DURHAM, N.H. (AP) — The town of Durham has voted to remove a dam on the Oyster River, after more than a decade of discussion and a failed petition effort to save it.
The vote at Tuesday's town elections to remove the Mill Pond dam was 1,706 to 596.
It followed a September vote by the Durham Town Council to remove the 140-foot-long dam, which was developed at the turn of the century to supply water power.
It no longer does so. Advocates for removing the dam said it would improve water quality and restore wildlife habitat.
But advocates for preserving it said the pond above the dam provides aesthetic and recreational resources for the families who ice skate and paddle there.
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Updated: Durham will vote on Mill Pond Dam removal after successful petition