Debate Continues To Flow On Removing Or Restoring Natick Dam

NATICK, MA - The Charles River Dam in South Natick has been in existence for about 90 years, providing panoramic views from the park that surrounds it and recreational opportunities such as canoeing and kayaking.

Debate has been swelling during the past year on whether to remove the spillway of the deteriorating structure or to preserve it, according to a WGBH article. At the end of the month, an advisory committee will be voting on the dam's fate.

The state determined that the dam was a "high hazard" last year because the damage to surrounding properties downstream would be catastrophic if the deteriorating structure should fail. The dam holds back about 160 million gallons of water.

Natick owns and maintains the dam while the state, which inspects it every two years, regulates it.

The Charles River Dam Advisory Committee has held nearly a dozen meetings over the past year on whether to restore or remove the dam's spillway, the manmade structure that controls the flow of water. The 18-member committee, whose members were appointed by the town administrator, released data from a survey it conducted of nearly 1,000 residents in January, where many residents noted a desire for greater riverfront access and boating opportunities.

The committee has taken the advice of experts on safety, ecology, recreation and cultural history into consideration, according to the WGBH article, as well as from the people whose property abuts the dam. It also released a community input report last August.

A petition to save the dam has 939 signatures as of Wednesday.

"The dam has stood for nearly a century and has become an iconic backdrop to historic South Natick," according to the petition.

One issue with the safety of the dam is that it technically includes an earthen embankment next to the spillway that is covered with pine trees. The roots of these trees have caused the earthen part of the dam to deteriorate as soil erodes.

In order to bring the dam up to the state's safety standards, some of the pine trees would have to be removed; state law requires the removal of trees on earthen dams. It would cost $2.6 million to repair the dam, remove the pine trees on the embankment, and replace the fish ladder. Removing the spillway would cost $1.5 million. Removing the dam also eliminates future maintenance costs and liability if the dam were to fail.

The WGBH report pointed out that the dam has been an affront to members of the Nipmuc tribe since its creation. Nipmuck representatives have advocated for the removal of the dam so that the natural flow of the river can be restored, which would create a 26-mile stretch between dams if it is removed.

Emily Norton, executive director of the Charles River Watershed Association, was quoted in the article as advocating for the removal of the dam. She noted that the dam no longer serves the function for which it was created nearly a century ago while it separates fish populations and disturbs the natural habitat. Some issues include the warming of the dammed water and the creation of methane and algae blooms.

The committee will bring its recommendation to the Select Board later this month. The Select Board is expected take action on the matter in the fall one way or the other. Even if a decision is made to restore the dam, it could take at least three years for any structural repairs.