MAYOR GAHAN RESPONDS TO ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS ORDER CONCERNING HISTORIC GLENMILL PARK DAM

MAYOR GAHAN RESPONDS TO ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS ORDER CONCERNING HISTORIC GLENMILL PARK DAM

On Memorial Day Weekend, a young man lost his life at the Glenmill Park Dam. He lost his life because of what is known as a “hydraulic roller effect” at the dam, which is a recirculating current that can trap swimmers underwater.

This came after three years of ongoing court battles regarding what to do with the dam, with zero resolution of any kind. The City of New Albany and my administration have made dozens of attempts to gather all parties involved in this dispute to sit down at a table and discuss solutions that would benefit everyone, and every time, we have been refused. We even tried to get a court ordered mediation, and they still would not sit down at a table with us to discuss. 

Some would say, “why not just let them take the dam out?” Well, the truth is, the area serves thousands of people each year. People who want to fish, people who want to swim, and others who just want to enjoy a scenic view of nature. Completely removing the dam would be a disservice to those people who utilize this area regularly.

These are people that I, as Mayor, and the City Council, were all elected to serve. No one else would stand up for these people to protect their assets. Just recently, the Department of Natural Resources authorized a court filing calling the dam a “drowning machine” that will “continue to risk public safety” if it remains as-is. This was the first time that DNR had acknowledged in court that this was a severe public safety risk.

I was not going to have another person lose their life in our City because no one would take responsibility to solve this immediate public safety risk as identified by DNR. We declared a state of emergency and mobilized crews to eliminate the dangerous hydraulic roller effect. We accomplished this through restoring the dam to its original condition, seen in the historic photo above. Rock fill was used to eliminate the dangerous hydraulic roller effect.

Now, outside agencies are asking that we remove the fill. They are asking us to recreate a dangerous situation where someone else can lose their life. They are asking us to restore the dam to an unmaintained and dangerous condition.

This is now a legal matter, which limits some of the comments I can make. However, because of this action, not another person will drown because of the hydraulic roller effect at our historic Glenmill Park Dam on Silver Creek.

MAYOR GAHAN AUTHORIZES EMERGENCY MAINTENANCE TO IMPROVE SAFETY AT HISTORIC DAM – ENCOURAGES SIMILAR MAINTENANCE AT BLACKISTON MILL DAM

MAYOR GAHAN AUTHORIZES EMERGENCY MAINTENANCE TO IMPROVE SAFETY AT HISTORIC DAM – ENCOURAGES SIMILAR MAINTENANCE AT BLACKISTON MILL DAM

The City of New Albany has mobilized a crew to perform maintenance to the historic Glenmill Park Dam at Silver Creek Landing.

The historic Glenmill Park Dam was placed into service 108 years ago to maintain water supply, provide habitat for wildlife, reduce flash flooding, protect the ecosystem, and create recreational opportunities for the popular Glenmill Park.

The New Albany City Council has voted twice in favor of resolutions that encourage modifications to the dam to improve safety. Additionally, in a recent court filing, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources authorized a filing that indicated the “drowning machine at… Providence Mill Dam, will… continue to risk public safety” if it remains as-is.

Due to these factors, Mayor Gahan has authorized emergency maintenance to be conducted at the site to eliminate the hydraulic roller effect caused by the current condition of the dam. The site is currently closed while this maintenance is underway.

Recent weather patterns have interrupted the work, but the City of New Albany plans to resume the maintenance at Silver Creek Landing once the weather permits. DNR personnel have visited the maintenance work site.

“For years, we have been improving water safety in the City of New Albany through our improvements to the New Albany Shoreline and other waterways, and this maintenance at the historic Glenmill Park Dam is another example of our commitment to safe recreation,” stated Mayor Jeff Gahan. “I would encourage Origin Park and other Clark County neighbors to follow our lead and pursue similar action at their own Blackiston Mill Dam, so that everyone in our region can experience safe recreation in Silver Creek.”

Statement From Mayor Jeff Gahan Regarding Glenmill Park Dam Safety Improvements

Statement from Mayor Jeff Gahan Regarding Glenmill Park Dam Safety Improvements

The historic Glenmill Park Dam is an important part of New Albany’s infrastructure and recreational opportunities. It was placed in to service 108 years ago for multiple reasons, including to maintain water supply, provide habitat for wildlife, reduce flash flooding, protect the ecosystem, and create swimming, fishing, and paddling opportunities for residents on both sides of Silver Creek. These reasons still exist today. If the dam is removed, these benefits will be lost forever.

However, like many other ideas from over 100 years ago, dam technology has changed and improved. Today, we know how to make this dam safer, and you can see examples of widely used modifications in the attached pictures. Improvements like these are widely accepted by engineers and scientists as ways of modifying low-head dams to retain the infrastructure benefits while still allowing for safe recreation. They remove the dangerous undercurrent associated with low-head dams, but they still provide safe access to the water for recreation. 

An image of the current Glenmill Park Dam

An “After” Image of Proposed Safety Improvements

River Heritage Conservancy and Origin Park unilaterally initiated a plan to destroy the Glenmill Park Dam. For years, Origin Park has been pursuing destruction of this public infrastructure, and for years, the City of New Albany has been attempting to meet with Origin Park to discuss converting the dam to improve its safety. Origin Park has declined every opportunity to meet. On November 15, 2022, The New Albany City Council unanimously approved a resolution opposing the destruction of the Glenmill Park Dam until all parties met to consider all options, including the City’s safety modification plans. Once again, Origin Park declined the opportunity to meet.

For over two decades, the City of New Albany has been improving access to our water ways. We are a River City, and for the first time ever, the people of New Albany own the New Albany Greenway, lands along the New Albany side of Silver Creek, the entire Riverfront, and the New Albany Loop Island Wetlands. Many changes have been made to improve these areas and make them safer, but more can be done to improve the safety at the Glenmill Park Dam, and now is the time to do it. Destroying this piece of infrastructure is not the solution.

By converting the dam and improving dam safety, we can:

1. Retain the important infrastructure benefits it serves, like providing water supply, flash flood protection, and ecological benefits for fish and wildlife

2. Retain the historical value that the site holds

3. Provide a safe area for recreation

In the spirit of Dam Safety, I encourage River Heritage Conservancy and our neighbors in Clark County to address the Blackiston Mill Low-Head Dam in Clark County. That dam has an even higher drop than the Glenmill Park Dam, and I would encourage them to pursue a conversion like the one we are finalizing.

Historic Photo of residents recreating along Blackiston Mill Dam

Current Photo of Blackiston Mill Dam in Clark County

River Heritage Conservancy and Origin Park were recently awarded over $40 million in taxpayer funds by the State of Indiana. The City of New Albany and River Heritage Conservancy should work together to improve dam safety and enhance recreational opportunities for everyone. The time for them to meet with us is long overdue.

We are looking forward to discussing this and working on solutions with the New Albany City Council soon.

Spring Cleaning

SPRING CLEANING

The City of New Albany will be placing large dumpsters in 5 locations throughout the city for all of your spring-cleaning needs on May 18th. Staff will be at each location to help load the trash into the dumpsters, and each site will be open from 10am-2pm. Special thanks to EcoTech for helping make this event possible!

DUMPSTER LOCATIONS

• Billy Herman Park — 600 Scribner Drive

• Budd Flynn Center/Bicknell Park – 2005 E Market Street

• The Ekin Center – 1721 Ekin Avenue

• New Albany Street Department – 2113 Grant Line Road

• River Run Waterpark — 224 W Daisy Lane

REMINDERS: Paint, tires, appliances, TVs, concrete or bricks are NOT allowed in the dumpsters. This program is for residential use only and identification will be required.

Touch a Truck!

Get ready to rev up your engines! Join the City of New Albany on 𝐒𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐝𝐚𝐲, 𝐌𝐚𝐲 𝟏𝟏, for the excitement at Touch-A-Truck, where you can get up close and personal with a truckload of cool vehicles - think construction trucks, fire engines, and more.

Don't miss out on this 𝐅𝐑𝐄𝐄 hands-on adventure!

Saturday, May 11, 2024
325 E. 4th Street
9:30am-12:00pm - (9:30am-10:00am, sensory friendly)