The chambers were standing room only and the public comment continued for almost an hour with very little opposition.
The primary public support was tourist economy and wildlife preservation.
The opposing comments surrounded potential loss of water rights and long term effects of such a decision. Concern was also expressed with regards to the property rights of the land owners along the river.
Each Board member cited various reasons for their support, from personal memories of the river, to environmental reasons and economic impact.
Wright stated, "As long as I live there will be no more dams along that stretch of river."