FRANKLIN (AP) — The removal of a Harpeth River dam at Franklin has won an environmental award.

The Harpeth Restoration Project was declared the Excellence in Natural Heritage category among the 2013 Governor's Environmental Stewardship Awards. The Tennessean (http://tnne.ws/13RnxUd ) reported the honor will be presented at a June 25 ceremony in Nashville.

The project cost about $850,000 and included state and federal funds. It made environmental improvements to the Harpeth and made the river more accessible to fishermen and canoe enthusiasts.

The lowhead dam was removed last summer. A cross vane of boulders was built to back up the river enough for the city to draw water for municipal use without a dam.