The Town of Natick has landed $1 million in state grant money that will be used to help fund removal of the Charles River Dam in South Natick.
In a press release, the state Executive Office of Environmental and Energy Affairs announced the release of more than $10 million in grants for dam-related projects. Of that, $1 million is going toward the South Natick dam removal project.
Natick Town Administrator James Errickson said the funding is helpful as the town exits the permitting phase of the project. He told the Daily News that now that the state has cleared both state and federal permitting, it's just a matter of time, as work won't happen immediately.
"The reality is that the timing of this project is more contingent on seasonality, meaning we have to wait until it's a lower rain season to do this work," Errickson said. "I believe that's next summer, like July time frame is my understanding."
In 2022, the Natick Select Board voted 4-1 to remove the dam, an aesthetic spillway and fish ladder that has fallen into disrepair. Experts say breaching the spillway will make the area more resistant to flooding, a concern that has grown in recent years due to more intense weather activity.
Demolition of dam expected to start next summer
The Charles River Dam is classified as a high-hazard dam. In Massachusetts, high-hazard dams are located where failure will likely cause loss of life and serious damage to homes, industrial, commercial facilities, important public utilities, highways or railroads.
Demolition is expected to begin on the spillway next summer. Errickson said the removal of the spillway, where the water goes over to create a waterfall effect, is a relatively small project.
"That in of itself won't take more than a handful of days, maybe a couple weeks, from mobilization to removal to then stabilization," the town administrator said. "But the spillway itself is a pretty quick project, but then we have to work and see how the river naturally starts to flow to determine if there's any additional work that we would need to do."
Seeing how the Charles River's flow works with the spillway removal will take a while, according to Errickson. The town is also working to design park space around the dam.
"We're very appreciative of the state for the funding and are glad that we can advance this project for the community," Errickson said.
Mass. cities and towns get millions for dam projects
Massachusetts municipalities are set to receive $10.9 million in grants for aging dams, seawalls, levees and other infrastructure, according to a press release from the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs.
In the press release, state Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Rebecca Tepper said the grants are for infrastructure that was built awhile ago.
Advocates explain how towns can make Charles River more swimmable
“Infrastructure built decades ago wasn’t designed to handle the weather we're seeing today,” she said. “These investments help communities upgrade what is outdated and make lasting improvements. This program is about being proactive and making sure critical systems continue to serve the people who depend on them. These are the kinds of important upgrades that will be further supported by the Mass Ready Act.”
Elsewhere in MetroWest, Holliston received more than $150,000 for the Houghton Pond Dam Alternatives Assessment; Hopkinton received $200,000 for improvements on the Lake Maspenock Dam; and Wayland also received more than $880,000 for the rehabilitiation of the Snake Brook Dam.
"Making sure cities and towns have the resources to maintain and update infrastructure is a key piece of making communities safe, accessible, and avoiding costlier repairs down the road," Senate President Karen E. Spilka, D-Ashland, said in a statement.