RSSSpoonville Dam Removal Begins
In July and August of 2012, the Farmington River Watershed Association (FRWA) is coordinating the removal of Spoonville Dam.
“Built in 1899 on the site of a natural 25-foot drop in the riverbed, the dam was originally a hydropower facility. The hurricanes and flood of 1955 breached the dam, opening a 45-foot gap and scattering massive dam fragments in the riverbed downstream. The remnant of the main dam has persisted for decades as a 128-foot long, 25-foot high obstacle in the channel. The river pours through the breach in a steep, fast chute that stops American shad from proceeding further upstream to spawn. Migrating shad typically stall just below the chute. Removing the dam will spread out and slow the flow and restore a more natural riverbed, allowing shad (and other species) to swim upstream more easily.”
For more information on the project please visit the Farmington River Watershed Association.
