About Dam Time: Dam Removal Sees Braintree Monatiquot River Restoration Finally Underway

BRAINTREE, MA — Braintree is beginning the removal of two dams at the former Armstrong Cork factory site, a signal that the Monatiquot River restoration project is underway.

The project got underway on Aug. 29 with the beginning process of removing the Armstrong Dam and Ames Pond Dam. Once complete, the channel of the Monatiquot River will be restored through the Hollingsworth Pond.

The removal of these dams holds the promise of reinvigorating the river ecosystem, allowing river herring to access their upstream spawning habitat after centuries of being impeded, officials said. River herring are an important food source for larger fish and help support New England fisheries.

“Currently, thousands of river herring are massed below the dam trying to come upriver to spawn,” says Eric Hutchins, a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries restoration biologist, in an August post on NOAA's website. “But, after beating their heads against the dam for weeks, most females will just drop their eggs or reabsorb them.”

It will also remove contaminated sediment in the impoundment behind the dam, and feature construction of a public walking trail along the restored river. An overlook platform will also be constructed to view the herring run each spring.

The Contractor for the project is Maverick Construction Management Services and the Engineer for the project is SLR Consulting.

This project was helped by $2 million in funding from NOAA Fisheries under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, plus other funding from additional agencies.

NOAA and Braintree have been working to remove these defunct dams for the last 15 years, including an initial funding round in 2017 of $100,000 to the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Restoration.