As with all dam removals, this project started when the dam owner made the decision to have their dam removed.  In 2012, MWA received a letter from International Process Plants and Equipment Corporation (IPPE) stating that they were interested in removing 2 obsolete dams on their property and looking to partner on next steps.  In a river like the Musconetcong, the flows fluctuate seasonally and can be too low for months at a time to generate sufficient hydropower to meet modern needs.  Dam owners find themselves in possession of a highly regulated piece of infrastructure that requires considerable maintenance and is no longer “pulling its weight.”  In addition, dam owners are eager to rid themselves of a potential liability that might occur in the event of a dam failure during a storm event and flooding or an accident that may occur during recreational use.

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When an owner wishes to remove a dam there are usually organizations that can step in to facilitate the process and help to assemble funding accomplish removal.  In general, these organizations become involved because of a desire to improve water quality for human and aquatic life, reconnect fisheries and provide kayakers and canoeists with safe passage free of portages and treacherous hydraulic traps below the dams.  Fishermen will enjoy a greater variety of native fish to catch, possibly including shad, following the dam removal.  In the northwestern part of New Jersey, where karst geology is predominant, surface water quality cannot be separated from groundwater quality.  The health of our rivers and streams is only one degree of separation from the health of our drinking water.