A low dam built across the river to raise water levels upstream at Fort Leonard repaired to protect Hellbenders

Fort Leonard Wood Garrison Command recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to signify the completion of a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers repair project on the installation’s 80-year-old weir in the Big Piney River. A weir is a low dam built across a river to raise water levels upstream. This weir ponds water for the installation’s water supply. The 5.8-million dollar project was further complicated by being home to an endangered species–the Eastern Hellbender. Efforts had to be made to protect the hellbenders from harm during the repair project.