Leavittsburg Dam Removal

RiverReach Construction and their design team were contracted by the Trumbull County Metroparks to remove the Leavittsburg Dam. This dam was selected to be removed as Mahoning River’s industrial history and prior use by the steel mills and ancillary industries often returned the water into the river before the Clean Water Act was passed causing industrial waste and a variety of pollutants to be deposited into the river.

The primary objectives included the removal of river-bound sediments, the removal of a lowhead dam, slope stability near the roadway embankment, riverbank stabilization, channel modification for riffle-pool morphology, and habitat enhancement. Restoration techniques involved selective sections of dam removal, with remnant portions remaining for the lateral stability of adjacent structures and vertical grade control stability along the channel bed.

Bank stabilization techniques included toe rock armoring and rock bendway weir structures to shift erosive energy away from the riverbank. River restoration techniques also included riffle-pool modifications with substrate and woody feature placement for habitat enhancement. The restored free-flowing river provides an ecological uplift for watershed water quality, improved river functionality, and safe passage for recreational paddlers.