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.