June 6, 2012 — The state Department of Conservation and Recreation Tuesday heralded the completion of a three-year, $6.6 million restoration of the Upper Mystic Lake Dam.
The state Department of Conservation and Recreation Tuesday heralded the completion of a three-year, $6.6 million restoration of the Upper Mystic Lake Dam.
In addition to shoring up the dam's structural strength, the project added capacity to move and store water, installed a new emergency spillway, and created an outlet for spawning fish to reach breeding grounds upstream.
DCR officials undertook the project after a May 2006 storm nearly overwhelmed the structure, and was categorized as a "significant hazard" by the state. Construction began in 2009.
"The Dam's rehabilitation ensures that the multi-function uses, recreation, dam safety, flood reduction, environmental habitat enhancement, and historical preservation will benefit the Commonwealth for the future," said DCR Commissioner Edward Lambert, in a statement.
Before the improvements, wildlife faced the most obstacles, but now river eels have their own internal "eel-way," in addition to the fish ladder that allows the spawning herring to move upstream, said Mary Griffin, commissioner for the Department of Fish & Game.
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