|
Priority Projects
Project Name: Red Brook Restoration
In September 2006, the first of four small dams along Red Brook, Robbins Dam, was removed to improve habitat for "salters", sea-run brook trout, and other aquatic species. The boards on the dam were removed several years ago and the remainder of the structure and earthen berm were fully removed to restore the previously impeded passage for fish and wildlife.
Site Location and Description:
Red Brook is a small, spring-fed, coastal stream in southeastern Massachusetts that flows roughly 4.5 miles from White Island Pond in Plymouth to Buttermilk Bay, a shallow estuary located at the head of Buzzards Bay.
The restoration project is located on the Red Brook Reserve, which includes the 210-acre Theodore Lyman Reserve, owned and managed by The Trustees of Reservations, and the 428-acre Red Brook Wildlife Management Area, which is owned and managed by the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife.
| Subwatershed Problems: |
Proposed Solutions: |
Stream flows and fish passage are restricted at several small dams along river.
|
Remove Robbins Dam; develop streamwide restoration plan for the removal of next three dams |
| Instream sandy sediment accumulation |
Determine sediment sources and develop a sediment management plan |
Community Involvement:
Trout Unlimited volunteers monitor stream temperature,
pH, stage, sediment drift and trout populations. A.D. Makepeace provided construction equipment for the dam removal. Mass Maritime Academy and local high school students monitor water quality and participated in the dam removal.
Species to benefit:
Salter brook trout, American eel, river herring, alewife
Status:
The first on-the-ground part of this restoration removing Robbins Dam was funded by NOAA/American Rivers and construction provided by A.D. Makepeace. Additional projects are currently being planned and prioritized for salter brook trout habitat restoration including plans for reducing the fine sand sediment load in the stream and removing the rest of the small dams. In the spring of 2006 Riverways funded a sediment management and restoration action plan. The Corporate Wetlands Restoration Partnership has donated funds for the purchase of water level loggers to document water level and temperature fluctuations throughout Red Brook.
A feasibility study and engineering design for removing the next three dams is underway.
Project Needs:
Permitting and construction costs for next three dam removals.
American Rivers Press Release
Photos of Robbins Dike removal (click on image for a larger view)
 
 
Page last updated March 2007
|
