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River projects on Mad, Great Miami considered

Officials explore various plans to draw folks to rivers.

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By Steve Bennish, Staff Writer Updated 10:48 PM Tuesday, June 29, 2010

DAYTON — It’s been more than five years since an ambitious plan to create a large-scale river recreation venue adjacent to the Monument Avenue low dam downtown ended on a disappointing note.

A $10 million price tag on the project ambitious enough to attract Olympic competitors seemed to scare away potential sponsors.

Now, officials are exploring some different angles that could eliminate the Monument Avenue low dam and create a more affordable in-the-river project. This one would also be downtown on the Great Miami, closer perhaps to the RiverScape project that now includes a performance stage.

“We are just evaluating potential sources of funding to get that accomplished,” said Mike Ervin co-chair of the Greater Dayton Downtown Plan. “The removal of the low dam is important from a safety reason alone. It’s a great recreational opportunity to have white water and paddling opportunities.”

Pulling more people to the river will help make gathering places downtown, Ervin added. “It’s a high priority for the community. A lot of people feel that way.”

A separate plan would be near Eastwood Lake on the Mad River. That plan, already approved by the U.S. Corps of Engineers, would stabilize a little more than a mile of riverbank, restore the river’s natural flow and habitat and offer boaters and kayakers places to play. It has a price tag of about $1.5 million and is now in a search for grant funding.

The plan includes erosion control and bank stabilization to minimize silt flowing into the river. It also includes small drops at strategic locations to recreate the “riffle pool effect” seen in natural streams. This would increase oxygen levels in the water, said Carrie Scarff, deputy director of Five Rivers MetroParks.

“We’ve done similar things on the Stillwater River with the dam removal and have seen a tremendous increase in fish species diversity in just one year,” she said.

Overall, it should add vibrancy to a stretch of river that connects Wright- Patterson Air Force Base, Tech Town, downtown, and the University of Dayton.

Less fully developed are the ideas that could result in the removal of the Monument Avenue low dam and a restoration of the natural river flow downtown.

However, the parks agency has retained river modification consultant Recreation Engineering Planning in Colorado, author of dozens of river projects in the U.S.

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-7407 or sbennish@Dayton

DailyNews.com.

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