By Brinkley Hill | March 7, 2025 | KDRV News
The Pomeroy Dam was demolished and removed from the Illinois River during the summer of 2024, but the overall project continues this spring with infrastructure improvements to benefit native fish habitat and river ecosystems.
WaterWatch of Oregon, a statewide environmental organization focused on streamflows and preserving cold water runs in the state’s rivers and streams, has led efforts to remove 10 fish barriers in the Rogue Basin over the last four years, including the 10-foot high, 270-foot wide concrete Pomeroy Dam last summer. There’s more information on the dam’s demolition and removal removal here.
Now that the dam is gone, efforts continue to add fish-friendly pumps, improve access and habitat health for salmon and steelhead, and add new fish-friendly road culverts that decrease the risk of flooding and erosion.
“This project benefits the greater community because we’re improving fisheries and habitat,” said Scott Wright, principal engineer for River Design Group. “That touches a lot of people, river users. And from a recreational standpoint, you can now raft through here. You can float tube it and go through the river without having to run into a dam.”
WaterWatch of Oregon is celebrating its 40th anniversary of protecting and restoring streamflows in Oregon throughout 2025. There’s more about becoming a member and supporting their work here.
This story originally aired on KDRV NewsCenter 12 on Friday, March 7th, 2025.