Philadelphia (April 7, 2016) – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Philadelphia District will hold a public meeting April 13 at 6:00 p.m. at the Cobbs Creek Environmental Education Center in Philadelphia regarding a proposal to partially remove the Woodland Dam in order to restore fish passage upstream. Army Corps and Philadelphia Water Department representatives will be available to answer questions on the plan. The public is invited to comment on the proposal by May 9, 2016.
The Woodland Dam is located close to the Cobbs Creek Parkway and Woodland Avenue and is the first impediment to fish passage on Cobbs Creek. Completing the project would provide access to approximately four miles of habitat for migratory fish species, including the blueback herring, which historically spawned and foraged in Cobbs Creek and its tributaries.
The project team investigated several alternatives to reestablish fish passage along Cobbs Creek, and based on environmental impacts, costs, design aspects, and accomplishing project goals, the partial removal of the Woodland Dam emerged as the recommended plan.
The property is owned by the City of Philadelphia and managed by the Philadelphia Parks and Recreation Department. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is responsible for design and construction of the project, while the non-federal sponsor, the Philadelphia Water Department, will be responsible for any future maintenance of the project.
The Environmental Assessment report is available for download. The public meeting will be held at the Cobbs Creek Environmental Education Center, 700 Cobbs Creek Parkway (63rd & Catharine Streets), Philadelphia, PA. Comments can be emailed to PDPA-NAP@USACE.ARMY.MIL or sent in writing to U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Planning Division, 100 Penn Square E. Philadelphia PA 19107.
Release no. 16-008