The city of Northampton received a $25,000 state grant to help in the removal of a dam on Upper Roberts Meadow Brook.
The Baker-Polito administration announced last week that four municipalities, including Northampton, would receive a combined $97,397 in state grant funds to remove dams, aid in the restoration of rivers to their natural state, and increase climate readiness. The towns of Middleton, Duxbury and West Boylston were the other grant recipients.
In Northampton, the Upper Roberts Meadow Brook restoration and dam removal have been years in the making. The grant will support the city in completing the permitting phase, conducting the bid phase, and beginning the project implementation phase, according to the state.
The project came about as a result of an inspection that occurred in 2006 and in 2007, when the Office of Dam Safety issued an ordered to the city to either repair or demolish the dam due to structural deficiencies, explained Donna LaScaleia, director of the city’s Department of Public Works.
“We are very pleased with the support that this project has received from both the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs and Massachusetts Department of Fish and Game, through their division of ecological restoration,” LaScaleia said.
Last month, the city received a $633,996 grant out of the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs. The grant is funded by the Dam and Seawall Repair or Removal Fund and the Governor’s annual capital budget. The total cost of the project is estimated at $850,000. The remaining approximately $191,000 will be funded through the city’s water enterprise, LaScaleia said.
The goal of the project is to improve public safety as well as restore Roberts Meadow Brook. The cold water stream supports a resident trout population.
“We are particularly excited about the benefits that these projects provide for cold water fish such as brook trout and migratory fish such as river herring,” Department of Fish and Game Commissioner Ronald Amidon said in a statement. “River restoration also provides greater recreational opportunities for people who enjoy fishing, canoeing, and kayaking.”
The project is expected to go out to bid Wednesday with bids due on March 14, according to LaScaleia. Construction will start in late spring and through staged removal is expected to be completed by June of 2019. The project is weather dependent.
Removal of the 30-foot high dam is expected to provide numerous environmental benefits including the reconnection of approximately nine miles of upstream habitat for fish and other aquatic organisms, according to the state. The dam was constructed in 1883 and served as part of the city’s water supply system. It was taken off line and no longer used as a water supply reservoir because of its small volume compared to the city’s other larger water supply reservoirs, according to the state.
Emily Cutts can be reached at ecutts@gazettenet.com.