer. "The increased river flow will enhance gravel spawning habit in the Fremont area. Walleye are a wonderful game fish, and walleye drive the economy in this region."
Overmyer said the Sandusky was once a major walleye river, and it will be again. It won't be cheap.
The new reservoir, water pumps and lines will cost about $18 million, with $5 million provided by the Ohio Division of Wildlife. The Corps of Engineers is expected to fund as much as 75 percent of the estimated $9 million for removing the dam.
"In the 1970s, fishermen caught more walleye from the Sandusky River than the broader Maumee River," said Jeff Tyson, head of Lake Erie fisheries management. "We're hoping it can once again make a major contribution to Lake Erie's stocks of walleye."
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers completed a flood works project in Fremont in the 1970s, channelizing the river. The Ballville Dam prevented the river from replenishing the highly productive gravel spawning beds that walleye need. As stretches of gravel began to shrink, so did walleye spawning success.
The Maumee and Sandusky are Ohio's two major walleye spawning rivers. A large percentage of walleye also spawn on Western Lake Erie's limestone reefs.
Wildlife officials have long campaigned to remove the dam. The ODNR, which monitors more than 1,700 dams, including 382 Class I dams like Ballville, finally cited Fremont for dam safety violations and said the crumbling Ballville Dam had to be removed or repaired by 2013.
"Repair wasn't an option," said Overmyer. "We needed to first solve the city's water problem, then develop plans to take down the dam. Because of all the silt and sand behind the dam, it will be taken down in stages. We may leave columns in place to provide ice control and prevent flooding."
The maximum depth of the old reservoir is only about 12 feet
A new 140-acre reservoir is nearing completion in Fremont, Ohio. It will replace the city's old reservoir behind the Ballville Dam on the Sandusky River, which is being removed in 2013. The new reservoir will provide quality drinking water, as well as fishing and boating.
"Fremont officials deserve a lot of credit for being forward thinking," said Tyson. "They have addressed the problems and have been creative in solving them. It's a win-win situation."