Profitably Soaked

My neighbor jokes with me as I head out past his house. His dog waves its tail and sniffs the scent of impending rain in the air. Being a numbers guy, George has determined he can walk the dog and get back before the rain starts falling. Still, he dresses with rain on his mind. The joke is on me of course because I wear a sweatshirt and carry my unprotected art supplies as I usually do. I work on paper with pastels and ink.

Dog's noses don't lie and the mist soon turned into a steady drizzle. As I drew pictures at the park, it settled in and I had to make my own weather-related calculations. At some point, the rain might wash my work away and by the time I get home, I might be left with a ghost drawing and only memories of things that got away. I'm buoyed however by Thoreau's appreciation for getting "profitably soaked."

10-16-26-island

04-06-24-bridge

11-22-23-rain

04-02-20-rain

10-16-26-hawk02

02-05-16-rain-ducks

 

The South Natick Dam (removal 06)

The slow maturation of the pioneer plants on the river's new floodplains and now the rains that have blanketed Natick for the last week have given many a vision of what the Charles River might look like since the spillway has been removed. Deer, geese and herons are predictably present. I've seen eagles and hawks flying nearby. Sparrows and wrens are inhabiting the cattails. And, the park has been very quiet and I haven't seen many folks about gawking at the altered scenery. I do see their comments (mostly negative) on facebook. But I wonder if people have moved on from the drama of demolition.  I'm still processing of course but mostly in visual terms. I'm glad for the river and its advocates but I miss my usual motifs. New ones are emerging though.

09-22-26-spillway

09-23-26-island

09-24-26-island

09-25-26-deer

09-28-26-geese

09-30-26-river

The South Natick Dam (removal 05)

 It's the last day of August and the spillway removal is complete. The heavy machinery is silently sleeping in the grove of trees on top of the earthen dam on the far side of the river. A crew of masons has been making repairs to the fish ladder and the old stone walls on either side. The river, low as it is (because of a drought), sweeps through the site. It's a lot to get used to and lately I've been making "before and after" images only to record the change.

Now it's time for the river and all the natural forces that attend it, to find its way through South Natick. I'm looking forward to picking up threads of animal behavior and the ways that the riverside vegetation will organize itself. Here are a few more drawings from the last weeks.

08-14-26-spillway
Pumping water from the area covered by a cement "apron" that will be dug out and removed in the coming weeks.

08-14-26-turtle
A turtle exploring the diminishing pool. It was later safely herded into the river by the site engineer.

08-15-26-osprey-spillway
A quick sketch showing an osprey hunting in the river where the impoundment use to be. I see ospreys 1-3 times a year in South Natick.

08-17-26-spillway
Machines creating a new channel for the river as they complete removal of one side of the spillway.

08-21-26-spillway01
In this quick drawing (I would get "chased" off the site when the big machines started work) we can see the emerging contemporary contours of the Charles River.

08-22-26-spillway-heron
The object in the middle of the drawing is a webcam that was installed last year sometime.

08-23-26-spillway
A cross section of the spillway (built in the early-1930's). This will remain and includes the abutting fish ladder and flood gate housing deemed integral to the retaining wall behind it.

08-28-26-spillway-cattails
Another view a week later through a thicket of cattails

08-29-26-balustrade
Here we see a portion of the balustrade festooned with bright plastic hazard fencing. Masons, (out of sight) were repairing the walls in the lower left of this drawing. They have also repaired holes and broken edges of the fish ladder.

08-29-26-island
A familiar (to me at least) view of Holyoke Island and, in the foreground, bedrock ledges that were at the base of the spillway. Herons and ducks would clamber and hunt from these rocks. Now they look neglected and beat up. The flowing river will tidy it in good time.

08-30-26-island-cattails
Another view of the island and Eliot Bridge in the background. Right now cattails and lush grasses and other riparian plants obscure the view.

Many people who know that I have an artistic appreciation for this spot ask me with concern if I'm "okay?" with the spillway's removal. Admittedly, it's a big change and it's ongoing. I've been intrigued watching the crews at work every day and the subtle reactions in Nature. This is not a time to jump to conclusions. Some folks use the spillway's demolition to complain about corrupt or inept government and a distrust of "experts." Some will turn their backs on the river and stay in a sad and dark emotional place. I'm sympathetic to many of them but I have abiding confidence in the river and Nature which truly makes Life wonderful and interesting. 

The South Natick Dam (removal 04)

By the end of July, a drilling rig arrived to help organize removal of harder concrete in the spillway. 

07-30-26-spillway02
The plastic safety netting is in pink (it's really bright orange)

07-31-26-spillway
A second channel was opened up to help lower the river faster.

08-01-26-mallows
The mallows seem more resplendent this year as they fringe the expanding muddy but green floodplain. 

08-02-26-heron-spillway
A young great blue heron has taken up residence and hunts at the site of the old spillway. It takes advantage of the new channels that have been created.

08-09-26-heron

08-09-26-swan
a solitary mute swan poking in the stagnant duckweed pool behind the remains of the spillway.

08-12-26-spillway
The new middle channel was formalized with these big "sandbags" and this afternoon, water was being pumped from the quiet pools in the foreground in preparation for the concrete sawing rigs that have been brought on site. The fish ladder persists though. It's fate is still uncertain.

The South Natick Dam (removal 03)

The process of removing the spillway ("the dam") in South Natick is going full steam. It's strange to witness a scene that is going away, never to return. It will be  replaced, someday, by a beautiful curving river vista. The wildlife is adjusting. The human life is taking a bit longer :)

BEFORE: 08-04-21-dam

AFTER: 07-23-26-cattails-spillway 

07-27-26-spillway03

07-28-26-spillway

07-28-26-heron01

The South Natick Dam (removal 02)

 The second phase of the dam's demolition removal will start in a few days. It began with the opening of the flood gates which lowered the impoundment behind the spillway. The effect was slow but dramatic and depressing for many people to witness: mud flats emerged as the water drained out. And the structure of the spillway gradually revealed itself. Then there was a big rainstorm and the river filled up a bit and the flood gates were opened completely. Different animals have been exploiting the new habitats while others, the geese and ducks have had to look for new perches to preen and dry out. It's been a fascinating process so far. And a gratifying one in some ways as pilgrims join me at the railing and tell stories and speak about their feelings.

I predict that my next post might include trucks and maybe fewer animals!

Black crowned night heron hunting near the flood gates
07-03-26-nightheron

07-04-26-spillway

A great blue heron hunting in the quiet water behind the emerging spillway.
07-06-26-heron

A swan in the river surrounded now by a new flood plain.
07-06-26-swan-cattails

A mallard surveys the river in the rain.
07-07-26-spillway-duck

The South Natick Dam (removal 01)

I'm working on a book about the South Natick Dam. This is a place on the Charles River in Massachusetts near my home. It's about a ten minute walk and I've been drawing different aspects of it daily for over ten years. After much debate, planning and hand-wringing the decision was made to remove the iconic structure and let the river resume its natural course.

Work started a few days ago with the opening of a pair of flood gates so that the cement spillway structure can be demolished. I've been trying to document the process in a personal way, as I have for the past decade. Still, I feel ambivalent and a sense of loss. Nature of course will adjust very quickly and that will be interesting to witness.

06-29-26-floodgate

06-30-26-fishladder

06-30-26-dam

07-01-26-cattails-spillway

07-01-26-dam-ducks

In the last drawing here, a family of four ducklings and mother rest on top of the dry and soon to be demolished spillway. A grackle takes advantage of the new surface to forage.

More Rabbits!

06-07-26-rabbit-hawk

06-11-26-rabbit

06-10-26-rabbit

06-05-26-rabbit

 

Spring: Rabbits

 

05-22-26-rabbit

05-23-26-rabbits

05-06-26-rabbit

05-14-26-rabbit