# Something is happening at 5th Ave Dam!



## Mushijobah

It's finally coming down! Let the road to recovery and remediation begin.

http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2012/08/15/destruction-of-a-deadly-dam.html


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## Bubbagon

I wish I had 4 hands so I could give that 4 thumbs up.
Charlie Murphy!!!!!


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## F1504X4

That's great news! Finally back to a healthier and more natural ecosystem!


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## leckig

We received an email about this at the OSU a few days ago. Looks like the place will stink a lot for some time with all the muck exposed.


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## FOSR

Man, after Delaware flooded over 229 a few years ago, and the water went back down, the stink of Dead Bug Tea was really nasty.


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## Mushijobah

Saugeyefisher said:


> Will this affect alum down my way any(three creeks area)? I dont know much about the subject and was wondering what changes, if any will I see?


Nope it will not have any effect. Well, maybe more people will want to hit the Olentangy instead of the 3 Creeks.


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## I_Shock_Em

I'm really interested in seeing the process/progess of the removal of the dam and the following restoration. If anyone who lives in the area (...cough....cough.....Mushi....cough ) could maybe take a picture(s) every week/couple of weeks or so and post them on here, I would really appreciate it. It would be neat to see a timeline of photographs showing the process. I spent a lot of time on that stretch of river during my time at OSU (electroshocking, macroinvertebrate studies, fishing, bowfishing) and was an advocate back then for the dam being removed. I would do it myself, but I no longer live down that way. I think that other members on the site would also find a picture timeline of interest. Thanks


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## Mushijobah

I'll do my best buddy. The City will probably be taking lots of photos too, along with OSU.


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## streamstalker

I'll probably be riding my bicycle by there a lot, so I'll try to snap a few pictures.

I do remember reading about them planning some steambed reconstruction, but I guess until mother nature sends some big water downstream, there will be a lot of stinking silt. It will be interesting to see what the public reaction will be when a west wind wafts that over the football tailgaters in another month.

Where will all of that silt go? Seems to me like it will end up down at the confluence.


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## acklac7

streamstalker said:


> I guess until mother nature sends some big water downstream, there will be a lot of stinking silt.


Remember we're talking about the Olentangy here, no such thing as "Mother Nature" thanks to Delaware Dam and the Corp of Engineers  Scioto different story.

That said im pretty sure I read the silt behind the Dam is somewhat toxic and will be dreged-out, could be wrong.


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## Saugeyefisher

Opps wrong river, Even read article before posting. For some reason I have alum creek on my head.


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## streamstalker

acklac7 said:


> Remember we're talking about the Olentangy here, no such thing as "Mother Nature" thanks to Delaware Dam and the Corp of Engineers  Scioto different story.
> 
> That said im pretty sure I read the silt behind the Dam is somewhat toxic and will be dreged-out, could be wrong.


I know the way the river is "managed" all too well. Sometimes even the Army Corp can't hold back the water, though.


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## FOSR

ACOE can close the dam tight but they can't control anything after that. All those hard surfaces in the 23 corridor dump into the river, and the only control is the requirement for stormwater management like retention basins. And they're only building more.

You can see the effect when you compare the gauge below the dam vs. the gauge at Wilson Bridge, during a rain event.

http://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/uv?c...format=gif_default&period=31&site_no=03225500

http://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/uv?c...format=gif_default&period=31&site_no=03226800


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## Weekender#1

You guys are so lucky to have a dam removed, I see years of work to get to this point and well done by each of you that had anything to do with it. I live up in Findlay and all we are famous for is the extensive flooding that we deal with. But to mention taking out the dams and just everyone flips, what is a dam constructed for but to hold the water back. 
Can anyone give me a good thing that a low head dam does for the community in 2012. I must not understand, we have floods doing millions of dollars of damage and no one at all is saying take the dams out. It just seems so obvious to me, tear them out now.


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## Bubbagon

Weekender#1 said:


> Can anyone give me a good thing that a low head dam does for the community in 2012. I must not understand, we have floods doing millions of dollars of damage and no one at all is saying take the dams out. It just seems so obvious to me, tear them out now.


This is just a low head dam. Essentially it's only job was to house large water/sewer pipes running across the river. 
Unfortunately, it's VERY, VERY expensive to remove them, and the upside doesn't typically outweigh the costs.

I wish any of us could say we had an impact on this dam going away, but to be perfectly honest, we just got lucky on this one.


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## streamstalker

I think one of the reasons that they are able to get rid of this one is that it doesn't house a sewer pipe. I'm guessing that might be true of the one below Main St. too. That would have to cost a fortune to bury a pipe under a river and build a pumping station or reroute things totally.


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## Bubbagon

Never knew that. I always assumed there were sewer pipes in there.
Just read the article, and you are most definitely correct!


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## Smead

IIRC, it's Greenlawn that has the sewer piping...I've heard 60 million $$$ mentioned for the project. I do believe that amount was for removal and creation of the pumping stations.


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## streamstalker

On the Olentangy, there also are lowheads at Dodridge, Olentangy Village, Como, and below and above Antrim. I think all of them hold sewer lines. There are also a few crude rock dams which form pools. I have no idea what the purpose of those was--perhaps to prevent erosion? Maybe they had industrial or agricultural purposes back in the day. I think a couple of guys with a spud bar could bust a few holes in those.


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## acklac7

streamstalker said:


> That would have to cost a fortune to bury a pipe under a river and build a pumping station or reroute things totally.


Yup. Thats what they had to do in order to fix the Dublin sewage overflow issue.

While it's now almost completely overgrown with shrubbery there is a massive pumping complex hidden on the western slope directly below Griggs Dam. As I understand it the pumps connect Dublin Sewage lines to the COC's lines via a massive pipe that runs underneath the River. Actually witnessed this project start-to-finish back in '95, it was a MASSIVE undertaking.


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## streamstalker

Here is what is happening. They are just building the ramps out for the dam destruction. It's a good year for it considering they don't have much water to complicate things. 

A picture of the construction ramp from the east side:









A picture from on the ramp. It would make a nice fishing pier if you got out on Sunday.


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## Mushijobah

I wonder how this is going to effect the removal?? Think the dam will be notched and the pool lowered by the time the high water comes through? If so, that's going to send a lot of sediment downstream. Heads up Greenlawn!

http://ohiodnr.com/parks/delaware/tabid/729/Default.aspx

Boat Ramp Renovations -- Delaware Lake will be drawn down 11' 6", beginning September 10, 2012 through October 15, 2012, to make renovations to the boat ramp at Delaware's main marina &#8226; Due to low lake levels all boat ramps will be inaccessible including the ramp within the Delaware Wildlife area &#8226; Upon completion of construction, the lake will be returned to normal levels &#8226; It is anticipated that refill will begin on March 1, 2013 and should be completed by April 10, 2013 based on normal precipitation patterns


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## JamesT

Drill some holes and stick some dynamite in there.


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## streamstalker

The waterfoul numbers down there are amazing. You can see all of the ducks in the picture from the east side. Dozens of geese were rooting around wherever there were rivulets in the weeds. There were also several egret in other positions.


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## streamstalker

JamesT said:


> Drill some holes and stick some dynamite in there.


JamesT in the house!

Honestly, I think you are right. Blast the crap out of it, and make sure there are a couple of channels. The rubble will make great structure. They make it too complicated.


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## USMC_Galloway

Mushijobah said:


> I wonder how this is going to effect the removal?? Think the dam will be notched and the pool lowered by the time the high water comes through? If so, that's going to send a lot of sediment downstream. Heads up Greenlawn!
> 
> http://ohiodnr.com/parks/delaware/tabid/729/Default.aspx
> 
> Boat Ramp Renovations -- Delaware Lake will be drawn down 11' 6", beginning September 10, 2012 through October 15, 2012, to make renovations to the boat ramp at Delaware's main marina  Due to low lake levels all boat ramps will be inaccessible including the ramp within the Delaware Wildlife area  Upon completion of construction, the lake will be returned to normal levels  It is anticipated that refill will begin on March 1, 2013 and should be completed by April 10, 2013 based on normal precipitation patterns


Sounds like open season for yakers!!!!


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## Mushijobah

Nice pics BTW Stalker. That giant swath of water willow below the dam is sort of unique. Them birdies love it. The silt below the dam on the East side is darn nasty though! Lots of weeds, but when you walk through them you sink!


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## JamesT

Probably lots of goodies just above the dam, buried in sediment.


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## Fishermon5

If you anyone is curious about the project (timeline, what it should look like etc.) I encourage you to checkout OSU's project overview (it also contains links to project updates): http://fod.osu.edu/dam/2012_8-6.htm


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## Mushijobah

Thanks Fishermon. Those before and after simulations are awesome.

The engineered riverbed is sort of funny. They can install weirs, but those pools are going to move!


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## hanmanjr

USMC_Galloway said:


> Sounds like open season for yakers!!!!


My thoughts exactly!!


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## streamstalker

USMC_Galloway said:


> Sounds like open season for yakers!!!!


Maybe open season on yakkers. The Olentangy doesn't play nice when it's rolling.


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## FOSR

This is on the very southeast corner of the old topo, the edge of the map goes pretty much through the Oval:

http://sciotoriverfriends.org/historical/dublin_southeast.jpg

Seagrave is the corner of Kenny and Lane. I'm not sure but it looks like the riverbed goes through the site of the stadium. There's some kind of body of water on the bottom land, and it's not Mirror Lake which is off the map - maybe a fragment of an old oxbow?


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## I_Shock_Em

Thanks for the pics!!!


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## streamstalker

A little progress:


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## streamstalker

I was taking a bike ride down there today and started talking to an OSU senior majoring in Environmental Science. He said they are supposed to start poking holes in the dam on Wednesday.


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## Fishingislife

Joey Jordan we love you!


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## acklac7

thumbs up


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## Dovans

That be a trip to fish downtown. Nice Bass.


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## TDFleischer

acklac7 said:


> thumbs up


Great city bass!

Where did you catch it, lol.

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## acklac7

Thats Joe Jordan guys.

For those who don't know Joe is against removal of the lowhead dams because it takes away the habitat for his beloved Largemouth and the standing water for his beloved boat/photo-ops.


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## I_Shock_Em

Let's not even start down this path guys.....don't wanna see this thread got locked......we all know how the Joe Jordan threads go down


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## FOSR

So do they breach it tomorrow? I'm looking for updates but not finding anything fresh. I would like to be there with a video camera.


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## Silent Mike

Fishermon5 said:


> If you anyone is curious about the project (timeline, what it should look like etc.) I encourage you to checkout OSU's project overview (it also contains links to project updates): http://fod.osu.edu/dam/2012_8-6.htm


it looks like they are going to remove the french field house?


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## BuckeyeDDS

Are they going to take out part of the parking lot off Cannon road?


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## streamstalker

FOSR said:


> So do they breach it tomorrow? I'm looking for updates but not finding anything fresh. I would like to be there with a video camera.


The young man who was my source seemed to be pretty reliable as he was into studying it for Enviro Science and was planning on grad school in hydrology. I'm going to check it out after work today.


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## streamstalker

Rode down there on my bike for some exercise. I talked to a guy on the crew and he said they would start breaching it "some time tomorrow." I did detect a note of hopefulness in his voice, though.


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## Mushijobah

Excellent photos. I'll be down there tomorrow at 4 hopefully to check out the site. Exciting!


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## Bubbagon

Me too!!! I'll bring the champagne...


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## FOSR

OK guys here we go - 10 image limit per message


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## FOSR




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## claytonhaske

No turning back now!!!!!!!


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## brucey42085

those pictures are pretty incredible


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## I_Shock_Em

SWEET!!!!! Thanks for all the pictures guys. It's appreciated. It's great to see it finally happening.


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## Mushijobah

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About 4:15pm 9/29/12


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## Tom8142

Great pictures. Very exciting!


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## zack pahl

Awesome! keep the pics coming guys!


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## FOSR

I thought I heard someone say it had a metal cap, but maybe it's a metal backwall. ??

I'm just lucky that my car was still bogus-parked in the construction site, behind a Cat D-5 but not flattened.


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## Mushijobah

Anyone have any updated photos from today? I want to be there when the water starts coming down signifacantly.


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## FOSR

I wasn't there today. The webcam showed two excavators, I wonder if one had a demolition nipper.


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## BunkerChunker

Here is a link to the job site time lapse webcam.
http://www.truelook.com/clients/messer-webcam/

It looks like the second excavator just has a bucket not nippers but at the end of the time lapse at about 15:15:40 it looks like they broke through something because a bunch of water starts coming through.


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## streamstalker

I took a bike ride after work. Here are some pics from the upper part of the pool looking upstream from the Lane Ave. Bridge: 








These guys are going to have to find a new home.




























There is going to be a lot more exposed muck by sun up:


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## Mushijobah

Sweet. Carpin tomor morn!

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## FOSR

This is such a hoot, after all the media hype and rah-rah hooplah, the place to get real updates is OGF.


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## Mushijobah

OGF rules!

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## HookBender

Thanks for the pic update Streamstalker!


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## I_Shock_Em

Very cool....I can imagine there will be a nice odor in the area here soon


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## claytonhaske

I_Shock_Em said:


> Very cool....I can imagine there will be a nice odor in the area here soon


 Yeah, Just in time for the osu game.


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## streamstalker

I_Shock_Em said:


> Very cool....I can imagine there will be a nice odor in the area here soon


It was already starting to stink yesterday.


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## Fishingislife

acklac7 said:


> thumbs up


I only fish places that you can fish too! "in peewee herman voice"


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## Tom8142

Just saw some great video of the new shore line on 10tv. The police tazed a guy right in the mud by the river.


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## FOSR

One thing I never heard was the amount of drop this brings to the stretch of stream between 5th and the next dam at Dodridge - what would you guess the head at the dam was, maybe 8 feet? That'll be a lot of energy scouring through the silt.

Geologists use a "stream table" to model stream development. Here's a time-lapse of the development of meanders and braiding, beginning with a straight channel:






It might be a giant version of that, if left alone. Let's see what they do to create a man-made idea of what the channel should be, and what the river actually does.


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## streamstalker

Tom8142 said:


> Just saw some great video of the new shore line on 10tv. The police tazed a guy right in the mud by the river.


Face down in the muck:
http://www.10tv.com/content/stories...oman-shot-at-north-columbus-fire-station.html


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## FOSR

...and it was somebody's job to wash the cruiser seat later...


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## FOSR

Here's video of the beginning of the work. I shot a lot more, but this gives you an idea of the process.


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## I_Shock_Em

Any new pics guys? The live camera just doesn't cut it. Looks like there have been some changes though


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## FOSR

No, I need to take the zoom lens down and get some bird shots.


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## Mushijobah

I think Friends of Alum Creek's facebook page has lots of good pics, if I remember correctly.


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## streamstalker

I couldn't fit all of the pictures in my previous post.


































These last shots are between King and 5th.


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## streamstalker

I almost felt like crying when I saw it today. I can't believe how good it looks. The forecasts of muck fields were highly exaggerated and the receding water reveals a rocky bottom and a succession of riffles and pools. The only place I saw extensive mud was just above the dam. The stretch from the dorms down to King Ave. is still fairly featureless, but the rest of it already looks like good smallie habitat. 

These pictures start at Lane Ave. and move on down toward 5th. Ave. Sorry, my camera isn't very good.


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## BunkerChunker

WOW! it does look good great pictures!


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## JamesT

Who is gonna catch the first smallie in the new area? The first f.o. Smallie in the new area?


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## Mushijobah

JamesT said:


> Who is gonna catch the first smallie in the new area? The first f.o. Smallie in the new area?


Exactly what I was thinkin!

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## FOSR

I went down there today. There was more water coming from Delaware (850 CFS) so it had a nice brisk flow. Nice riffle above Lane Avenue:










Looking south from under the Lane Ave bridge - sweet










Plenty of fish, the herons need shopping carts.


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## ejsell

Great pics.


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## Vince™

Updated pictures from today around noon


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## FOSR

I parked at the Fawcett center but I didn't walk all the way down to the dam. Once past the Drake Union, it just looked like the usual pool. Even down there, you could clearly see it was flowing. In all the years I've seen that section of river, it has almost never had any visible flow.

I was barefoot, I had the sandals ready but I forgot to toss them in the car. The bike path was nice and warm.


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## streamstalker

delete


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## acklac7

streamstalker said:


> but, WOW, It's going to be nice!


Just hope they get those CSO's taken care of ASAP. Going to be horrible to have all that spectacular reconstruction work tarnished by raw sewage .

Also just because it isn't really fishy looking doesn't necc. mean there isn't any fish. Numerous species (Suckers, Saugeye) have likely already moved upstream checking out the new "digs" if you will. Going to be interesting to see what is in there come spring/summer.


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## mevers

When fishing downtown I usually put in at the Nationwide launch and head south. Does this mean we'll be able to go north now as well?


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## streamstalker

delete


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## FOSR

There was an informational meeting last night with the project manager, a representative from FLOW, some OSU profs, and the city parks property manager.

I was able to ask my main question, to what extent are they letting the river determine its own course? The answer is, not much, but construction is working northward from the dam and it will be a while before they're treating the northern parts. And, there will be natural changes in the river upstream of the project boundary.


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## Riggu2

mevers said:


> When fishing downtown I usually put in at the Nationwide launch and head south. Does this mean we'll be able to go north now as well?


Where is the nationwide launch?


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## streamstalker

The Nationwide Launch is where Nationwide Blvd. dead ends by the confluence. Just aim for the smokestack, and you can't miss it.


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## Dovans

Is it front street it is off of> Cant remember. Went looking for it once and found it, but, I wouldnt be able to give directions to it. If you cant find it, stop in at RR bait. They will steer you to it..


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## streamstalker

Not hard...It's where Nationwide Blvd deadends at the river. Aim for the smokestack.


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## Riggu2

Can a Jon boat be launched from there? I don't have a yak. Is there parking nearby?


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## streamstalker

No problem with a jon boat. You probably won't be the only one. I've seen bass boats down there. The ramp is super long and steep, so your transmission better not slip. Bring something to chock your wheels. Parking is ample and safe because the city garage is down there, so lots of police presence.

Be really careful around the bridges until you get out of the Tangy and into the Scioto channel. There is also a ton of silt build-up at the bottom of the ramp from the dam demolition washing downriver.


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## mevers

I fish an aluminum bass boat down there but you have to head south as soon as you put in. I'd be very careful about running a big motor until after you have passed beyond the under pass. Lots of rocks and trees and the water is sometimes only 2' deep. If you're heading back into downtown towards COSI it does get a little deeper but not for long. I typically troll the entire thing.

A note about the ramp, it can be downright treacherous so you need to be confident with your launching skills or have a 2nd person there to watch for you as you back down.


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## FOSR

Someone on the Columbus discussion board reported seeing a big bird fishing near Battelle, flying off with a fish - they were guessing falcon but I was guessing osprey. They confirmed a white belly, which is why they thought falcon. I'll see if any of my birder contacts know anything about this.


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## TimTaylor75

Nice little article with some updated pictures of the project.

http://www.columbusunderground.com/project-update-fifth-avenue-dam-removal-bw1


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## Govbarney

Wow , looks like in a few years that is going to be some prime fish habitat. Looks like it will be a smallmouth bass fishing paradise. Especial around those bridge pilings.


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## FOSR

TimTaylor75 said:


> Nice little article with some updated pictures of the project.
> 
> http://www.columbusunderground.com/project-update-fifth-avenue-dam-removal-bw1


I'm on CU too, it's a good source of local information.


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## MassillonBuckeye

Sorry but that "battelle outflow" makes me a little nervous.. I'm sure they take their waste processing very serious, not meant to be a slam on the organization, they just do some pretty wild stuff! That there may end up the goto spot for some hulk raging smallie and hybrid action in a few [email protected]!


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## Dovans

MassillonBuckeye said:


> Sorry but that "battelle outflow" makes me a little nervous.. I'm sure they take their waste processing very serious, not meant to be a slam on the organization, they just do some pretty wild stuff! That there may end up the goto spot for some hulk raging smallie and hybrid action in a few [email protected]!


Knew a guy who worked at Battelle. Very intelligent person. Very scary work he was doing. Wouldnt go into details but he said he did not feel comfortable doing it.


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## foton

Look at it this way.Downstream from Battele no worries about sewage.Plutonium should take care of that. In 10,000 years that should reverse.

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## acklac7

Dovans said:


> Knew a guy who worked at Battelle. Very intelligent person. Very scary work he was doing. Wouldnt go into details but he said he did not feel comfortable doing it.


Battelle near Campus or Battelle West? Battelle out near West Jeff has some scary stuff going on.


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## foton

I've worked both places. I was thinking of King Ave. Manhattan Project research there is common knowledge.

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## MassillonBuckeye

acklac7 said:


> Battelle near Campus or Battelle West? Battelle out near West Jeff has some scary stuff going on.


AJ already tryin to keep em off his spot!  You aint gonna have all those mutants to yourself buddy.. haha!


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## Fishman

Looking forward to the fall black crappie run!


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## FOSR

Bump for an update:

Yesterday Columbus had a celebration at the dam site. Mayor Coleman was among a group who paddled (and dragged) down the river from Tuttle Park to the overlook where the dam used to be.

Coleman giving a speech, in shorts and wet shoes










Looking south from the King Ave. bridge, toward the former dam site










Looking north - the water is clear and moving and you can see a stony bottom. Sweet! They constructed some weirs along the banks.










There's still a lot of temporary orange fencing. They were having a tough time getting grasses to grow because the geese were eating everything. I overheaard one city official say the plastic coyotes didn't fool the geese.


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## Govbarney

FOSR said:


> There's still a lot of temporary orange fencing. They were having a tough time getting grasses to grow because the geese were eating everything. I overheaard one city official say the plastic coyotes didn't fool the geese.


They started shooting fireworks off in the mornings , to scare the geese off , from what I am told that did the trick for at least a little while , but then the geese started wising up to that. 

What needs to happen is a controlled hunt, but that's highly unlikely to ever happen.


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## Bucks4life

There's tons of work being done downtown around the peninsula. I wouldn't be surprised if the work made it up that far North. 


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## FOSR

As far as I can tell, all of the earth moving is done at 5th, but there's still some more planting, and more removal of honeysuckle between the river and Olentangy River Road. Now when you drive ORR you can see the river in some sections, instead of just a wall of foliage. Not many places to park, though, without an OSU sticker.


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## Mushijobah

River looks good and keeps improving. CAught some nice fish right on campus this summer.


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