Cramerton sees movement in dam removal project

A recent storm had Cramerton leaders nervous.

As it was raining on Thursday, Dec. 15, the South Fork River was rising, Cramerton Mayor Nelson Wills said.

People reached out to him, and Wills reached out to Cramerton's fire chief.

"There's a phenomenon in Cramerton. We know it's going to flood, but it just shows up really quick," Wills said. "It shows up quick because it's dammed up, so it'll rise quickly. It's hard to predict how far it's going to go in our setting."

While floodwaters didn't damage any property in Cramerton in that particular instance, town officials are moving forward with a project that they are hoping will ease the threat of flooding in Cramerton.

On Monday, Dec. 12, the town held an informational meeting to talk about removing part of the Armstrong Ford Road dam, a project they think will mitigate flooding. An informal vote at the meeting was largely in favor of removing the dam.

Gaston County, Cramerton and Belmont, along with Catawba Riverkeeper, funded a study to look at the feasibility of the study and the impact removing the dam would have on the river.

Specifically, the study wanted to find out what would happen to the discharge from a nearby wastewater treatment plant if the dam is altered, as well as what the dam's removal would do to a bridge that is downstream. They also performed sediment analysis to be sure that the removal of the dam won't release contaminants into Lake Wylie.

The results are in: Cramerton and other affected municipalities can move forward in their pursuit of the project.

Brandon Jones, a riverkeeper at the Catawba Riverkeeper Foundation, said that removing part of the dam will not have an impact on wastewater discharge.

The study also found that it will not impact the bridge downstream, and removing the top five to six feet of the dam will not affect the sediment that's built up around it.

"The results were that this project is feasible," Jones said.

Wills said that removing the dam will help not just Cramerton, but McAdenville, which also sees flooding.

"Part of this whole dam removal is we have two North Carolina towns that flood back to back. It's not just Cramerton. It's McAdenville also," Wills said.

Removing the dam is expected to improve water quality, expand the habitats for fish and other wildlife, and allow the river water to move faster, without a barrier impeding its flow.

"Flood mitigation and river health are two of the big things, and then you pick up additional advantages with recreation opportunities," Wills said.

The dam was built by N.C. DOT in 1926 so that Stuart Cramer, a wealthy manufacturer for whom Cramerton was named, could ride his yacht around.

"So that was a handshake in Raleigh 96 years ago to put a dam up with no consideration of the environment or anything else that would happen over 100 years," Wills said. "So a lot of this is returning the river closer to its natural state."

Cramerton, McAdenville, Belmont and Gaston County officials next must hold a joint meeting about the dam.

"We all need to be on the same page and have the same goals as we're moving us forward based on the magnitude of the project and its effect on southeastern Gaston County," Wills said.

The dam's removal isn't yet certain. The project will eventually need a green light from both local and state officials. The whole process — from the inception of the project to the removal of the dam — could take several years to complete.

"That's why we're talking. I want 100% exposure and transparency in this project throughout the process. I want to have the public engaged and aware of the process as it moves forward," Wills said. "The good news is, it's continuing to move forward."

Reporter Kara Fohner at 704-869-1850 or at kfohner@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on The Gaston Gazette: Cramerton sees movement in dam removal project