The Forest Service is proposing to rebuild and enlarge the existing Bobby N. Setzer State Fish Hatchery along the Davidson River without removing the dam that diverts water into the facility. American Whitewater and many partner groups (including angling groups) believe that there are water withdrawal options that do not require a dam on the Davidson River, and would like to see the current dam removed as part of the renovations. Technical solutions exist. We encourage regional paddlers to submit a comment on this project requesting that dam removal occur as part of this project. 

The small lowhead dam on the Davidson River has no water storage capacity or purpose other than the facility diversion yet poses a hazard and recreational impediment to paddlers and other river visitors. The dam is located at the end of the Class IV upper Davidson River and the beginning of the Class II lower Davidson River. The area is popular with hikers, paddlers, anglers, and other forest visitors. 

The Forest Service has been planning to rebuild the trout hatchery for at least a couple years. American Whitewater and other groups attended a site visit in the fall of 2020 and requested that the dam be removed as part of the project. The hatchery was subsequently severely damaged in a flood, making the project more time sensitive. 

If you would like to see the dam removed on the Davidson River, please review the project proposal and write the Forest Service an email expressing the recreational impacts of the dam and specifically ask that it be removed as part of the Bobby Setzer Fish Hatchery Redesign Project.