The future of Argo Pond is still undecided as the Ann Arbor City Council unanimously voted Monday night to table a resolution that would repair 90-year-old Argo Dam and save Argo Pond.

The dam, which was built in 1920, today serves as a barrier to the natural flow of the Huron River, which makes the body of water before it, termed Argo Pond, a suitable option for recreational activities — like practice for the five Ann Arbor-area rowing teams including the Michigan Men’s Club Rowing Team.

A recent “dam-in” resolution sponsored by Councilmembers Marcia Higgins (D–Ward 4), Stephen Rapundalo (D–Ward 2) and Sandi Smith (D–Ward 1) proposed that Argo Pond be maintained and any infrastructure deficiencies in Argo Dam be repaired. The resolution was introduced only a few days before the City Council meeting, with council members expected to vote on the resolution Monday night.

With only seven council members present at the meeting and six votes required for the resolution to pass, the Council decided it was best to address the matter at a later date.

During the meeting, Councilmember Sabra Briere (D–Ward 1) expressed uncertainty regarding the resolution, which coupled two issues – keeping the dam and initiating repairs – into one resolution.

Councilmember Carsten Hohnke (D–Ward 5) voiced further concern with what he said was unclear wording in the resolution, also noting that the council was not given adequate time to prepare for a vote on the resolution.

“We received the revised language 20 minutes into this meeting. I would argue there’s still some language in here that seems ambiguous to me,” Hohnke said during the meeting. “I think it’s incredibly unclear for a resolution of this magnitude.”

With interest in how the Council would tackle this continued debate, eight speakers from the community presented their positions at the meeting and many more concerned citizens attended to hear the council’s decision.

Concerns about Argo Dam were first raised in 1995 because of a fishery study, said Laura Rubin, the executive director of the Huron Watershed Council. She said, however, that there has never really been much serious discussion on the issue.

The Huron Watershed Council is a non-profit organization and the leader in advocating the removal of Argo Dam because, as members say, its removal will restore the Huron River to its natural course.

Rubin was the only community speaker present at the meeting to voice opposition to the resolution in favor of keeping and repairing Argo Dam. She argued that the U.S. Geological Service has years of solid data proving the dam currently disrupts the natural flow of the Huron River.

“We rely on the Huron River to serve as a crown jewel of Washtenaw County’s natural environment,” Lana Pollack, president of the Michigan Environmental Council, wrote in an e-mail to City Council. “It is therefore especially distressing year by year to witness degradation of the river’s health with the increasing growth of slimy, unsightly aquatic plant life.”

Resolution supporters also came prepared with their own scientific evidence, which they say confirmed the contrary.

Ann Arbor resident Jeff DeBoer addressed the council, arguing that the river would revert to its natural course if Argo Dam is removed but that it would not be a good thing. He said this natural course would take the river through what he calls the toxic property of nearby DTE Energy Company, which would be bad for the water.

DeBoer said that if the dam was removed it might be possible to reroute the river to take a different path, but he said this would be expensive.

Joe O’Neal, owner of O’Neal Construction Company, whose company oversaw the construction of Argo Dam, estimated that removing the dam will cost $1 million in addition to $750,000 to $1 million to train the river to flow a different course.