When we stopped by the South Natick Dam in mid-May, the local landmark was drawing its usual eclectic mix of visitors. An angler stood beneath the spillway (aka, waterfall) with a bow and arrow, presumably eyeing carp. A small but eager audience stood under the scraggly pines across from Bacon Free Library to see if he would spear anything. A young woman with a work ID card dangling from a lanyard chilled on a bench while eating her lunch. And a man who lives along the Charles explained to his friend what was about to take place at the site.
Come this summer the sounds of gushing water from the spillway will fade away, no longer blending with traffic noise along the Pleasant Street bridge and Rte. 16. The Natick Select Board voted 4-1 in November, 2022 for dam/spillway removal for financial, environmental, and cultural reasons, with an understanding that the surrounding park would be updated for accessibility and more.
The town’s decision had been years in the making. It initially looked as though Natick would repair the structure, with Town Meeting voting in favor of funding such work twice. Much to the frustration of dam supporters and to the delight of local environmental advocacy groups, the town chose not to fund repairs when a possible alternative approach arose. Once the prospect of removing the dam and spillway was raised at a public meeting in 2019, it became increasingly clear that the town would likely choose that option…