A crew finished putting the final touches on the removal of Steele’s Mill Dam on Hitchcock Creek Tuesday, according to one of the workers.

Now the creek is free to run its natural course, be more populated by native species of fish and make way for a new canoe and kayak trail leading from Rockingham proper to the Pee Dee River.

Kevin Tweedy of Michael Baker Engineering in Cary sent an e-mail update on the completion of the work to city officials.

“... basically involved moving some of the rubble to open up the channel cross-section a bit, (and) placing the rubble along the remaining toe of the dam foundations,” Tweedy wrote.

There was also re-excavating the pool at the base of the dam.

Though the rocks are likely to be moved by future storm conditions, Tweedy said the work should facilitate fish migration as time passes.

“We will be compiling the final documentation over the weeks to come to close out all the permits and requirements,” he wrote.

City of Rockingham administration has touted the work on Hitchcock Creek for some time, and the removal of the dam is but one piece of a larger vision for the waterway.

Officials hope to create a primitive camp ground where individuals and families will be able to stop along the new water trail and appreciate the natural scenery of the creek at Diggs Tract.

“This isn’t just about removing a dam, it’s about revitalizing Hitchcock Creek into an even greater asset for our community,” said Rockingham Mayor Gene McLaurin in a press release last week. “We are excited about the creation of a new blue trail, and the economic, recreation and quality of life rewards that it will bring.

“Soon, a healthy Hitchcock Creek will be a source of pride for all of us, and residents and visitors alike will be able to reap the benefits.”

Among the species of fish likely to thrive with expanded spawning on the creek are hickory shad, blueback herring, striped bass and Atlantic sturgeon, according to the non-profit group American Rivers.

American Rivers partnered with the City of Rockingham, Pilotview Resource Conservation and Development, Resource Institute Resource Conservation and Development and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to see the project completed.