NJTU, working closely with representatives of the owners of the former YMCA dam in Mount Olive and the South Branch Watershed Association (SBWA), have recently announced our intention to work together to remove the former YMCA dam on the upper South Branch Raritan river in Flanders off River Road. This 12 foot high dam spanning the width of the river has fallen into poor condition, a victim of age. This camp was long ago closed and the land sits, undeveloped as high density housing due to the Highlands Act.
Talks with owner representatives began last December (’07) and continued to a point where we agreed to partner to remove this structure and restore the upstream pond created by the dam. In fact, early last week (wk. of Aug. 10th), the owners went ahead with DEP Dam Safety and DEP Fish & Wildlife permits and removed a large section of the spillway, cutting the depth of the upstream pond by 4 feet. Meetings continue to work towards a full breach, but the good news is that a second dam is coming down on a major NJ trout stream with many more in the works!
