In 2012, the Curtis Pond Dam was removed; this was a first in
series of dam removals on Ipswich River Watershed. The dam is located in Middleton, Massachusetts
on the Boston Brook. The dam was built
in the 1930’s and was used for the Curtis Brother’s sawmill. The sawmill remained in existence till it’s
closing in 1960’s. In the 1970’s the
town of Danvers acquired the dam and later had it evaluated to be unsafe. Danvers
in partnership with the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection and
private landowners moved forward in 2012 to remove the dam.
According to the American Rivers Organization “the dam was
removed to restore in stream flow, migratory fish passage, and improve river
habitat.” It is believed that this
project will greatly help some species currently being considered to be placed
on the endangered species list, like the American Eel and River Herring. An additional motivation to removing the dam
is to reduce future liability and upkeep for the property owners, as the dam has
become run down. Removal of the dam has
improved life to the surrounding area. The
remaining threat to the surrounding ecosystem remains other dams along the
Ipswich River Watershed. The area has
been studied and continues to be studied for future dam removals that will
benefit rivers, streams, and brooks.
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