Owned and operated by the Metropolitan Sewerage District (MSD), Woodfin’s Craggy Dam has stood in the French Broad River since 1904. Now, with its aging hydropower system facing more than $3 million in needed repairs, the community has the opportunity to carefully consider whether continued investment — or thoughtful removal — best serves ratepayers and the region.
A recent independent engineering study commissioned by the nonprofit American Rivers outlines several significant public benefits of removing the dam. The report concludes that removal would:
1) Reduce upstream flood elevations by 7 to 10 feet for the Mill at Riverside, French Broad River Academy, and other properties. Outcomes during Tropical Storm Helene would likely have been markedly different for them had the dam not been in place;…