To:

The Marion County Commission, the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, and the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation

We, the undersigned residents of Marion County, avid paddlers, and conservationists, petition local and state authorities to take immediate action to remove the dangerous structure, which now blocks our free movement of the Sequachie river. The obsolete low-head dam at Ketner’s Mill.

Low-head dams are known as ‘drowning machines’. Many preventable drownings have taken place at Ketner’s Mill Dam.

The Tennessee public has a legal right to navigate and safely enjoy state rivers. The existing structure stands as nothing but a safety hazard, and barrier for those navigating the river.

The mill itself has not relied on the dam for commercial operations in decades. The structure serves no modern utility for flood control or water management. The dam disrupts natural water flow, blocks the movement of native fish and aquatic species, and damages the local river ecosystem.

We urge Marion County officials and state conservation agencies to step in, collaborate with the property owners, and secure public funding- such as federal fish passage grants- to safely dismantle this hazardous barrier. It is time to prioritize human life, ecological health, and the public’s right to safe recreation.