Foxborough Awarded $708K State Grant For West Street Dam Removal

FOXBOROUGH, MA — Gov. Charlie Baker's office announced Foxborough will receive a grant worth more than $708,000 to help remove the dam on West Street. The grant comes from the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs and is part of the $10.2 million in state assistance announced for 13 communities across the state.

"The two-day storm the Commonwealth experienced this week is a reminder of the necessity of ensuring critical infrastructure like dams and seawalls are prepared for increasingly severe storms and other weather," Baker said in a statement. "Our administration is proud to support municipalities throughout Massachusetts with these grants and looks forward to working with the Legislature to pass our legislation that would provide a stable revenue source to fund climate-smart infrastructure projects and nature-based solutions."

West Street Dam is considered a significant hazard dam in "poor" condition. Originally constructed for a mill, the dam does not have a current purpose. The dam is upstream of forest and forested wetlands with low density residential property in the vicinity.

Replacement of the dam with a culvert or bridge would improve the ecology of the Cocasset River and permanently eliminate failure risk that would threaten West Street, according to a release.

Last year, Foxborough was awarded a grant worth $126,600 for the design and permitting involved with the removal of the West Street Dam.