Photo by Marco KaltofenThe very loud and shaky dismantling of the spillway at the South Natick Dam continues, with a hydraulic hammer being used to break up the concrete over which the falls used to flow. As of earlier this week, about half of the spillway had been crushed. The former pond above the dam has been reduced to a mucky mix, as expected, once water was released through the gates.
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You can view the action from the Bacon Free Library side of the Charles River, but the Old Town Park with the picnic tables and trees is off -limits to the public for now.
The town, which decided in 2022 to ditch the dam and spillway rather than fix them, is counting on the river to restore itself in the years to come once the man-made structures are removed this summer.
There’s a move across the state and country to nix dams in the name of liability avoidance and ecological restoration.
Time to update our Top 10 Things to Do in Natick list…
Natick’s plans are to gussy up the surrounding parks, making them more accessible. It’s looking to pay for this largely via grants and by tapping into Community Preservation Act funds collected via a property tax surcharge.
The dismantling of Natick’s spillway has attracted locals, including Natick’s drone-equipped GIS division, as well as rubberneckers from outside news organizations.
More on the South Natick Dam & Spillway
Why Was THAT Necessary Seems Like ONE EXSPENSIVE MESS TO ME!
All but $150k is covered by state, federal, and private grants.
https://natickma.gov/1676/Project-Dam-Removal-River-Restoration
At least everyone can see now how solid and stable this concrete dam was, and how stupid whole idea to destroy it was.
The dam is the earthern berm covered with trees. THAT’S what’s in poor condition and a failure risk. The concrete portion being breached is the spillway, and it’s removal eliminates the 500 acrefoot (616,740 cubic meters) impoundment that’s the real danger in the event of failure.
https://natickma.gov/1676/Project-Dam-Removal-River-Restoration
unbelievable that the trucks and machinery were carrying tons of boulders over the dam that was in such bad shape. probably did more damage to the earthen dam than if they left it all alone. the spillway would have lasted 1000 years judging from how difficult it has been to remove it, and all the chemical waste that lay in front of it either is exposed on the current surface or is being washed down river