Embrey Dam, Rappahannock River, VA

February 23, 2004 was another landmark day for rivers as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, under the watchful eye of Senator John Warner, detonated 600 tons of explosives to breach Embrey Dam on the Rappahannock River in northern Virginia.  American Rivers’ staff joined almost 6,000 other revelers to celebrate the liberation of the Rappahannock for the city of Fredericksburg.  The event was the result of years of work by Friends of the Rappahannock, American Rivers, and Senator Warner, who secured $10 million from Congress for the removal.

The initial breaching of this aging structure, which had outlived any initial usefulness, was part of a longer-term removal process that culminated in 2006 with removal of the entire dam from the river.  Thanks to the removal, more than 170 miles of habitat are now open to several species of migratory fish, including American shad and river herring, and to recreationalists and other river lovers—all of whom found a powerful ally in Senator John Warner who was responsible for ensuring U.S. Congressional appropriations for the project. 

John Tippett, Executive Director for Friends of the Rappahannock, the group that worked tirelessly for years to bring this project to fruition, put it best when he pronounced “Today, the river runs free…” Since Embrey Dam came down, grass and small trees have sprouted along the riverbank, rock gardens have been exposed, and paddling and fishing on this stretch of the river are becoming increasingly popular.

View the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries video of the Embrey Removal.