In Kingston, Massachusetts, a seemingly ordinary structure was standing between the Jones River and a healthier future. The Elm Street Dam, located just downstream of the Elm Street Bridge, had become an obstacle to natural river processes and aquatic life. According to Stantec, the dam was positioned only about 10 feet downstream from the recently reconstructed bridge and had originally formed part of the adjacent Kingston Water Department building. Although its spillway provided an attractive waterfall beside an events facility, the structure substantially impaired ecological resources and required continuing dam-safety inspections and maintenance. In 2014, the Jones River Watershed Association (JRWA) began working with engineering and restoration partners on the complex process of designing, permitting and ultimately removing the dam. Five years later, the Jones River was flowing freely through the former dam site.
The importance of the project becomes clearer when considering the history of the Jones River. The Elm Street Dam was located at the river's head of tide, making it the first dam encountered by migratory fish traveling upstream from the ocean. Massachusetts officials reported in 2019 that the structure had been in place for approximately 300 years. Dams can fundamentally change rivers by slowing water, trapping sediment and altering temperature and dissolved oxygen conditions, while also restricting the movement of fish and other aquatic organisms. Massachusetts' Division of Ecological Restoration explains that dam removal can restore natural connections between aquatic habitats and allow organisms, water, nutrients and sediment to move more freely through river systems.
