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Many of you have heard rumors about the removal of Williams dam. It is one of three options that are being considered. The only option that is good for our community is to make the repairs that is needed to preserve it or at least do nothing. 
The Williams Dam, officially opened in 1913, was once a hydroelectric dam that provided homes and stone industries with electricity until the 1950s. While it no longer provides power to the locals, the White River still falls over the 17ft high walls. Now, you will find a boat launch, fishing areas, picnic areas and the remnants of what used to be a very popular campground. You may even catch a glimpse at endangered species like the Indiana Bat, Fresh-Water Mussels and the American Bald Eagle.

I'm posting not just as the owner of our local bait shop but as someone who, like so many of you, has countless memories tied to the waters of Williams Dam. This place is more than stone and steel; it's a haven where generations have come together to experience the peace and joy of nature, a sanctuary in a fast-changing world. Taking it away would tear apart a part of our community’s soul.

Think of the families who come here, year after year, to fish at dawn with their kids, to watch the sunset glisten over the water, to share picnics by the shore. These aren’t just outings; they’re memories in the making, traditions passed down from grandparents to grandchildren. Removing the dam won’t just rob us of a structure but of a place where life slows down, where a simple afternoon becomes a story passed on through the years.

The DNR’s Reasons for removing the dam include minimizing the danger from drownings, and restoring the natural water way for fish. Removing the dam built in 1913 disrupts a delicate balance that nature has cultivated over a century. The drownings are tragic but often due to human choices. Preserving the dam supports vital ecosystems, offering fish habitats and safeguarding our natural heritage, fostering harmony rather than destruction.

If the dam goes, it’s not just my bait shop of three generation spanning over 60+ years that will close; it’s a way of life disappearing. The Bedford Boat Club, a gathering place for friends, families, and fishing buddies alike, will lose its home on steady waters. Those who live along the river’s banks will face the heartbreak of watching the land they love erode away. Even Bedford itself relies on this dam for its water supply, as do many individuals and farms that use wells. Williams dam is important for our community’s security.

Every weekend, I see new faces discovering this place, making their own traditions, becoming part of a rhythm that’s gone on for generations. It feels so unfair that we would allow this to disappear when all it has done is bring people together. For everyone who has cast a line into these waters, who’s felt the joy of teaching a child to fish, who’s found peace sitting by these banks—let’s not take this away.

Williams Dam isn’t just ours; it belongs to everyone who has yet to find it, everyone who needs a place like this to remind them what matters. Let’s stand together and save it, for us and for those who come after.  Let's pray that these words land on the heart of the decision makers and they decide to choose to preserve this historical site.  Thank you.