GROVELAND – You’ver probably never noticed what appears as a mere culvert under a road, but the “Johnson Creek Dam” located off Salem Street is slated for removal as part of a long list of state-wide dams deemed inconsequential and/or not being used for their orginal purposes. The dam was inspected in 1979 by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New England Division and deemed in need of repairs at that time.
Last week, the Massachusetts Department of Fish and Game announced that $535,000 was being directed to conduct “dam removal preliminary design studies in eight municipalities.” An additional $50,000 funding to the Merrimack River Watershed Council was also announced as part of this project.
“There are numerous deteriorating dams on our rivers and streams throughout the Commonwealth that have long outlived their intended use,” said DER Director Beth Lambert. “These structures damage river ecosystems and threaten public safety. In addition, the burden of owning and maintaining dams can be overwhelming for dam owners. We look forward to providing dam owners with information they can use to take the next step towards dam removal and river restoration.”
The Johnson Creek dam originally provided water power to the Groveland Mill, prior to 1931. Records from the County of Essex Engineering Department reveal inspection of the dam on Nov. 15, 1913 by C. Barker, following a new wall being put in when the street was widened. The original date of construction is unknown.
Currently, the dam is used to regulate the flow of water at the town beach located 3/4 mile downstream. The final destination is the Merrimack River, another 3/4 mile downstream from the beach.
With removal of this small dam, water flow to the area would in some ways continue to be regulated by a dam at Johnsons Pond which is maintained by the Haverhill Water Department, as that pond is used as a water supply. However, the area between Johnsons Pond and the current dam would expect to experience a significant shrinking of the of the width of the current pond-like water retention area which is located between Johnsons Pond and Salem Street dam. ♦
