Project Title: Riverton Dam Removal (FFS #R5TG)

State: Virginia

Project Description: The Riverton dam, once located on the North Fork of the Shenandoah River, was originally built as part of a hydroelectric plant more than 100 years ago. It was decommissioned in 1930 and became a serious safety hazard as well as an impediment to American eel populations. The Service awarded the town of Front Royal, Virginia, $70,000 in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds to remove the dam.

The Front Royal Town Council unanimously voted in favor of dam removal at a July 6 meeting after two deadly accidents in April and June 2010. The work was completed in late October 2010, opening approximately 90 acres of habitat for the American eel and making the North Fork of the Shenandoah just a little safer.

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Originally posted 07/13/2010
Page Completed 02/23/2011