G.Horne
10-20-2006, 10:19 PM
I've lived on the lake for the last three year and was in Vagas last year when we had "the flood" the water was all the way up to the foundation of the house. They have been trying to rebuild the dam since. I hope the state takes it over.
Heres two extreams of the lake
this was not the flood of Oct last year but in March of "05"
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y59/ghorne/highwater-1.jpg
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y59/ghorne/highwater2.jpg
this was in the summer of "05"
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y59/ghorne/lowwater1.jpg
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y59/ghorne/lowwater3.jpg
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y59/ghorne/lowwater6.jpg
Latest story on the Lake and the dam
Taunton's Morey's Bridge Dam in “poor condition”
By Terence J. Downing, Enterprise staff writer
TAUNTON — A year ago this week, the world watched as the 173-year-old wooden dam at Whittenton Mills teetered on the brink of collapse, threatening to flood the city.
Now the city is facing similar concerns about another antiquated wooden dam upstream, the Morey's Bridge Dam on Bay Street.
The state Office for Dam Safety on Oct. 2 issued a certificate of non-compliance against the owners, saying they have failed to meet “acceptable dam safety standards,” said Vanessa Gulati, spokeswoman for the Executive Office of Environmental Affairs.
The state gave the dam a “poor condition” rating at the last inspection in November 2005, Gulati said.
The owners, Jefferson Development Partners LLC, have failed to make the required repairs mentioned in the inspection report, which is why the state has cited them, she said.
The state has given Jefferson 21 days to hire an engineer to inspect the integrity of the dam, Gulati said.
Jefferson must notify the state within 30 days that it has, in fact, hired the engineer and it has 90 days to complete the inspection.
The company faces fines if they fail to comply.
“They will have to demonstrate to the Office of Dam Safety that they are going to make the repairs by a certain time,” she said.
Morey's Bridge Dam, built in 1832, is less than a mile upstream from the Whittenton Mills dam, which was converted last year into a self-regulated spillway made of boulders, rocks and pipes.
Morey's Bridge Dam regulates the flow of water from Sabbatia Lake into the Mill River.
“I'm not an engineer, but my feeling is that dam is structurally unsound when I look at the rotted wood and posts that hold it up,” said Taunton Emergency Management Director Richard E. Ferreira.
Ferreira has inspected the dam with the Fire Department using a boat.
Last year, water was found to be going underneath the dam, eroding the foundation.
The city is planning to send a letter to the owners urging action on the dam because of its condition.
Officials fear that another week's worth of torrential rains similar to last October could cause the dam to burst, sending a wall of water flooding the city.
“It would not be pretty,” Ferreira said. “There are 42 miles of waterways that empty into Sabbatia.”
Jefferson Partners has made some minor repairs, including putting 160 sandbags to stop leakage from the bottom and vinyl sheathing to seal leaks in the gates that regulate flow.
“Those aren't valid repairs,” Ferreia said.
The company was hoping to undertake permanent repairs at the same time the Massachusetts Highway Department plans to replace the aging bridge, but that option has not been agreed to by MassHighway.
“My clients have been planning on that and have been talking to MassHighway about it,” said attorney David T. Gay, who represents Jefferson.
“That was the plan, and they talked about coinciding the two projects,” Gay said. “It seems to make sense. The two are kind of intertwined.”
Ferreira said another option being explored is with the state Department of Fish and Game, which has expressed interest in acquiring maintenance and operation rights to the dam and three others on the river — at Whittenton Mills, at Reed and Barton, and at Taunton State Hospital.
He said Fish and Game wants to replace the existing dams with spillways and fish ladders.
“They are very interested in taking it over and they are looking at how it can be funded. Fish and Game is working with the owners for a possible solution,” Ferreira said.
Ferreira said the flooding rains that hit the area last June 7 put major stress on the dam and brought the Mill River to its banks. He said the river was so high, it was hitting the bottom of bridges along its path through downtown.
He said there is no guarantee the dam could withstand another extended period of torrential rains.
Heres two extreams of the lake
this was not the flood of Oct last year but in March of "05"
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y59/ghorne/highwater-1.jpg
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y59/ghorne/highwater2.jpg
this was in the summer of "05"
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y59/ghorne/lowwater1.jpg
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y59/ghorne/lowwater3.jpg
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y59/ghorne/lowwater6.jpg
Latest story on the Lake and the dam
Taunton's Morey's Bridge Dam in “poor condition”
By Terence J. Downing, Enterprise staff writer
TAUNTON — A year ago this week, the world watched as the 173-year-old wooden dam at Whittenton Mills teetered on the brink of collapse, threatening to flood the city.
Now the city is facing similar concerns about another antiquated wooden dam upstream, the Morey's Bridge Dam on Bay Street.
The state Office for Dam Safety on Oct. 2 issued a certificate of non-compliance against the owners, saying they have failed to meet “acceptable dam safety standards,” said Vanessa Gulati, spokeswoman for the Executive Office of Environmental Affairs.
The state gave the dam a “poor condition” rating at the last inspection in November 2005, Gulati said.
The owners, Jefferson Development Partners LLC, have failed to make the required repairs mentioned in the inspection report, which is why the state has cited them, she said.
The state has given Jefferson 21 days to hire an engineer to inspect the integrity of the dam, Gulati said.
Jefferson must notify the state within 30 days that it has, in fact, hired the engineer and it has 90 days to complete the inspection.
The company faces fines if they fail to comply.
“They will have to demonstrate to the Office of Dam Safety that they are going to make the repairs by a certain time,” she said.
Morey's Bridge Dam, built in 1832, is less than a mile upstream from the Whittenton Mills dam, which was converted last year into a self-regulated spillway made of boulders, rocks and pipes.
Morey's Bridge Dam regulates the flow of water from Sabbatia Lake into the Mill River.
“I'm not an engineer, but my feeling is that dam is structurally unsound when I look at the rotted wood and posts that hold it up,” said Taunton Emergency Management Director Richard E. Ferreira.
Ferreira has inspected the dam with the Fire Department using a boat.
Last year, water was found to be going underneath the dam, eroding the foundation.
The city is planning to send a letter to the owners urging action on the dam because of its condition.
Officials fear that another week's worth of torrential rains similar to last October could cause the dam to burst, sending a wall of water flooding the city.
“It would not be pretty,” Ferreira said. “There are 42 miles of waterways that empty into Sabbatia.”
Jefferson Partners has made some minor repairs, including putting 160 sandbags to stop leakage from the bottom and vinyl sheathing to seal leaks in the gates that regulate flow.
“Those aren't valid repairs,” Ferreia said.
The company was hoping to undertake permanent repairs at the same time the Massachusetts Highway Department plans to replace the aging bridge, but that option has not been agreed to by MassHighway.
“My clients have been planning on that and have been talking to MassHighway about it,” said attorney David T. Gay, who represents Jefferson.
“That was the plan, and they talked about coinciding the two projects,” Gay said. “It seems to make sense. The two are kind of intertwined.”
Ferreira said another option being explored is with the state Department of Fish and Game, which has expressed interest in acquiring maintenance and operation rights to the dam and three others on the river — at Whittenton Mills, at Reed and Barton, and at Taunton State Hospital.
He said Fish and Game wants to replace the existing dams with spillways and fish ladders.
“They are very interested in taking it over and they are looking at how it can be funded. Fish and Game is working with the owners for a possible solution,” Ferreira said.
Ferreira said the flooding rains that hit the area last June 7 put major stress on the dam and brought the Mill River to its banks. He said the river was so high, it was hitting the bottom of bridges along its path through downtown.
He said there is no guarantee the dam could withstand another extended period of torrential rains.