Fe a s i b i l i t y St u d y C O N C O R D R D R I R I V E V E R DI DIADR DROM OUS F S FISH R H RESTORA RATI TION PUBLIC M EETING | FEBRUARY 23, 2016 | NORTH BILLERICA, M A Project Lead Project Partners Project Consultants
OVERVIEW • PROJECT PURPOSE • EXISTING ENVIRONM ENT • TECHNICAL ASSESSM ENT • RESTORATION AL TERNATIVES • SUM M ARY / NEXT STEPS • QUESTIONS
PROJECT SUPPORT • Partners/ s/tec echnical a assi ssistance: e: Project Lead Project Partners Project Consultants • Fundi nding ng: Nyanza Natural Resource Damages Settlement
PURPOSE
PROJECT GOAL Evalu luate t the f feasib ibilit ility of r restoring populations o of d diadromous f fish to t the C Concord, Sudbury, a and A Assabet R Rivers Imagery credit: Herring Alliance
WHY? – Reasons to Restore Passage • Importance o e of target spec ecies ies – ecosystem functions, commercial/ recreational fisheries, cultural values, range, etc. • History – historical presence of diadromous species in the Concord River is well documented • Hab abitat t – significant lacustrine and riverine spawning and rearing habitat exists upstream of Talbot M ills Dam • Connec ectivit vity – the Concord River is low in the M errimack River watershed and fish must only navigate past one dam before reaching the it • Suppo pport – active and involved watershed associations, volunteer organizations, community members, and state/federal agencies support restoration • Public I Input – one of 12 projects identified in the Nyanza Restoration Plan, which resulted from public input process
EXISTING ENVIRONM ENT
TARGET SPECIES Blueback herring Alewife American shad American eel Sea lamprey
TARGET SPECIES – Life Cycles River Herring & American Shad
TARGET SPECIES – Life Cycles Sea Lamprey American Eel
TARGET SPECIES – Importance ECOSYSTEM FISHERIES FUNCTIONS (COM M ERCIAL & RECREATIONAL) RANGE CUL TURAL VALUES
TARGET SPECIES – Population Trends American Shad River Herring 400,000 100,000 90,000 350,000 80,000 300,000 Number fo Fish Number of Fish 70,000 250,000 60,000 200,000 50,000 40,000 150,000 30,000 100,000 20,000 50,000 10,000 0 0 Year Year Sea Lamprey 20,000 Fish returns for 18,000 16,000 M errimack River Number of Fish 14,000 at Essex Dam 12,000 10,000 in Lawrence, M A 8,000 6,000 4,000 2,000 0 Year
WATERSHED M errimack River Watershed SuAsCo Watershed
WATERSHED – Potential Habitat • Fish passage at Talbot M ills Dam would open access to: – 35 35 miles (740 acres) of mainstem rivers – 100 m 100 miles of tributaries – 260 a 260 acr cres of lakes and ponds (Not including areas that could be accessed with fish passage at upstream dams)
WATERSHED – State & Federal Recognition Sudbury, Assabet, & Concord Wild and Scenic Rivers Great Cedar Swamp ACEC
WATERSHED – Water Quality
WATERSHED – Flooding M arch 2010 Flood in Billerica
FISH P ASSAGE OBSTACLES
OBSTACLES – M iddlesex Falls N Breached M iddlesex Dam Fish Passage Route Imagery Source: Bing, 2015
OBSTACLES – M iddlesex Falls • Former M iddlesex Dam (breached in 1980s) • 2000 NRCS/USFWS survey • Possible fish passage impedance at some flows • M inor channel modifications may improve passage • Potential use of former raceway channel
OBSTACLES – Centennial Falls Dam N Concord River Bypass Reach Impoundment Centennial Falls Dam Fish Ladder & Downstream Bypass Gatehouse Power Canal Imagery Source: Bing, 2014
OBSTACLES – Centennial Falls Dam • 8-foot-high dam with hydropower (22-foot hydraulic head) • Fish ladder & downstream bypass sluice added in 1990 • History of deficiencies • M ore recent active management and coordination • River herring observed in fish ladder in 2015
OBSTACLES – Talbot M ills Dam N Impoundment Parking (M ill Pond) Lot Former Warehouse Sluiceway Old M iddlesex Canal Alignment Former Park Talbot Intake M ills Dam Structure Faulkner M ills Complex Sluiceway Outlet Imagery Source: Bing, 2015
OBSTACLES – Talbot M ills Dam • 10-foot-high former mill dam • Primary spillway (127 ft) • Abutments • Non-overflow section • Former intake structure • Sluiceway • Privately owned (CRT Development Realty, LLC) • No current fish passage facilities
TALBOT M ILLS DAM – Dam Safety • 2015 inspection • Intermediate size, significant hazard, fair condition • Deficiencies: • Lack of operation & maintenance plan, routine oversight • Lack of working controls, low level outlet, emergency bypass • Seepage in the abutments • Trees below spillway and on embankment • Estimated repair cost: $105,000+ • Feasibility study findings • Does not meet regulations to pass spillway design flood • NOT a flood control dam
TALBOT M ILLS DAM – History The Concord River evolves over 1,000’s of years post Constructed Pre- The Concord River evolves over thousands glaciation without a dam dam of years post-glaciation without a dam colonial The site is an American Indian encampment and fishing use of The site is a Native American encampment Dam C grounds with exposed falls river’s and fishing grounds with exposed falls fisheries ~ 9000 BC 1653 1711
TALBOT M ILLS DAM – History High 1859 Dam ordered removed again; dam 1711 owner compensated with steam- First legal contest; 1839 2014-16 powered generator for mill dam owner ordered Henry David Thoreau Feasibility study to to pay restitution writes about removing the restore fish passage 1721 dam with a crow-bar Dam removed by 1829 order of court New dam built ; old dam 1987 retained just upstream Textile M ill closes Dam Constructed 1983 1722 1798 Pre- M ill Dam area recognized as Dam rebuilt New dam built dam historically significant colonial NO USE M ILL DAM CANAL DAM INDUSTRIAL TEXTILE DAM use of river’s 1861 ~1980 1791 1815 fisheries Civil War starts; all efforts to Fishway added Fishway filled in Legal effort to 1747 remove dam cease remove dam. with concrete Clothworks added Dam retained 1861 1739 Dam owner files to repeal Sawmill added 1809 dam removal decision, but Soon after 1723 Legal effort to looses appeal Dam rebuilt again remove dam; 1723 dam retained 1859 Dam forcefully Canal charter revoked; Henry David Thoreau surveys ~1800 removed by angry river gathering evidence for the defendants looking to Dam raised for band of farmers remove the dam new canal system Low 1653 1710 1800 1900 2000
TALBOT M ILLS DAM – History Current (1828) dam Ingraham, 2009 1798 “ legacy dam” submerged upstream
TALBOT M ILLS DAM – History Former Fishway “ … so long as there shall be kept and upheld, a dam across Concord River, in the Town of Billerica… there shall be kept open at the usual place in said dam, a sluice or passage way for fish to pass up and down the river through said dam, from the first day of April to the twentieth day of M ay in each year… ” (1820 Chap. 0070)
OTHER INFRASTRUCTURE M iddlesex Canal Billerica Water Supply Intake Faulkner St Bridge Pollard St Bridge Boston Rd/ Rte 3A Bridge
TECHNICAL ASSESSM ENT
PROJECT SCOPE • TOPOGRAPHIC SURVEY • SEDIM ENT ANAL YSIS • HYDROLOGIC ANAL YSIS • HYDRAULIC ANAL YSIS • CULTURAL RESOURCES ANAL YSIS
FIELD DATA – Topographic Survey M iddlesex Falls Talbot M ills Dam
FIELD DATA – Sediment Quantity
FIELD DATA – Sediment Quality • Sediment quantity: • ~18,200 CY total sediment • ~9,500 CY mobile sediment • Sediment quality: • Overall low pollutant concentrations
ANAL YSIS – Hydrology
ANAL YSIS – Hydraulics M iddlesex Falls Talbot M ills Dam
CUL TURAL RESOURCES SECTIO ION 106 106 OF THE NATIO IONAL HI HISTORIC IC PRESERVATIO ION A ACT (NHP A): “ … .take into account the effect of the undertaking on any district, site, building, structure, or object that is included in or eligible for inclusion in the National Register”. 106 106 PROCESS (CONSUL TATIVE): 1. Determine where the project may result in effects to historic properties (the APE) 2. Identify historic properties 3. Assess the potential impacts of the project to those properties 4. Seek ways to avoid, minimize, or mitigate adverse effects (M OA) HIST STORIC / C / ARCHAEOLOGICA CAL R RESO SOURCES R S RECONNAISSA SSANCE CE S SURVEY (2015) • Identified properties and sensitive archaeological areas • Assessed potential effects for the project alternatives
CULTURAL RESOURCES – Architectural / Industrial Talbot M ills Dam (aka M iddlesex Canal Dam and Locks—M HC No. BIL.900/ BIL-HA-09) within 2 historic districts listed in the National Register: • M iddlesex Canal Historic and Archaeological District (M HC Nos. BIL.T , BIL.K, BIL.P) • A potential contributing resource to the Billerica M ills Historic District (M HC Nos. BIL.O, BIL.E) Project APE contains multiple resources relating to the 2 districts
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