The failure of several dams in small towns has made dam removal a very hot topic, especially on the East coast.  Many of these dams no longer serve the purpose they were originally constructed for, and since there is little budget or initiative to continue to maintain them, they fall into disrepair.  Removal of the dams is safer and far more responsible than allowing them to fail, which can result in massive flooding in the surrounding areas.

A second reason this type of work has gotten more attention recently is the ecological benefit. Even though most of these dams no longer serve a purpose, they continue to have negative impacts on the estuary and freshwater community, because they eliminate access to other parts of the river by various species of fish.  If not removed, they would remain there for centuries as more and more fish die off in these water bodies for lack of spawning access.

Enter Stantec – an internationally-known company that has come to be recognized as a world class leader and innovator in the delivery of sustainable solutions.  The company got involved in the project through the Massachusetts Division of Ecological Restoration (formally the Massachusetts Riverways Program). 

Stantec conducted a preliminary study on removing the dam in 2006, and subsequently performed a dam removal feasibility study, including sediment sampling, preliminary design, and natural resource delineation to determine an appropriate course of action.  The plan included partial and full dam removal as well as a “do-nothing” alternative.

While the Massachusetts Deptartment of Fish & Game own the project site (which is located on the William Forward Wildlife Management Area) other groups involved in the project include the NOAA Restoration Center , Trout Unlimited, Essex County Mosquito Control, and the Corporate Wetlands Restoration Partnership.

The project had many goals. First, removing dams is a way to responsibly and safely deal with aging infrastructure that is no longer serving its original purpose. If left to continue aging, the dam could fail. Second, the removal would help restore the natural ecosystem of the brook, including habitat for several native fish species. 

In addition to the dam’s original construction altering the flow of water in the brook, a previous attempt at dam removal (apparently with explosives) had contributed to the poor condition of the dam, while not improving aquatic resources or fish passage.  The presence and condition of the dam was preventing most fish from getting upstream to spawn.  Most notably affected were the rainbow smelt (a species of concern in Massachusetts), river herring that are present in adjacent rivers and stream. The dam was removed and the formally impounded reach is now a free-flowing brook.

When asked about the project, Stantec representative, Michael Chelminski, had this to say:  “Removing dams like the one on the Ox Pasture Brook is a safe, responsible way for our communities to deal with infrastructure that no longer serves the purpose it was intended for, which we have a lot of in New England. This project also allowed us to restore the habitat of several fish species and restore the ecology of the brook.”

Thanks to the work of Stantec and its partners, Ox Pasture Brook is now flowing freely for the first time in about a century.  By giving Mother Nature a little push, the area will eventually transform into a natural wetland meadow.