Silver Creek dam improvements halted; Mayor Gahan cited by DNR [Video]

NEW ALBANY, Ind. — The Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has stopped crews from doing emergency maintenance at the Providence Mill Dam in New Albany due to permitting issues.

New Albany Mayor Jeff Gahan approved the construction on Aug. 2 in hopes of improving safety at the Silver Creek Landing in Glenmill Park. It came a few months after the dam’s dangerous undercurrents led to the drowning of a young boy in May.

Gahan said DNR officials had been to the site, but on Wednesday, the department said the construction was happening without the proper permits required by state law.

“Unauthorized work, including placing fill/rock in the floodway, can lead to upstream flooding and create additional public safety issues if not properly constructed,” DNR Director Holly Lawson said in a statement.

Lawson said …