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Two excavators, chisel and dig to remove Lassiter Mill Dam in the Uwharrie River in Randolph
County, North Carolina. This structure was 200 feet long and stood 12 feet high as part
of a grits mill operation dating back to 1805.
Prior to demolition, The Lassiter mill building collapsed on its own, but the concrete structure
was still standing, creating a wall that turned the free-flowing river into a stagnant pond
-- too slow, too deep, and too silty for the mussels and fish that need the natural, shallow,
fast flowing water to survive.
But all this changed on August 27, 2013 when demolition began. The goal: to restore the
health of the river.
A team of biologists that surveyed the area in May confirmed the presence of rare aquatic
wonders unique to the Piedmont region of central North Carolina. The Uwharrie River is habitat
for sixteen species of fish, mussels and salamanders that are considered rare, threatened or endangered.
Removing Lassiter Mill Dam opened up 189 river miles.
A popular fish that will benefit from this restoration is the savory American shad. Indeed,
the shad are coming!
In the next few years, Duke Energy-Progress plans to trap and transport over 20,000 American
shad and release the fish into the Pee Dee River above areas currently blocked.
Two more dams in the same watershed are scheduled for removal within the next year to fully
reconnect the Uwharrie River.
A strong and partnership between many organizations made this restoration project possible and
we hope to see many more obsolete dams removed in NC and throughout the southeast region.