List of dam removals in Massachusetts
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This is a list of dams in Massachusetts that have been removed as physical impediments to free-flowing rivers or streams.
Completed removals
| Dam[1] | Height | Year removed | Location | Watercourse | Watershed | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Moody St. Feeder Dam | 12 ft (3.7 m) | |||||
| May Brook Dam | 5 to 6 ft (1.5 to 1.8 m)[2] | 2009 | Windsor | May Brook | [3] | |
| Robbins Dike Dam | 5.5 ft (1.7 m) | 2006 | Plymouth 41°45′59″N 70°38′06″W / 41.7665°N 70.6351°W |
Red Brook | Buttermilk Bay | Dam built for trout spawning and cranberry farming. |
| New Way Dam | 2 ft (0.61 m) | 2008 | Wareham 41°45′57″N 70°38′05″W / 41.7659°N 70.6346°W |
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| Lower Flume Dam | 2009 | Wareham 41°45′55″N 70°38′03″W / 41.7653°N 70.6341°W |
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| Upper Flume Dam | 2009 | Wareham 41°45′55″N 70°38′03″W / 41.7653°N 70.6342°W |
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| Beaver Dam Brook Dam | 12 ft (3.7 m) | 2016 | Plymouth 41°54′05″N 70°34′16″W / 41.9013°N 70.5712°W |
Beaver Dam Brook | Cape Cod Bay | Cranberry farming dam. |
| West Beaver Dam Brook - Lower Berm | 5 ft (1.5 m) | 2020 | Plymouth 41°54′59″N 70°34′12″W / 41.9163°N 70.5699°W |
West Beaver Dam Brook | Irrigation dams owned by the Massachusetts Audubon Society. | |
| West Beaver Dam Brook - Upper Berm | 3 ft (0.91 m) | 2020 | Plymouth 41°54′55″N 70°34′16″W / 41.9153°N 70.5711°W | |||
| Sandwich Game Farm Dam | 2006 | East Sandwich 41°43′52″N 70°25′38″W / 41.7311°N 70.4273°W |
Mill Creek | |||
| Curtis Pond Dam | 2012 | Middleton 42°37′06″N 71°00′14″W / 42.6183°N 71.0039°W |
Boston Brook | Charles River | ||
| Lower Dam | 8 ft (2.4 m) | 2009 | Rowley 42°44′24″N 70°53′17″W / 42.74°N 70.8881°W |
Ox Pasture Brook | Dam built for recreation. Owned by the Massachusetts Department of Fish and Game. | |
| Traphole Brook Dam | 8 ft (2.4 m) | 2022 | Norwood 42°09′38″N 71°11′39″W / 42.1606°N 71.1942°W |
Traphole Brook | Mill dam owned by the Town of Norwood. | |
| Charles River Mill Dam (Pearl Street Mill Dam) | 13.5 ft (4.1 m) | 2017 | Bellingham 42°07′51″N 71°26′41″W / 42.1307°N 71.4447°W |
Charles River | Mill dam owned by the town. | |
| Upper Cook's Canyon Dam | 9.5 ft (2.9 m) | 2006 | Barre 42°24′52″N 72°06′24″W / 42.4145°N 72.1066°W |
Galloway Brook | Chicopee River | |
| Falmouth Rod & Gun Club Dam | 10 ft (3.0 m) | 2021 | Falmouth 41°35′36″N 70°31′30″W / 41.5933°N 70.5249°W |
Childs River | Childs River | Mill dam owned by the Falmouth Rod and Gun Club. |
| Coonamessett Lower Bog Dam | 2017 | Falmouth 41°34′55″N 70°34′24″W / 41.5819°N 70.5734°W |
Coonamessett River | Coonamessett River | Cranberry farming dam owned by the Town of Falmouth. | |
| Coonamessett River Lower Dam | 6 ft (1.8 m) | 2018 | Falmouth 41°35′07″N 70°34′21″W / 41.5853°N 70.5726°W |
Mill dam owned by the Town of Falmouth. | ||
| Middle Bog Dam | 6 ft (1.8 m) | 2020 | Falmouth 41°35′07″N 70°34′21″W / 41.5853°N 70.5726°W |
Cranberry farming dam owned by the Town of Falmouth. | ||
| International Paper Co. Dam No. 2 | 10 ft (3.0 m) | 2014 | Greenfield and Gill 42°37′32″N 72°32′56″W / 42.6255°N 72.5488°W |
Fall River | Fall River | Industrial water supply dam. |
| Bartlett Rod Shop Co. Dam | 20 ft (6.1 m) | 2012 | Pelham 42°22′44″N 72°28′20″W / 42.379°N 72.4722°W |
Amethyst Brook | Fort River | Hydropower dam for a fly rod company. |
| Timber Dam | 5 ft (1.5 m) | 2016 | Pelham 42°22′46″N 72°28′16″W / 42.3794°N 72.471°W |
Mill dam. | ||
| Hall Brook Dam | 2009 | Adams 42°37′27″N 73°07′27″W / 42.6243°N 73.1241°W |
Hoxie Brook | Hoosic River | ||
| Briggsville Dam | 15 ft (4.6 m) | 2010 | Clarksburg 42°42′53″N 73°04′59″W / 42.7147°N 73.083°W |
North Branch Hoosic River | ||
| Thunder Brook Restoration Project | 15 ft (4.6 m) | 2012 | Cheshire 42°33′54″N 73°10′36″W / 42.5649°N 73.1768°W |
Thunder Brook | Town water supply dam. | |
| Lower Hathaway Brook Dam | 2010 | Dalton 42°25′17″N 73°11′10″W / 42.4215°N 73.186°W |
Hathaway Brook | Housatonic River | ||
| Upper Hathaway Brook Dam | 2010 | Dalton 42°25′13″N 73°11′07″W / 42.4204°N 73.1854°W |
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| Old Berkshire Mill Dam | 2000 | Dalton 42°28′14″N 73°10′09″W / 42.4706°N 73.1691°W |
Housatonic River | |||
| Gravesleigh Pond Dam | 6 ft (1.8 m) | 2013 | Pittsfield 42°25′46″N 73°14′11″W / 42.4295°N 73.2365°W |
Sackett Brook | Dam built for recreation. Owned by the Massachusetts Audubon Society. | |
| Tel-Electric Pond Dam | 22 ft (6.7 m) | 2020 | Pittsfield 42°26′50″N 73°15′50″W / 42.4471°N 73.2638°W |
West Branch Housatonic River | Removal of the dam required safely disposing of 8,000 tons (7,300 metric tons) of sediment contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyl pollution from a General Electric plant. The project cost around $4 million and benefited an environmental justice community as defined by the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs.[4] | |
| Lyman Pond Dam | 12 ft (3.7 m) | 2022 | Southampton 42°13′03″N 72°43′49″W / 42.2174°N 72.7303°W |
Manhan River | Manhan River | Mill dam. National Inventory of Dams ID MA00500. |
| Mordecai Lincoln Road Pond Dam (Hunters Pond Dam) | 11 ft (3.4 m) | 2017 | Scituate 42°13′23″N 70°47′19″W / 42.2231°N 70.7887°W |
Bound Brook | Massachusetts Bay | Mill dam owned by the Town of Scituate. |
| Balmoral Dam | 6 ft (1.8 m) | 2017 | Andover 42°40′21″N 71°08′58″W / 42.6724°N 71.1494°W |
Shawsheen River | Merrimack River | Mill dam owned by the Town of Andover. |
| Marland Place Dam (Stevens Street Dam) | 12 ft (3.7 m) | 2017 | Andover 42°39′44″N 71°08′48″W / 42.6623°N 71.1468°W |
Atria Senior Living owns mill dam. | ||
| Roberts Meadow Upper Reservoir Dam | 30 ft (9.1 m) | 2018 | Northampton 42°20′17″N 72°43′40″W / 42.338°N 72.7279°W |
Roberts Meadow Brook | Mill River | Water supply dam owned by the City of Northampton, is considered obsolete and unsafe. The removal opened 4 mi (6.4 km) of cold water stream habitat to trout.[5] |
| Phillipston Reservoir Dam #1 | 15 ft (4.6 m) | 2012 | Phillipston 42°34′44″N 72°10′31″W / 42.5789°N 72.1752°W |
Thousand Acre Brook | Millers River | Water supply dams. |
| Phillipston Reservoir Dam #2 | 8 ft (2.4 m) | 2012 | Phillipston 42°34′42″N 72°10′25″W / 42.5784°N 72.1735°W | |||
| Whites Mill Pond Dam | 2023 | Winchendon 42°41′38″N 72°00′44″W / 42.6940°N 72.0121°W |
Tributary to North Branch Millers River | [6][7] | ||
| Carding Mill Dam | 8 ft (2.4 m) | 2014 | Harwich 41°40′15″N 70°03′43″W / 41.6709°N 70.062°W |
Cold River | Nantucket Sound | Mill dam later used for cranberry bog water control. |
| Gulf Brook Dam | 10 ft (3.0 m) | 2021 | Pepperell 42°41′57″N 71°38′07″W / 42.6991°N 71.6352°W |
Gulf Brook | Nashua River | Mill dam was rebuilt in the 1970s for waterfowl. Owned by the Nashoba Conservation Trust. |
| Millie Turner Dam | 10 ft (3.0 m) | 2015 | Pepperell 42°40′29″N 71°34′54″W / 42.6748°N 71.5818°W |
Nissitissit River | Mill dam. | |
| Sucker Brook Dam | 7 ft (2.1 m) | 2021 | Pepperell 42°41′02″N 71°36′35″W / 42.6839°N 71.6096°W |
Sucker Brook | Dam built for recreation. Owned by the Town of Pepperell. | |
| Bartlett Pond Dam | 2014 | Lancaster 42°29′18″N 71°42′51″W / 42.4883°N 71.7141°W |
Wekepeke Brook | Owned by the Town of Lancaster. | ||
| Mill Pond Dam | 5 to 9 ft (1.5 to 2.7 m) | 2014 | Hanover 42°08′23″N 70°50′08″W / 42.1397°N 70.8355°W |
Third Herring Brook | North River | The South Shore YMCA owns mill dam. |
| Tack Factory Dam | 10 ft (3.0 m) | 2016 | Hanover 42°07′22″N 70°54′30″W / 42.1227°N 70.9082°W |
Mill dam. | ||
| Unnamed Low Head Dams | 3 ft (0.91 m) | 2022 | Hanover 42°08′48″N 70°50′20″W / 42.1466°N 70.8388°W |
Stormwater and sediment control dam. | ||
| Peterson Pond Dam | 10 ft (3.0 m) | 2020 | Hanover and Norwell 42°08′37″N 70°50′15″W / 42.1437°N 70.8376°W |
Grist mill dam. | ||
| Eel River Headwaters Restoration (7 small dams) | 8 ft (2.4 m) | 2009 | Plymouth | Eel River | Plymouth Bay | Cranberry farming dam. |
| Sawmill Pond Dam | 12 ft (3.7 m) | 2010 | Plymouth 41°54′41″N 70°38′27″W / 41.9113°N 70.6408°W |
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| Wapping Road Dam | 6.6 ft (2.0 m) | 2011 | Kingston 41°59′34″N 70°44′54″W / 41.9929°N 70.7484°W |
Jones River | Hydropower dam. | |
| Elm Street Dam | 9 ft (2.7 m) | 2019 | Kingston 41°59′N 70°44′W / 41.99°N 70.73°W |
Hydraulic pumping power dam owned by the Jones River Watershed Association and the Town of Kingston. National Inventory of Dams ID MA00395. | ||
| Billington Street Dam | 2002 | Plymouth 41°57′03″N 70°40′23″W / 41.9508°N 70.6731°W |
Town Brook | |||
| Off Billington Street Dam | 8.4 ft (2.6 m) | 2013 | Plymouth 41°56′56″N 70°40′27″W / 41.949°N 70.6741°W |
Mill dam owned by the Town of Plymouth. | ||
| Plymco Dam | 16 ft (4.9 m) | 2015 | Plymouth 41°56′47″N 70°40′26″W / 41.9465°N 70.6739°W |
Mill dam. | ||
| Holmes Dam | 19 ft (5.8 m) | 2018 | Plymouth 41°57′09″N 70°40′07″W / 41.9525°N 70.6687°W |
Owned by the Town of Plymouth. | ||
| Wellingsly Dam #1 | 3 to 5 ft (0.91 to 1.52 m) | 2012 | Plymouth 41°56′56″N 70°39′12″W / 41.949°N 70.6534°W |
Wellingsly Brook | ||
| Wellingsly Dam #2 | 3 to 5 ft (0.91 to 1.52 m) | 2012 | Plymouth 41°56′56″N 70°39′12″W / 41.949°N 70.6534°W |
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| Wellingsly Dam #3 | 3 to 5 ft (0.91 to 1.52 m) | 2012 | Plymouth 41°56′56″N 70°39′12″W / 41.949°N 70.6534°W |
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| Hamant Brook Lower Pond Dam | 10 ft (3.0 m) | 2017 | Sturbridge 42°05′52″N 72°05′30″W / 42.0977°N 72.0918°W |
Hamant Brook | Quinebaug River | Owned by Old Sturbridge Village. |
| Hamant Brook Middle Pond Dam | 13 ft (4.0 m) | 2017 | Sturbridge 42°05′42″N 72°05′41″W / 42.095°N 72.0946°W |
Owned by the Town of Sturbridge. National Inventory of Dams ID MA02011. | ||
| Hamant Brook Upper Pond Dam | 11 ft (3.4 m) | 2017 | Sturbridge 42°05′34″N 72°05′44″W / 42.0928°N 72.0955°W |
Owned by the Town of Sturbridge. | ||
| Forge Pond Dam | 2010 | Freetown 41°48′10″N 71°03′08″W / 41.8028°N 71.0523°W |
Assonet River | Taunton River | ||
| Bleachery Dam (Rattlesnake Brook Dam) | 7 ft (2.1 m) | 2016 | Freetown 41°46′52″N 71°05′11″W / 41.7811°N 71.0864°W |
Mill dam. | ||
| West Street Dam | 12 ft (3.7 m) | 2022 | Foxborough 42°02′18″N 71°16′30″W / 42.0384°N 71.275°W |
Cocasset River | Mill dam owned by the Town of Foxborough. National Inventory of Dams ID MA02419. | |
| Barstowe's Pond Dam | 8.5 ft (2.6 m) | 2018 | Taunton 41°52′56″N 71°02′55″W / 41.8823°N 71.0485°W |
Cotley River | Dam built for recreation. Owned by the Taunton Development Corporation and the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe. National Inventory of Dams ID MA00924. | |
| Hopewell Mills Dam | 8 ft (2.4 m) | 2012 | Taunton 41°54′53″N 71°05′49″W / 41.9147°N 71.0969°W |
Mill River | Mill dam. | |
| Whittenton Dam | 8 ft (2.4 m) | 2013 | Taunton 41°55′27″N 71°06′23″W / 41.9243°N 71.1063°W |
Mill dam. | ||
| West Britannia Dam | 8 ft (2.4 m) | 2018 | Taunton 41°55′08″N 71°06′05″W / 41.919°N 71.1015°W |
Flood control and mill dam. | ||
| Carver Cotton Gin Pond Dam | 15 ft (4.6 m) | 2017 | East Bridgewater 42°01′17″N 70°57′04″W / 42.0214°N 70.951°W |
Satucket River | Mill dam. | |
| High Street Dam | 12.5 ft (3.8 m) | 2023 | Bridgewater 42°00′09″N 70°58′56″W / 42.0025°N 70.9822°W |
Town River | The structurally deficient dam was the most downstream barrier on the Town River to fish migrating from Narragansett Bay. Its removal opened 10 miles (16 km) of river to fish passage as well as 354 acres (143 ha) of spawning habitat in Lake Nippenicket.[8] | |
| Kinne Brook Dam (Stroud Dam) | 6 ft (1.8 m) | 2014 | Chester 42°18′31″N 72°54′28″W / 42.3085°N 72.9078°W |
Kinne Brook | Westfield River | The removal was a collaboration between Trout Unlimited, the Massachusetts Division of Ecological Restoration, the National Resources Conservation Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and a private landowner. It was part of a larger project to restore 10 mi (16 km) of stream, which also involved the replacement of two culverts.[9][10] |
| Winchell Dam | 14.5 ft (4.4 m) | 2016 | Granville 42°05′02″N 72°50′32″W / 42.0838°N 72.8421°W |
Westfield River | Water supply dam owned by the City of Westfield. | |
| Silk Mill Dam | 15 ft (4.6 m) | 2003 | Becket 42°19′42″N 73°05′01″W / 42.3283°N 73.0836°W |
Yokum Brook | Mill dam. | |
| Ballou Dam | 10 ft (3.0 m) | 2006 | Becket 42°19′55″N 73°05′00″W / 42.3319°N 73.0834°W |
Mill dam. | ||
| Horseshoe Pond Dam | 6 ft (1.8 m) | 2020 | Wareham 41°45′55″N 70°44′51″W / 41.7653°N 70.7476°W |
Weweantic River | Weweantic River | Mill dam. National Inventory of Dams ID MA00026. |
Planned and proposed removals
| Dam | Expected year | Location | Watercourse | Watershed | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Talbot Mills Dam | Billerica 42°35′30″N 71°17′02″W / 42.5918°N 71.2840°W |
Concord River | Merrimack River | [11] | |
| Veterans Memorial Park Dam | Marshfield 42°05′41″N 70°43′07″W / 42.0948°N 70.7185°W |
South River | Massachusetts Bay | The North and South Rivers Watershed Association is working with town, state, and private stakeholders on the South River Restoration Project, which will remove barriers to fish migration on the South River.[12] | |
| Chandler Pond Dam | Marshfield 42°05′33″N 70°43′22″W / 42.0926°N 70.7229°W | ||||
| Temple Street Dam | Duxbury 42°04′46″N 70°44′45″W / 42.0794°N 70.7457°W |
References
- ^ "American Rivers Dam Removal Database". Figshare. American Rivers. 13 February 2023. Retrieved 25 August 2023.
- ^ "Infrastructure Mobilization Effort - Unreviewed Lis t of Projects Submitted for State Consideration". Commonwealth of Massachusetts. 277. Retrieved 22 September 2023.
- ^ "Annual Report 2010". Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife. p. 67. Retrieved 22 September 2023.
- ^ Munroe-Hultman, Lauri (10 January 2023). "Former company town turns the page with dam removal". FWS.gov. United States Fish and Wildlife Service. Retrieved 22 September 2023.
- ^ "Dam Removal Underway at Upper Roberts Brook (Northampton)". Mass.gov. Massachusetts Division of Ecological Restoration. 17 July 2018. Retrieved 22 September 2023.
- ^ Arthen, Inanna (September 7, 2023). "Whites Mills Property Placed on the Market, Asking Price $3.5 Million". The Winchendon Courier. Retrieved 4 January 2024.
- ^ "Whites Mill Pond Dam Decommissioning and River Restoration". www.gza.com. GZA GeoEnvironmental. Retrieved 4 January 2024.
- ^ Rehkopf, Anna (18 July 2023). "High Street Dam Removal". fws.gov. U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. Retrieved 26 September 2023.
- ^ "Kinne Brook Dam removed". The Westfield News. 12 October 2014. Retrieved 22 September 2023.
- ^ "Kinne Brook Restoration Project". tu.org. Trout Unlimited. Archived from the original on 23 April 2016. Retrieved 22 September 2023.
- ^ "Talbot Mills Dam Removal on the Concord River". FWS.gov. U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. Retrieved 22 September 2023.
- ^ "South River Restoration". North and South Rivers Watershed Association. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
External links
Media related to Removed dams in Massachusetts at Wikimedia Commons
