Scarlet Tanager found near the Black River
(This is the July Picture of the Month in the Pigeon River Country.)
Here are two pictures with dates of the Song of the Morning pond drawdown which began May 22:
PictureJune 10, 2014
Picture
July 7, 2014 - courtesy of John Walters

 Aquatic Habitat Grant Program Announcement

The state has announced an award of $272,000 to Golden Lotus for dam removal!
Agreement reached on  Dam Removal

Judge Allen issued a Consent Judgment on the Song of the Morning Dam removal case.on Thursday, April 3. Huron Pines has agreed to take the lead in the dam removal project which will begin after the drawdown is complete.
The drawdown began on May 22. There is 50+ years of organic sediment in the pond that will slowly flow downstream during the drawdown. This process will almost certainly take at least this summer to complete safely.  Unfortunately you will see a substantial amount of silt and organic matter which will make the Pigeon appear dark and murky, particularly at the Sturgeon Valley Road bridge during much of this process. Golden Lotus, with our help, is carefully monitoring the situation to minimize as much as possible the impact on the Pigeon.
Golden Lotus, Trout Unlimited, and the Association are now cooperating to reduce as much as possible the potential for harm to the Pigeon River during the dam removal stage which, hopefully, will begin next year after the draw down is complete. See our Spring newsletter for a description of our role in this process.