WRM 2000 Issue identification

Aesthetic issues

How the dam and the surrounding area look now, what they looked like before (either before the dam or at the heyday of the dams use), and what they can look like after the repair/removal decision is made are significant aspects of the issue in hand. Depending on the answers, attitudes towards either decision can widely change.

Aesthetic concerns

Checklist questions

Does the community have a strong preference for still water or for moving water?
What are important aesthetic hallmarks for retaining or for removing the dam?
What will be lost or gained aesthetically by the repair or removal? What will the aesthetic impacts on the area and its users be?
How can the aesthetics of the area be enhanced through the repair/removal process (for example, decreased weeds in the pond, having the dam look different)? What aesthetic opportunities arise from the potentially dewatered bed?

Toolbox

The survey in Appendix C of this module can help you evaluate the community's outlook on the aesthetics of the dam and pond.

Possible changes in the scenery

Checklist questions

If the dam were removed, what will the river look like? Width? Depth? Path of the channel? Will there be pools, riffles, rapids, and waterfalls?
If the dam were removed, what type of land environment would develop (for example, wetlands, grasslands, or prairies)?
Is water quality an issue? Are there opportunities to improve water quality (for example, increased water clarity or reduced algal blooms) if the dam is repaired? If the dam is removed?
If the dam were repaired, how often would dredging of the pond be required? How would this affect the aesthetics of the area?
When the dam is either repaired or removed, how much debris will be produced? What debris should be cleaned up and what may provide valuable fish/wildlife habitat (for example, trash or large woody debris)?
When the dam is either repaired or removed, will there be efforts to replant the area that was disturbed during reconstruction or removal? Will it be allowed to naturally “green up” from plant seeds that are in the soil (for example, is the area a candidate for prairie restoration or lowland hardwood forest)?
If the dam were removed, would there be development or would the area revert to a natural setting?
If the dam were removed, would there be efforts to replant the area that was formerly underwater? Would it be allowed to naturally “green up” from plant seeds that are in the remaining soil?

Toolbox

Recent and historical topographic maps are available from the Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey; web site: http://www.uwex.edu/wgnhs/. Aerial photographs are listed at the Wisconsin State Cartographer Office; web site: http://feature.geography.wisc.edu/sco/sco.html
Professional landscape architects
Geographic information system data for soils, groundwater data, floodplain mapping, surveys, and vegetation data
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources: http://www.dnr.state.wi.us
Land conservation districts
University of Wisconsin (Landscape Architecture and Urban and Regional Planning Departments)

Options for enhancing visual appeal

Checklist questions

Can aesthetically pleasing designs for dam restoration be incorporated into the designs of surrounding structures in your community?
What are the visual impacts of fish passage devices?
Can the natural landscapes in town be enhanced during the repair or removal process? Is a scenic easement of land possible?
Is there interest in the community to enhance the natural landscape around the dam site (for example, greenways and open space -- either through dam repair or as part of the removal project)?
How does the land surrounding the dam site fit into the context of other local or regional resources (for example, warm water lakes or cold water streams nearby)?
Can land-use and zoning considerations (such as floodplain issues) change as a result of the community’s decision?
How many acres will be directly affected by the decision to repair/remove the dam?
What are the options for providing access to the river?
Will annexation issues result from a dam’s removal?

Toolbox

Livable Wisconsin, c/o Citizens for a Better Environment, 152 W. Wisconsin Ave., Suite 510, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53203, (414/271-7280; fax 414/271-5904 (email: cbewi@cbemw.org; web site http://www.cbemw.org).
Your county University of Wisconsin-Extension Office, Natural Resources and Economic Development agent
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources: http://www.dnr.state.wi.us
The U.S. Department of Energy has resources for community outreach specifically addressing visual preferences and has tools for helping the community determine how they want their communities to look. Their main web site can be found at http://www.energy.gov. The Community Partnerships Team at Department of Energy’s Center of Excellence for Sustainable Development has been working with communities to enhance sustainable community development activities. This team seeks out proactive community leaders interested in smart sustainable growth, and establishes successful implementation partnerships. Contact Patrick Lana, email: patrick_lana@nrel.gov; telephone 303/275.4818 or 303/275.4820, Denver Regional Office, 1617 Cole Blvd., MS 1721, Golden, Colorado 80401, telephone: 303/275.4826, fax: 303/275.4830; web site: http://www.sustainable.doe.gov/landuse/luintro.shtml

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URL: http://www.ies.wisc.edu/research/wrm00/issueaes.htm