Low Head Dams

The Darby Watershed is a free flowing stream except for two low-head dams.  The dams were all built in the middle 1900s in order to create small recreational pools (ODNR, 1992).  The first low-head dam, Galbraith Dam is located on Darby Dan Farms just upstream from Batelle-Darby Metro Park at RM 37.55 and is approximately 10 feet in height.  This dam does not severely impact the environmental quality of Big Darby Creek but has affected the diversity of fish species.  Just downstream from the dam, a population of fish exist that are not found anywhere upstream of the dam which, according to local residents, where found there in the past (i.e. flathead catfish) (Smith, Personal Communication, 2003).  The second low-head dam is located inside the corporation limits of Milford Center at RM 66.30.  This dam has been partially breached but pooling exists upstream of the dam. 

Two dams have been removed since 1990.  A dam existed near the mouth of the Little Darby at RM 0.7 which was removed and the stream was restored in 1990.  In addition the Nature Conservancy acquired land around RM 38.95 and removed the dam on this property in the early 1990s.

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