The North Carolina Division of Water Quality issued a certificate of approval last week for Duke Power to remove the Dillsboro Dam.

The approval of the 401 Certificate is a preliminary step in Duke’s mitigation proposal. The plan still requires approval by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. FERC will decide whether Duke’s proposal, the alternative settlement signed by several local governments, or some combination of the two is the best management plan for the utility’s hydropower operations in the region.

The certificate was issued on May 16. Kevin Barnett with DWQ said the permit should be available for public inspection in the Asheville DWQ office this week. The state DWQ was one of the original signers of the Duke mitigation proposal.