The concrete spillway has been removed at the South Natick Dam and the contractor is expected to be outta there by the end of September.
The fish ladder is sticking around for structural support reasons, though only the most dextrous of fish will be able to use it. Masons are fixing the retaining walls.
Next up will be monitoring river flow, sediment travels, and invasive plant incursion.
Grove Park (where the trees and picnic tables are) remains off limits for now, while Old Town Park (near Bacon Free Library) has pretty much reopened.
When we stopped by on Labor Day, people could be seen exploring the riverbank up river. We hoped they wouldn’t sink through the muck, and didn’t spy anyone going under.
Boating in the area is prohibited for now, not that you would get very far given the water levels at this point.
A steady stream of people are stopping by to take photos and videos documenting the changes. We haven’t noticed any wedding parties stopping by for photo shoots.
The town decided a few years back to remove the decades-old spillway (aka, falls) to protect the municipality from liability in case the high hazard earthen dam at the site ever collapsed.
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