Dam Removal Using a Pilot Channel for Sediment Management

Structural deterioration necessitated the removal of the Pucker Street Dam on the Dowagiac River in Niles, Michigan. Several alternatives for managing impounded sediment were considered, but ultimately due to cost and permitting considerations, excavation of a pilot channel was selected for design and construction. The selected alternative involved excavating a primary flow channel through the impounded sediment, while leaving floodplain sediments flanking either side of the channel. This allows the river to reoccupy its floodplain through natural riverine processes while minimizing large-scale erosion, downcutting, and downstream sedimentation. The Dowagiac River is one of the few cold-water streams located in southwestern Michigan and the removal of the Pucker Street Dam reconnected more than 150 miles of stream channel and critical habitat for migratory salmonids.