WILLIAMS—Last month the City of Williams passed an ordinance removing the prohibition of fishing off of the dam and crossing to get to the other side.

Previously one was required to use the road just north of the dam to get to the trail on the other side. The problem with the road is it is difficult to pass for elderly or people with other difficulties.

The ordinance stated that the City of Williams acknowledged the “…recreational value of the Santa Fe Dam and its use as a means of access to other recreational activities.” They declared that the prohibition upon traversing upon the dam to be detrimental to the interest of the City. They might have also noted that the prohibition was largely ignored.

The signs have recently been changed to include a warning about traversing the dam. If you take your kids fishing, you should not allow small children to sit on the edge of the dam facing the water. You should also note that there is no fence or barrier on the other side. People with small children should not fish off of the dam but use the shoreline on either side.

It should also be noted that during the spring thaw, water flows over the dam swiftly and can cause the dam to be slippery.

What the City of Williams DID NOT approve of was littering and illegal dumping of trash which has been a problem at the Santa Fe dam. Trash and plastic water and glass beer bottles can be found. Some of these dropped by hikers. Fishing line, some including hooks, and used bait containers are left along the shoreline. Even used electronic can be found dumped over the side of the dam and left laying about.

City ordinance does NOT allow this.

Illegal dumping activity can be reported to the Williams Police Department by dialing (928) 635-4461. If you have a cell phone, it would help to snap a picture of the vehicle and license plate if you can do it without endangering yourself or those with you.