Earlier this month we took a kayak trip on the Charles River from Medfield into South Natick, and in light of the town’s liability concerns aired during the dam & spillway removal decision, we were surprised there’s still no warning signs or buoys for boaters above the town-owned dam.
Even if you know the spillway/waterfall is coming, it still feels dicey about where exactly to pull ashore to avoid the 12-foot plunge. We could feel the people overlooking the dam that day bracing for how things would end for us before we safety disembarked near the pine trees on the side of the dam across from Bacon Free Library.
If you didn’t know the spillway was there, you wouldn’t know until it was too late. The water’s flat, and the sound of the falls blends with traffic noise on Pleasant Street and Rte. 16.
In nearby communities with dams, the public is given fair warning.
“Mother Brook Diversion Dam in Dedham, Hemlock Gorge Spillway Dike and Moody Street in Waltham all have signage and Moody Street has buoys. Watertown Dam also has no swimming signs landward,” says Robert Stearns, Climate Resilience Specialist for the Charles River Watershed Association. “I think it is a good idea for safety for dam owners to add warning signs and or buoys to more dams on the Charles to warn folks who are recreating on and off the water.”
It would appear that Natick is relying on the Virgin Mary, in the form of a statue just upstream along the bank, to pray that boaters don’t head into the abyss. According to the Natick Historical Society, the statue has been there since 1929.
We fortunately don’t recall hearing about any accidents in recent times, and neither does the Natick Fire Department (we checked). Maybe local boaters are savvier than we give them credit for.
Still, the presence of signage, booms, or buoys on the upstream approach to dams is something that inspectors consider, according to the state’s Office of Dam Safety. However, it is up to the dam owner to follow any recommendations.
And in fact, when engineering consultant GZA GeoEnvironmental conducted its 2021 inspection of the dam and spillway, the firm cited in both the executive summary and “Assessments and Recommendations” section of its report the following deficiency as relates to the South Natick dam: “Missing upstream warning buoy to deter boats/canoes approaching spillway.” (We reached out to GZA this month via its website to ask about its recommendation, but have not heard back.)
Those urging the town to repair rather than remove the dam/spillway have raised questions in public comments and at hearings during the dam discussions of recent years about why there are no warning signs or buoys. (During Natick Spring Annual Town Meeting on May 9, just before the 30- minute mark of the Pegasus recording, a Town Meeting member asked about whether there was money in the town budget for such an investment, and was told no, but was not allowed to ask about why due to this being outside the scope of the discussion). We’ve also reached out to the town engineer about this issue, but haven’t heard back.
During a September Natick Select Board meeting in 2022 at which a report from the town’s appointed Charles River Dam Advisory Committee was discussed, Select Board member Kathryn Coughlin, asked about why issues raised in recent dam inspection reports hadn’t been addressed. She specifically referred, about 2 hours and 30 minutes into the meeting, to the lack of signage and buoys. But when the town engineer responded to her question about lack of action, he answered more generally about how the town and Office of Dam Safety went back and forth regarding permitting.
(Update (Aug. 29, 2023): We’ve heard that since this post ran on Aug. 22 that the town indeed has been in discussions to install some sort of warning system. It’s not as straightforward as plunking down signs or buoys due to rules and rules and rules. A public update is expected soon.)
So for now, it appears things are being left in Mary’s capable hands. Given that we’re still at least a few years away from the spillway being removed, let’s pray she continues to be up to the job.
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Used to watch canoe races that ended at the dam. Everyone exited to the right where there was landings worn into the grassy marsh. Perhaps they no longer are there. Daniel Sargent who lived in the Mansion opposite Mary, put her there. He owned both sides of the river, and also built the bridge there. Most of the times the spillover is only a few inches, stopping most boats in their tracks. As kids we’d walk across the dam at night as a dare. the top is concrete, it’s the slimy back side that will get you. I can see this year being so wet you’d might have issues going over. Most seasons it’s a dribble and more like a wall to hit.
Thanks for sharing your experiences, Darren, and yes, I’ve heard tales of these dam walkers…Bob
Perhaps don’t blindly boat down a river without reading a map first, then? Do you want them to hold your hand when you get out of your boat also? Maybe they can also bring you some fries to have with that. Makes one wonder how some of you got this far!