Since the 1940s, fish migrating from Harsha Lake to Cloverlick Creek in Clermont County have run into a 200 foot barrier that blocks them from getting to important habitat for spawning. That’s shrunk the population of aquatic creatures in the stream, degraded water quality and divided the ecosystem.
Soon, the dam will be gone and fish will be able to navigate the stream swimmingly again.
The Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Clermont Soil and Water Conservation District and other partners broke ground Tuesday on an initiative to reconnect the 14 mile-long waterway.
“Our goal is to improve the water quality of Cloverlick Creek and make better habitat and environs for the critters that live there and for the locals who recreate here,” said ODNR Program Manager Jon Horn.
Over the next couple months, crews plan to start taking out the dam slowly. There’s a large pool of water and accumulation of sediment behind the concrete structure.
Once the dam is out, officials expect to see improvements in the stream’s health quickly.
“Oftentimes, the fish and bug life and other indicators of water quality respond within a year,” Horn said. “You see big leaps initially, and then there's kind of a trickle effect as things get better and better over time.”
He says the creek provides habitat for sport fish like white bass, forage fish like suckers, and other organisms like mussels, which filter the water to keep it clean. About 3 miles from the dam, the stream flows into Harsha Lake, which provides drinking water for more than half of Clermont County.
The project will also make the creek safer for people paddling and fishing; lowhead dams can be deadly because of the circulating currents they create.
The dam removal is expected to be complete by fall 2027.
The structure was initially built to provide drinking water for the Village of Bethel, but it has been defunct since the 2000s. The old pumphouse will be removed too.
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