Ross said there are pressing problems with the dam's current condition. If nothing is done, people downriver could be in danger, and the town can't get the dam insured and is saddled with the liability risks.

So, he said, the town is currently working on the permit for demolition.

Winchell said the decision to repair the McGregor Dam at Ganienkeh was based on an analysis of alternatives, including removal, rehabilitation and replacement.

"McGregor Dam impounds Miner Lake, which is a valuable resource for the local residents both for the recreational opportunities and for the fish and game that it provides," he said. "The breaching of the dam was strongly opposed by local residents, including Native Americans."

However, locals who aren't Ganienkeh residents point out that while there is some advantage to keeping the dam in place to control flooding and debris washing downriver, recreational use of the lake is restricted to them because it is on Ganienkeh land. Also, if the LaSell Dam is gone, debris washing downriver wouldn't collect behind it anyway.

Avoiding a showdown with the Mohawks was also factored into the decision to restore the McGregor Dam.

"Any attempt to breach the dam may have been physically blocked by residents, either causing a potentially volatile situation or, if successful, resulting in the dam continuing to slowly deteriorate and causing an unsafe situation," Winchell said.

The design for McGregor Dam is basically a rehabilitation of the existing structure and includes repairing and replacing concrete, increasing the spillway capacity and the addition of rock anchors to provide additional stability to the dam.

All work is in compliance with current dam-safety regulations, Winchell said.