Centuries old dam being taken down

TAUNTON, Mass. (WPRI) – The deconstruction of the centuries old Hopewell Mills Dam is underway.

Water levels have been lowered so the rest of the dam can be taken down.

The goal of the project is to increase fish population in Mount Hope Bay.

The mill river is a tributary of the Taunton River, a major tributary to Narragansett Bay.

The Hopewell Mills dam is one of three dams on the mill river which will be taken apart.

A fourth will have a fish ladder added for spawning.

“The Taunton River has one of our largest fish runs in Narragansett Bay estuary, so it’s important for migratory fish that come to spawn in the river,” said Rachel Calabro from Save the Bay.

River herring, alewife and the American eel are the main species which once came up the river and its upstream tributaries to spawn in the spring.

For the last 200 years, that passage has been restricted because of the series of dams, which also are a safety hazard to humans.

“Taunton has experienced some major flood events where the downtown has had to be evacuated because of dangers from dams,” Calabro said.

The removal of the remainder of this dam will take a couple of months.

Eventually a new river channel will be created and trees will be planted to create a new habitat for the wildlife.

The $800,000 for the Hopewell Mills Dam comes from federal, state and not-for-profit sources.

The whole project is expected to be complete in about four years.