List of dam removals in Massachusetts

The 2014 removal of the International Paper Co. Dam No. 2 from the Fall River on the border of Greenfield and Gill.

This is a list of dams in Massachusetts that have been removed as physical impediments to free-flowing rivers or streams.

Completed removals

Dam[1]	Height	Year removed	Location	Watercourse	Watershed	Notes
Moody St. Feeder Dam	12 ft (3.7 m)
May Brook Dam	5 to 6 ft (1.5 to 1.8 m)[2]	2009	Windsor	May Brook		[3]
Robbins Dike Dam	5.5 ft (1.7 m)	2006	Plymouth 41.7665°N 70.6351°W / 41.7665; -70.6351 (Robbins Dike Dam)	Red Brook	Buttermilk Bay	Dam built for trout spawning and cranberry farming.
New Way Dam	2 ft (0.61 m)	2008	Wareham 41.7659°N 70.6346°W / 41.7659; -70.6346 (New Way Dam)
Lower Flume Dam		2009	Wareham 41.7653°N 70.6341°W / 41.7653; -70.6341 (Lower Flume Dam)
Upper Flume Dam		2009	Wareham 41.7653°N 70.6342°W / 41.7653; -70.6342 (Upper Flume Dam)
Beaver Dam Brook Dam	12 ft (3.7 m)	2016	Plymouth 41.9013°N 70.5712°W / 41.9013; -70.5712 (Beaver Dam Brook Dam)	Beaver Dam Brook	Cape Cod Bay	Cranberry farming dam.
West Beaver Dam Brook - Lower Berm	5 ft (1.5 m)	2020	Plymouth 41.9163°N 70.5699°W / 41.9163; -70.5699 (West Beaver Dam Brook - Lower Berm)	West Beaver Dam Brook		Irrigation dams owned by the Massachusetts Audubon Society.
West Beaver Dam Brook - Upper Berm	3 ft (0.91 m)	2020	Plymouth 41.9153°N 70.5711°W / 41.9153; -70.5711 (West Beaver Dam Brook - Upper Berm)
Sandwich Game Farm Dam		2006	East Sandwich 41.7311°N 70.4273°W / 41.7311; -70.4273 (Sandwich Game Farm Dam)	Mill Creek
Curtis Pond Dam		2012	Middleton 42.6183°N 71.0039°W / 42.6183; -71.0039 (Curtis Pond Dam)	Boston Brook	Charles River
Lower Dam	8 ft (2.4 m)	2009	Rowley 42.74°N 70.8881°W / 42.74; -70.8881 (Lower Dam)	Ox Pasture Brook		Dam built for recreation. Owned by the Massachusetts Department of Fish and Game.
Traphole Brook Dam	8 ft (2.4 m)	2022	Norwood 42.1606°N 71.1942°W / 42.1606; -71.1942 (Traphole Brook Dam)	Traphole Brook		Mill dam owned by the Town of Norwood.
Charles River Mill Dam (Pearl Street Mill Dam)	13.5 ft (4.1 m)	2017	Bellingham 42.1307°N 71.4447°W / 42.1307; -71.4447 (Charles River Mill Dam (Pearl Street Mill Dam))	Charles River		Mill dam owned by the town.
Upper Cook's Canyon Dam	9.5 ft (2.9 m)	2006	Barre 42.4145°N 72.1066°W / 42.4145; -72.1066 (Upper Cook's Canyon Dam)	Galloway Brook	Chicopee River
Falmouth Rod & Gun Club Dam	10 ft (3.0 m)	2021	Falmouth 41.5933°N 70.5249°W / 41.5933; -70.5249 (Falmouth Rod & Gun Club Dam)	Childs River	Childs River	Mill dam owned by the Falmouth Rod and Gun Club.
Coonamessett Lower Bog Dam		2017	Falmouth 41.5819°N 70.5734°W / 41.5819; -70.5734 (Coonamessett Lower Bog Dam)	Coonamessett River	Coonamessett River	Cranberry farming dam owned by the Town of Falmouth.
Coonamessett River Lower Dam	6 ft (1.8 m)	2018	Falmouth 41.5853°N 70.5726°W / 41.5853; -70.5726 (Coonamessett River Lower Dam)			Mill dam owned by the Town of Falmouth.
Middle Bog Dam	6 ft (1.8 m)	2020	Falmouth 41.5853°N 70.5726°W / 41.5853; -70.5726 (Middle Bog Dam)			Cranberry farming dam owned by the Town of Falmouth.
International Paper Co. Dam No. 2	10 ft (3.0 m)	2014	Greenfield and Gill 42.6255°N 72.5488°W / 42.6255; -72.5488 (International Paper Co. Dam No. 2)	Fall River	Fall River	Industrial water supply dam.
Bartlett Rod Shop Co. Dam	20 ft (6.1 m)	2012	Pelham 42.379°N 72.4722°W / 42.379; -72.4722 (Bartlett Rod Shop Co. Dam)	Amethyst Brook	Fort River	Hydropower dam for a fly rod company.
Timber Dam	5 ft (1.5 m)	2016	Pelham 42.3794°N 72.471°W / 42.3794; -72.471 (Timber Dam)			Mill dam.
Hall Brook Dam		2009	Adams 42.6243°N 73.1241°W / 42.6243; -73.1241 (Hall Brook Dam)	Hoxie Brook	Hoosic River
Briggsville Dam	15 ft (4.6 m)	2010	Clarksburg 42.7147°N 73.083°W / 42.7147; -73.083 (Briggsville Dam)	North Branch Hoosic River
Thunder Brook Restoration Project	15 ft (4.6 m)	2012	Cheshire 42.5649°N 73.1768°W / 42.5649; -73.1768 (Thunder Brook Restoration Project)	Thunder Brook		Town water supply dam.
Lower Hathaway Brook Dam		2010	Dalton 42.4215°N 73.186°W / 42.4215; -73.186 (Lower Hathaway Brook Dam)	Hathaway Brook	Housatonic River
Upper Hathaway Brook Dam		2010	Dalton 42.4204°N 73.1854°W / 42.4204; -73.1854 (Upper Hathaway Brook Dam)
Old Berkshire Mill Dam		2000	Dalton 42.4706°N 73.1691°W / 42.4706; -73.1691 (Old Berkshire Mill Dam)	Housatonic River
Gravesleigh Pond Dam	6 ft (1.8 m)	2013	Pittsfield 42.4295°N 73.2365°W / 42.4295; -73.2365 (Gravesleigh Pond Dam)	Sackett Brook		Dam built for recreation. Owned by the Massachusetts Audubon Society.
Tel-Electric Pond Dam	22 ft (6.7 m)	2020	Pittsfield 42.4471°N 73.2638°W / 42.4471; -73.2638 (Tel-Electric Pond Dam)	West Branch Housatonic River		Removal of the dam required safely disposing of 8,000 tons (7,300 metric tons) of sediment contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyl pollution from a General Electric plant. The project cost around $4 million and benefited an environmental justice community as defined by the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs.[4]
Lyman Pond Dam	12 ft (3.7 m)	2022	Southampton 42.2174°N 72.7303°W / 42.2174; -72.7303 (Lyman Pond Dam)	Manhan River	Manhan River	Mill dam. National Inventory of Dams ID MA00500.
Mordecai Lincoln Road Pond Dam (Hunters Pond Dam)	11 ft (3.4 m)	2017	Scituate 42.2231°N 70.7887°W / 42.2231; -70.7887 (Mordecai Lincoln Road Pond Dam (Hunters Pond Dam))	Bound Brook	Massachusetts Bay	Mill dam owned by the Town of Scituate.
Balmoral Dam	6 ft (1.8 m)	2017	Andover 42.6724°N 71.1494°W / 42.6724; -71.1494 (Balmoral Dam)	Shawsheen River	Merrimack River	Mill dam owned by the Town of Andover.
Marland Place Dam (Stevens Street Dam)	12 ft (3.7 m)	2017	Andover 42.6623°N 71.1468°W / 42.6623; -71.1468 (Marland Place Dam (Stevens Street Dam))			Atria Senior Living owns mill dam.
Roberts Meadow Upper Reservoir Dam	30 ft (9.1 m)	2018	Northampton 42.338°N 72.7279°W / 42.338; -72.7279 (Roberts Meadow Upper Reservoir Dam)	Roberts Meadow Brook	Mill River	Water supply dam owned by the City of Northampton, is considered obsolete and unsafe. The removal opened 4 mi (6.4 km) of cold water stream habitat to trout.[5]
Phillipston Reservoir Dam #1	15 ft (4.6 m)	2012	Phillipston 42.5789°N 72.1752°W / 42.5789; -72.1752 (Phillipston Reservoir Dam #1)	Thousand Acre Brook	Millers River	Water supply dams.
Phillipston Reservoir Dam #2	8 ft (2.4 m)	2012	Phillipston 42.5784°N 72.1735°W / 42.5784; -72.1735 (Phillipston Reservoir Dam #2)
Whites Mill Pond Dam		2023	Winchendon 42.6940°N 72.0121°W / 42.6940; -72.0121 (Whites Mill Pond Dam)	Tributary to North Branch Millers River		[6][7]
Carding Mill Dam	8 ft (2.4 m)	2014	Harwich 41.6709°N 70.062°W / 41.6709; -70.062 (Carding Mill Dam)	Cold River	Nantucket Sound	Mill dam later used for cranberry bog water control.
Gulf Brook Dam	10 ft (3.0 m)	2021	Pepperell 42.6991°N 71.6352°W / 42.6991; -71.6352 (Gulf Brook Dam)	Gulf Brook	Nashua River	Mill dam was rebuilt in the 1970s for waterfowl. Owned by the Nashoba Conservation Trust.
Millie Turner Dam	10 ft (3.0 m)	2015	Pepperell 42.6748°N 71.5818°W / 42.6748; -71.5818 (Millie Turner Dam)	Nissitissit River		Mill dam.
Sucker Brook Dam	7 ft (2.1 m)	2021	Pepperell 42.6839°N 71.6096°W / 42.6839; -71.6096 (Sucker Brook Dam)	Sucker Brook		Dam built for recreation. Owned by the Town of Pepperell.
Bartlett Pond Dam		2014	Lancaster 42.4883°N 71.7141°W / 42.4883; -71.7141 (Bartlett Pond Dam)	Wekepeke Brook		Owned by the Town of Lancaster.
Mill Pond Dam	5 to 9 ft (1.5 to 2.7 m)	2014	Hanover 42.1397°N 70.8355°W / 42.1397; -70.8355 (Mill Pond Dam)	Third Herring Brook	North River	The South Shore YMCA owns mill dam.
Tack Factory Dam	10 ft (3.0 m)	2016	Hanover 42.1227°N 70.9082°W / 42.1227; -70.9082 (Tack Factory Dam)			Mill dam.
Unnamed Low Head Dams	3 ft (0.91 m)	2022	Hanover 42.1466°N 70.8388°W / 42.1466; -70.8388 (Unnamed Low Head Dams)			Stormwater and sediment control dam.
Peterson Pond Dam	10 ft (3.0 m)	2020	Hanover and Norwell 42.1437°N 70.8376°W / 42.1437; -70.8376 (Peterson Pond Dam)			Grist mill dam.
Eel River Headwaters Restoration (7 small dams)	8 ft (2.4 m)	2009	Plymouth	Eel River	Plymouth Bay	Cranberry farming dam.
Sawmill Pond Dam	12 ft (3.7 m)	2010	Plymouth 41.9113°N 70.6408°W / 41.9113; -70.6408 (Sawmill Pond Dam)
Wapping Road Dam	6.6 ft (2.0 m)	2011	Kingston 41.9929°N 70.7484°W / 41.9929; -70.7484 (Wapping Road Dam)	Jones River		Hydropower dam.
Elm Street Dam	9 ft (2.7 m)	2019	Kingston 41.99°N 70.73°W / 41.99; -70.73 (Elm Street Dam)			Hydraulic pumping power dam owned by the Jones River Watershed Association and the Town of Kingston. National Inventory of Dams ID MA00395.
Billington Street Dam		2002	Plymouth 41.9508°N 70.6731°W / 41.9508; -70.6731 (Billington Street Dam)	Town Brook
Off Billington Street Dam	8.4 ft (2.6 m)	2013	Plymouth 41.949°N 70.6741°W / 41.949; -70.6741 (Off Billington Street Dam)			Mill dam owned by the Town of Plymouth.
Plymco Dam	16 ft (4.9 m)	2015	Plymouth 41.9465°N 70.6739°W / 41.9465; -70.6739 (Plymco Dam)			Mill dam.
Holmes Dam	19 ft (5.8 m)	2018	Plymouth 41.9525°N 70.6687°W / 41.9525; -70.6687 (Holmes Dam)			Owned by the Town of Plymouth.
Wellingsly Dam #1	3 to 5 ft (0.91 to 1.52 m)	2012	Plymouth 41.949°N 70.6534°W / 41.949; -70.6534 (Wellingsly Dam #1)	Wellingsly Brook
Wellingsly Dam #2	3 to 5 ft (0.91 to 1.52 m)	2012	Plymouth 41.949°N 70.6534°W / 41.949; -70.6534 (Wellingsly Dam #2)
Wellingsly Dam #3	3 to 5 ft (0.91 to 1.52 m)	2012	Plymouth 41.949°N 70.6534°W / 41.949; -70.6534 (Wellingsly Dam #3)
Hamant Brook Lower Pond Dam	10 ft (3.0 m)	2017	Sturbridge 42.0977°N 72.0918°W / 42.0977; -72.0918 (Hamant Brook Lower Pond Dam)	Hamant Brook	Quinebaug River	Owned by Old Sturbridge Village.
Hamant Brook Middle Pond Dam	13 ft (4.0 m)	2017	Sturbridge 42.095°N 72.0946°W / 42.095; -72.0946 (Hamant Brook Middle Pond Dam)			Owned by the Town of Sturbridge. National Inventory of Dams ID MA02011.
Hamant Brook Upper Pond Dam	11 ft (3.4 m)	2017	Sturbridge 42.0928°N 72.0955°W / 42.0928; -72.0955 (Hamant Brook Upper Pond Dam)			Owned by the Town of Sturbridge.
Forge Pond Dam		2010	Freetown 41.8028°N 71.0523°W / 41.8028; -71.0523 (Forge Pond Dam)	Assonet River	Taunton River
Bleachery Dam (Rattlesnake Brook Dam)	7 ft (2.1 m)	2016	Freetown 41.7811°N 71.0864°W / 41.7811; -71.0864 (Bleachery Dam (Rattlesnake Brook Dam))			Mill dam.
West Street Dam	12 ft (3.7 m)	2022	Foxborough 42.0384°N 71.275°W / 42.0384; -71.275 (West Street Dam)	Cocasset River		Mill dam owned by the Town of Foxborough. National Inventory of Dams ID MA02419.
Barstowe's Pond Dam	8.5 ft (2.6 m)	2018	Taunton 41.8823°N 71.0485°W / 41.8823; -71.0485 (Barstowe's Pond Dam)	Cotley River		Dam built for recreation. Owned by the Taunton Development Corporation and the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe. National Inventory of Dams ID MA00924.
Hopewell Mills Dam	8 ft (2.4 m)	2012	Taunton 41.9147°N 71.0969°W / 41.9147; -71.0969 (Hopewell Mills Dam)	Mill River		Mill dam.
Whittenton Dam	8 ft (2.4 m)	2013	Taunton 41.9243°N 71.1063°W / 41.9243; -71.1063 (Whittenton Dam)			Mill dam.
West Britannia Dam	8 ft (2.4 m)	2018	Taunton 41.919°N 71.1015°W / 41.919; -71.1015 (West Britannia Dam)			Flood control and mill dam.
Carver Cotton Gin Pond Dam	15 ft (4.6 m)	2017	East Bridgewater 42.0214°N 70.951°W / 42.0214; -70.951 (Carver Cotton Gin Pond Dam)	Satucket River		Mill dam.
High Street Dam	12.5 ft (3.8 m)	2023	Bridgewater 42.0025°N 70.9822°W / 42.0025; -70.9822 (High Street Dam)	Town River		The structurally deficient dam was the most downstream barrier on the Town River to fish migrating from Narragansett Bay. Its removal opened 10 miles (16 km) of river to fish passage as well as 354 acres (143 ha) of spawning habitat in Lake Nippenicket.[8]
Kinne Brook Dam (Stroud Dam)	6 ft (1.8 m)	2014	Chester 42.3085°N 72.9078°W / 42.3085; -72.9078 (Kinne Brook Dam)	Kinne Brook	Westfield River	The removal was a collaboration between Trout Unlimited, the Massachusetts Division of Ecological Restoration, the National Resources Conservation Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and a private landowner. It was part of a larger project to restore 10 mi (16 km) of stream, which also involved the replacement of two culverts.[9][10]
Winchell Dam	14.5 ft (4.4 m)	2016	Granville 42.0838°N 72.8421°W / 42.0838; -72.8421 (Winchell Dam)	Westfield River		Water supply dam owned by the City of Westfield.
Silk Mill Dam	15 ft (4.6 m)	2003	Becket 42.3283°N 73.0836°W / 42.3283; -73.0836 (Silk Mill Dam)	Yokum Brook		Mill dam.
Ballou Dam	10 ft (3.0 m)	2006	Becket 42.3319°N 73.0834°W / 42.3319; -73.0834 (Ballou Dam)			Mill dam.
Horseshoe Pond Dam	6 ft (1.8 m)	2020	Wareham 41.7653°N 70.7476°W / 41.7653; -70.7476 (Horseshoe Pond Dam)	Weweantic River	Weweantic River	Mill dam. National Inventory of Dams ID MA00026.

Planned and proposed removals

Dam	Expected year	Location	Watercourse	Watershed	Notes
Talbot Mills Dam		Billerica 42.5918°N 71.2840°W / 42.5918; -71.2840 (Talbot Mills Dam)	Concord River	Merrimack River	[11]
Veterans Memorial Park Dam		Marshfield 42.0948°N 70.7185°W / 42.0948; -70.7185 (Veterans Memorial Park Dam)	South River	Massachusetts Bay	The North and South Rivers Watershed Association is working with town, state, and private stakeholders on the South River Restoration Project, which will remove barriers to fish migration on the South River.[12]
Chandler Pond Dam		Marshfield 42.0926°N 70.7229°W / 42.0926; -70.7229 (Chandler Pond Dam)
Temple Street Dam		Duxbury 42.0794°N 70.7457°W / 42.0794; -70.7457 (Temple Street Dam)

References

1. "American Rivers Dam Removal Database". Figshare. American Rivers. 13 February 2023. Retrieved 25 August 2023.
2. "Infrastructure Mobilization Effort - Unreviewed List of Projects Submitted for State Consideration". Commonwealth of Massachusetts. 277. Retrieved 22 September 2023.
3. "Annual Report 2010". Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife. p. 67. Retrieved 22 September 2023.
4. Munroe-Hultman, Lauri (10 January 2023). "Former company town turns the page with dam removal". FWS.gov. United States Fish and Wildlife Service. Retrieved 22 September 2023.
5. "Dam Removal Underway at Upper Roberts Brook (Northampton)". Mass.gov. Massachusetts Division of Ecological Restoration. 17 July 2018. Retrieved 22 September 2023.
6. Arthen, Inanna (September 7, 2023). "Whites Mills Property Placed on the Market, Asking Price $3.5 Million". The Winchendon Courier. Retrieved 4 January 2024.
7. "Whites Mill Pond Dam Decommissioning and River Restoration". www.gza.com. GZA GeoEnvironmental. Retrieved 4 January 2024.
8. Rehkopf, Anna (18 July 2023). "High Street Dam Removal". fws.gov. U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. Retrieved 26 September 2023.
9. "Kinne Brook Dam removed". The Westfield News. 12 October 2014. Retrieved 22 September 2023.
10. "Kinne Brook Restoration Project". tu.org. Trout Unlimited. Archived from the original on 23 April 2016. Retrieved 22 September 2023.
11. "Talbot Mills Dam Removal on the Concord River". FWS.gov. U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. Retrieved 22 September 2023.
12. "South River Restoration". North and South Rivers Watershed Association. Retrieved 19 December 2023.

External links

• Media related to Removed dams in Massachusetts at Wikimedia Commons