the upper altamaha initiative:
fall 2007
porterdale dam evaluation
Anne Flinn and Megan Mailloux (not pictured)
Abstract
In the late 19 th century, a dam was constructed on the Yellow River, in the City of Porterdale, to supply power to a textile mill. Several years later the dam was raised to its current height. The Bibb company operated the mill, and the city of Porterdale grew into a thriving mill town. The dam provided power until the early 1990's, and continues to operate on a small scale today. The mill building has been renovated into loft apartments and live-work units, and continues to play a central role in the life of the community.
Though it is not currently a major issue in the community, the city council and mayor of Porterdale request an objective assessment of the historical, ecological, economic, legal and issues surrounding three scenarios: maintaining the dam in its current condition, lowering the dam to its original level, or complete removal. We will also explore the option of breaching the dam. Through historical research and identification of precedents, interviews with experts, ecological assessment and visual representations we aim to provide the city council with an unbiased report and visual aids that they can use to decide the fate of the dam and educate stakeholders.
Our conclusions, in turn, will affect the future of the Porterdale Dam, the Yellow River and, ultimately, the Altamaha River Basin. |
