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Politicians, conservationists gather to bid adieu to crumbling Embrey Dam Date published: 2/24/2004 By ELIZABETH PEZZULLO "Thank you." That's what the Rappahannock River symbolically whispered to those gathered on its shores yesterday, said John Tippett, executive director of the Friends of the Rappahannock. "Today is the day the fish swim upstream," Tippett said from a platform where dignitaries gathered to watch explosives punch a 100-foot hole through Fredericksburg's Embrey Dam. "Today is the day the river runs free." He said it opened up about 160 miles of spawning areas for shad, herring and other fish. Upstream areas had been blocked by the Embrey Dam and an 1855 wooden crib dam that preceded it. Turnout for yesterday's event was estimated to be at least 4,000. Virginia's senior U.S. Sen. John Warner, who steered federal funding to the dam removal project, depressed the ceremonial detonator. An avid fisherman, Warner wore a wide-brimmed brown suede hat adorned with fly-fishing lures. He otherwise looked dignified in a suit and black trench coat, with brown boots rounding out his ensemble. He attended the ceremony with his wife, Jeanne. Mingling among reporters prior to the ceremony, Warner spoke seriously of the need to remove the dam. "It's not just good for the fish and sporting events," he said. "This dam could have broken up during storms and become a real hazard." And it was a good day for Virginia's Secretary of Natural Resources W. Tayloe Murphy, who authored the state Chesapeake Bay Preservation Act while serving in the House of Delegates in the 1980s. "Removing the Embrey Dam is a tangible symbol in restoring the Chesapeake Bay," he said. Murphy, a lifelong resident of the Northern Neck, recalled that the bay once teemed with finfish, shellfish and bluecrabs, which served as the economic and cultural base for the region. "Today, we are taking another step toward making these waters bountiful again." Breaching the dam was an all-out affair for the city's staff. Doug Fawcett, director of the Fredericksburg Department of Public Works, spent weeks planning the event even working past midnight Sunday to ensure the gig went off. And for the most part it did, with the exception of the failed blast. Crowds were under control. No rogue river enthusiasts staged pranks, such as plunging into the water nude, as was rumored. The sound system worked perfectly, and the ceremony was even ahead of schedule, despite a speakers list stocked with often long-winded politicians. Warner abandoned his scripted remarks for heart-felt comments laced with his characteristic humor. "If I'd know there was going to be such a big crowd here I would have brought some propaganda to pass out," he joked. To reach ELIZABETH PEZZULLO: 540/374-5421 epezzullo@freelancestar.com
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