Update on Parkville Dam Removal Project and Road Closure 

The work to remove the Parkville Dam and related structures will begin on July 19 and should be complete by August 6. Due to heavy equipment and truck traffic, Parkville Road will be closed at the Portage River bridge from July 19-23, but will remain open for the duration of the project. All work will take place between the hours of  8:30 am — 4 p.m. Monday-Thursday.

As part of the project, workers will focus on three areas: removal of the former dam, to include the exposed rebar and stone abutments; removal of the broken sluice gates on the mill race, to include the stone abutments; and, removal of the old mill footings now visible from the Parkville Bridge.

When complete, the MDNR estimates that a natural 6 to 12-inch flow of water will run through the mill race depending on the season. At the former dam site, rocks will placed in the river to duplicate the riffles that have made the spot popular for kayaking, canoeing and fishing. See the attached documents for photos and engineering sketches of the project.