Ramseur Dam Removal Restores Deep River Flow

Workers have removed the Ramseur Dam, a century-old structure that once powered a sawmill and later the Columbia Manufacturing Company. The project reconnects the Deep River, opening it to fish migration, improving water quality, and expanding recreational access.

The dam, built largely of rock, had deteriorated for years. Its gates broke, water seeped through the structure, and rebar protruded from the concrete. It no longer generated power or served any industrial purpose.

"The river belongs to nature and to the people—to everybody," Mayor Hampton Spivey of Ramseur said. "Dam removal allows the Deep River to continue its story while looking toward the future."

North Carolina has approximately 28,000 inventoried dams. Many are aging past their design life. Experts estimate 70 percent of dams nationally have exceeded their average lifespan, creating safety and liability concerns for towns and owners.

Lizzy Stokes-Cawley, associate director of conservation for American Rivers, said the removal positions the Deep and Cape Fear river systems for broader restoration. "Ramseur's next chapter is about reconnecting—to the river, to each other, and to a restored Deep and Cape Fear River system flowing forward together," she said.