Norwich ― The Higher Falls Dam on the Yantic River fell down the river one block of granite at a time for a number of years, and town needs to hurry up the method, beginning with a examine of the feasibility and flood discount advantages of eradicating all or a part of the dam.
Metropolis Council voted Monday to just accept a $44,800 grant from the Federal Emergency Administration Company’s Constructing Infrastructure and Resilient Communities Program to review the potential flood prevention advantages of eradicating the dam from 1860. Town’s public works division will match town’s $14,000 grant with in-kind engineering providers, mentioned director of public works Patrick McLaughlin.
Metropolis officers have needed to take away the dam for years to scale back potential flooding up the Yantic River. The dam is just not purposeful and isn’t a barrier to migrating fish swimming upstream, for the reason that pure gorge of Yantic Falls, Uncas Leap has been a historic barrier for fish. State legislation requires that dams that impede fish migration be eliminated or fitted with fish ladders.
State officers decided that eradicating the dam wouldn’t considerably scale back flooding instantly upstream, the place contractors are at the moment engaged on a new Sherman Street Bridge. The brand new bridge shall be 18 inches larger than the previous bridge, permitting for larger river ranges throughout massive storms.
However McLaughlin mentioned he believed eradicating all or a part of the dam would alleviate flooding, particularly given local weather change and the anticipation of extra extreme storms affecting the volatility of the Yantic River.
“It could assist scale back flooding, a countermeasure to local weather change,” McLaughlin mentioned, “as a result of even with the Sherman Avenue Bridge raised 18 inches, it is barely above the 100-year flood. This is able to give us higher flood management.
Throughout heavy rains, the Yantic River often floods properties, companies, and streets in low-lying areas of Norwichtown and Yantic alongside City, West City, and Sturtevant streets.
The granite dam, a key a part of a booming water-powered industrial district within the 1860s, has an intricate design. The half closest to the accompanying energy station was constructed as a granite wall, the river water allowed to circulation by way of a 3ft x 3ft sq. wood door on the base when t is managed by the hydroelectric operators.
The gate decayed about 20 years in the past, permitting the river to circulation by way of the bottom of the dam when the river stage is low. McLaughlin mentioned a crew from Manafort Bros., the contractor constructing the brand new Sherman Avenue Bridge, not too long ago cleared particles that had clogged the gate opening on the base of the dam to enhance circulation.
The second half of the dam has an earth slope constructed behind the granite wall which types a delicate slope from the river to the highest of the dam. On this space, components of the granite dam below the capstones have been additionally washed into the river.
McLaughlin mentioned the examine will decide whether or not all or a part of the dam could possibly be eliminated.
He mentioned town would hold the granite blocks, maybe utilizing some to fill the deep gap on the base of the dam the place the dashing river eroded the river mattress and utilizing some to embellish the heritage park in ‘Higher Falls, the place spherical millstones have already been positioned to line the cul-de-sac driveway.
“We’ll see what the examine recommends,” McLaughlin mentioned.
#Norwich #examine #chance #eradicating #Higher #Falls #Dam #Yantic #River