The Emrichsville Dam on the White River at Belmont Beach, one of more than 90 dangerous low-head dams across Indiana, will be removed with funds from a $750,000 federal grant.
Low-head dams, like Emrichsville, are extremely dangerous to Hoosiers enjoying time out on the water. The deaths of two kayakers who drowned after their boats capsized going over the dam April 16 was a stark reminder of the risks these structures pose.
Scott Salmon, executive director of Friends of the White River, said these structures create sort of a sideways whirlpool that recirculates water at the dam's base rather than flushing it downstream. The phenomenon is similar to how an ocean’s rip tide can pull people underwater and away from shore.
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by: Tyler Haughn
Posted: Apr 16, 2024 / 11:07 PM EDT
Updated: Apr 16, 2024 / 11:27 PM EDT
A 911 caller said they saw the kayakers travel over the remnants of the low-head dam before their boats capsized and ejected the men into the water. The occupants never surfaced.
Firefighters found one blue and one orange kayak just south of the train tracks near the bank, the fire department said in a news release late Tuesday.
Over, Under, Gone - The Killer in Our Rivers
Low Head Dams have a quiet, inviting, picture postcard quality about them. But the water going over these dams can rise and erupt into a violent, Jekyll-Hyde death trap.
In this new WFYI documentary, we feel the attraction to these killer dams. We explore the efforts to mitigate their threat, and we become better equipped to keep ourselves out of danger.
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