Demolition of the Sprout Brook Dam began Wednesday morning in the Town of Cortlandt after five years.

"This small, Sprout Brook Dam is one dam among many on the Hudson River Tributaries that have got to come down in order to rebuild fish populations," said president of the Hudson Valley Stream Conservancy, Gareth Hougham.

The stream is a common place for fish to spawn in the spring.

It also allows fish to easily migrate to and from the Hudson River and Atlantic Ocean.

Removing the dam will reverse declining fish species says Hougham.

"Two weeks from now, we think we'll have a beautiful, free flowing stream that the river herring and American eel will be able to swim up and down freely again," says Hougham.

Councilman James Creighton, with the Town of Cortlandt, was excited to get the project underway and extremely thankful for the two grants that made it all possible.

"Giving our wildlife the chance to thrive here in the town is incredibly important," said Councilman Creighton. "The state has been a fabulous partner with the grant funding. It just takes a lot of work."

After roughly 20 minutes of drilling, the dam split open, allowing the water for the first time in years to flow through.

The future for Sprout Brook is to conduct its first-ever diversity study this year to see what species reside in the waterway.