- Division of Ecological Restoration
On Earth Day (April 22), DER joined Governor Baker, Congressman Keating, US Fish and Wildlife Service, NOAA Fisheries, the Town of Plymouth and other partners in celebration of the last major step in the Town Brook Restoration - the Holmes Dam Removal and replacement of the Newfield Bridge. With 4 dams removed and a modern fish ladder installed at the Jenney Grist Mill, river herring can once again reach high quality spawning habitat in the 269 acre Billington Sea in the headwaters of Town Brook. The project also improves public safety by eliminating the risk of a failing dam, and helps the Town of Plymouth build resilience to climate change. Funds invested by the Division of Ecological Restoration, EEA’s Dam and Seawall Fund, and the PARC program leverage substantial federal grants for the project from NOAA Fisheries and the US Fish and Wildlife Service. The Town of Plymouth began removing dams on Town Brook in 2002, long before most dam owners realized dam removal was possible. You can explore over 20 years of dam removal and other restoration work through this StoryMap.
Images: Left: Governor Baker, DFG Commissioner Ron Amidon, DER Director Beth Lambert and DER Deputy Director Hunt Durey at Holmes Dam Removal Earth Day celebration. Right: Town Brook site of the former Holmes Dam.
