entering natick sign

entering natick sign

Natick Report

More than you really want to know about Natick, Mass.

  • About Us
  • Subscribe
  • Advertise
  • Donate
  • Eat
  • Summer Camp
  • Private Schools in Natick & beyond
  • Public schools, sponsored by Sexton
  • Letters to the editor
  • Guidelines for letters
  • Sports schedule & results
  • Embracing diversity
  • Charities/Community
  • Arts
  • Events
  • Kids
  • Business
  • Environment
  • Top 10 things to do
  • Beyond Natick
  • History
  • Government
  • Seniors
  • Natick Nest
  • Fire & police scanner
  • Natick snow plowing services
 
Needham Bank, Natick
 

Natick dam discussion: There’s more to say

October 3, 2022 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

Voices quavered. Town employees had their honor defended. Facts were stated and dismissed.

Just another South Natick Dam discussion.

This latest entry into the growing collection of public forums about whether the town should repair or remove the Charles River dam in South Natick took place at the Sept. 28 Select Board meeting, about 2 hours in and lasted roughly 80 minutes. The Board has received a report from an Advisory Committee, and now is discussing the matter amongst itself, but with input and questions from the public at meetings like this. The Board has also been fielding dozens and dozens of emails, with Board member Michael Hickey crediting Board Chair Paul Joseph for his thorough replies (I’ve been on the receiving end of Joseph’s replies to questions about other topics and can vouch for his attentiveness.)

The schedule from here looks something like this:

  • The Board met Monday, Oct. 3 at town hall and online and featured dam discussion, including a public forum that lasted more than an hour and a half, starting just after the 1-hour mark on the Pegasus recording.
  • The Select Board will hold an executive session on Oct. 12 to cover things it can’t discuss publicly yet (legal stuff). Not sure of specifics here, but the issue of riparian rights had been raised at one point by an attorney representing a property owner.
  • The Board expects to hold more public discussion at its Oct. 19 meeting. That’s the soonest the Board might make a decision.

I won’t get into a play-by-play account of the meeting, which featured some familiar faces saying familiar things, but also some new blood and new questions or points. About two-thirds of the 16 public speakers indicated support for the Advisory Committee’s recommendation to remove the spillway, better known as the waterfall. (Disclaimer: We’re river neighbors).

Among the questions raised were whether the town has had an arborist rate the health of the trees on the dam (yes, as they are part of the town’s shade tree inventory), whether just removing the trees would be the cheapest solution (perhaps not since other fixes would be needed to bring the dam’s condition from poor to good, says the town engineer), and how to quantify the probability of dam failure (the town’s looking into that one).

One speaker noted that the last forum on the dam seemed to include mostly public speakers on one side of the issue, and emphasized that there may be many more viewpoints that aren’t being seen by the public in the form of emails. So she felt compelled to show up and speak, stating “A lot of us feel extremely confident and respectful of the [Advisory Committee’s] time and their recommendation and we fully support it and don’t feel the need to be here because of that. So I am here because I have been speaking to people for many months just like everyone else and we firmly respect and request that the committee’s recommendations of not just removing the spillway but creating a new fun environment for us all…”

While one environmental organization rep stated removal is the clear choice for the health of the river, citing the Advisory Committee’s work and other removals or breaches along the main stem of the Charles, it was unclear how many of those involved dams that the public actually cared about whether they stayed. Another speaker pointed out that a couple of dams have been considered for removal, but were retained due to aesthetics (and as a town employee noted, because they were so close to other dams).

Perhaps the rarer speakers at this meeting were a couple of people who said they’d be fine either way. A longtime paddler said the river will have its low spots after dam removal, but getting out of the boat and wading for a bit is something he’s used to doing. “I’m easy with it either way,” he said, so very chill.  Another speaker said “I think we just have to move on, find out what the unknowns are by beginning the process… I think we’re arguing over something endlessly that basically is going to work out fine.”

In that vein, Joseph reminded all that the town has limited resources to manage many important issues today, from the dam to public health to affordable housing and transportation. While more discussion will be welcomed in the weeks to come, the town will also rely on the expertise of its staff and advisors as it zeroes in on a decision about the dam.

natick dam log

(Disclaimer: We’re river neighbors.)


  • Subscribe to our Natick Report daily email
  • Please send tips, photos, ideas to natickreport@gmail.com

Filed Under: Environment, Government, History, South Natick Dam

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.


Tip us off!

Please send news tips, photos, ideas to natickreport@gmail.com

If you’d like to contribute $ to support our independent journalism venture, please do….

Advertisements

Categories

  • Animals
  • Art
  • Bacon Free Library
  • Beyond Natick
  • Books
  • Boston Marathon
  • Business
  • Camps
  • Charity/Fundraising
  • Community
  • Construction
  • COVID-19
  • Education
  • Election
  • Embracing diversity
  • Employment/careers
  • Entertainment
  • Environment
  • Fashion
  • Fire
  • Food
  • Gardens
  • Government
  • Health
  • History
  • Holidays
  • Housing
  • Kids
  • Letters to the editor
  • Media
  • Military
  • Morse Institute Library
  • Music
  • Natick Election 2022
  • Natick Historical Society
  • Natick History Museum
  • Natick Mall
  • Natick Nest
  • Natick track
  • Neighbors
  • Obituaries & remembrances
  • Opinion
  • Outdoors
  • Parents
  • Police & crime
  • Real estate
  • Recycling Center
  • Religion
  • Restaurants
  • Schools
  • Seniors
  • Shopping
  • South Natick Dam
  • Sports
  • Technology
  • Theater
  • Town election 2021
  • Town Election 2023
  • Town Meeting
  • Transportation
  • Travel
  • Uncategorized
  • Vacation
  • Veterans
  • Volunteering
  • Voting
  • Weather
lion publishers
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter

Get our email newsletter

* indicates required
Our newsletter is free, though we gladly accept contributions to support our work.

Most Read Posts

  • Tree-mendous defense at Natick's saddest basketball court
  • Natick business buzz: Soap Dental opens wide; Anthology senior living hosts swanky grand opening
  • Natick celebrates Town Clerk Diane Packer upon retirement, readies to appoint successor
  • Natick Center Historical Walking Tours coming up
  • Natick ready for Community Preservation Committee member applicants

Click image to read The Swellesley Report

The Swellesley Report

Upcoming Events

Sep 27
7:00 pm - 8:30 pm

Sober in the Suburbs speaker event

Sep 28
6:30 pm - 7:30 pm

Speaker: Meteorologist Harvey Leonard on extreme weather

Sep 30
10:00 am - 1:00 pm

Free chocolate tasting event at The Hive

Oct 1
10:00 am - 11:15 am

Read to a dog at Bacon Free Library

Oct 1
3:00 pm - 4:30 pm

Opening celebration of Little Free Diverse Library of children’s books

View Calendar

Pages

  • Letters to the editor on Natick Report
  • Natick community gardens
  • South Natick Dam Park (Charles River waterfall/spillway)
  • Guidelines for Natick Report letters to the editor
  • Natick election 2023—guidelines for promoting candidates and ballot questions
  • Natick’s 2023 Boston Marathon charity runners
  • Natick, Massachusetts libraries
  • Comment Policy
  • Bacon Free Library in Natick, hours for winter 2023
  • Morse Institute Library in Natick—hours for winter 2023
  • Resources for seniors in Natick, Mass.
  • Natick Report corrections policy
  • Scenic Roads in Natick
  • Where to stay in Natick, Mass. (hotels, inns)
  • Private Schools in Natick (and beyond)
  • Natick Summer Camps (and beyond)
  • Where to eat in Natick, Mass: more that 70 dining options
  • Natick, Mass., history
  • Natick government
  • Natick No-Nos
  • Embracing diversity in Natick
  • Where to worship in Natick
  • Kid stuff (sports, clubs, activities in Natick, Mass.)
  • Contribute to Natick Report
  • Natick Little Free Libraries
  • Natick public schools
  • Natick obituaries, September 2023
  • Where to sled in Natick, Mass.
  • Natick COVID-19 & vaccine news
  • Natick’s zip code & post offices
  • Natick charitable and community action groups
  • Top 10 things to do in Natick, Mass.
  • Natick Arts/Entertainment
  • About Natick Report
  • Advertise on Natick Report
  • Natick rules: Chickens yes, roosters no
  • Natick Election 2023, political candidates advertising
  • Natick election 2022—candidate interviews

© 2023 Natick Report
Site by Tech-Tamer · Login