Heavy rain swells river, halting dam repairs

LAWRENCE — The water rushing over the Route 28 dam is not just a sign of this summer's torrential rainstorms, it also means repairs to the historic Great Stone Dam are at a standstill for at least the next couple of weeks.

Boaters were bracing for the water level to drop sharply, allowing for another summer of dam repairs. But more than 131/2 inches of rain fell on the Merrimack Valley since June, halting construction.

"We haven't made substantial progress since late July," said Jon Dollard, engineering manager for Enel North America, owner of Great Stone Dam.

Heavy rain also is blamed for dozens of ducks dying in the Lowell stretch of the Merrimack River. A river volunteer said he's also seeing an increase in debris floating in the water due to the rain.

"The river is probably 2 to 3 feet higher than it should be. But it's got a couple more feet to go before flood level," said Rocky Morrison, who regularly patrols and cleans the river for his nonprofit organization, Clean River Project.

Despite the swollen river, Enel is shooting for work to be completed on the dam by October or November. Weather-providing, the water will be lowered and crews will work there again by late this month, said Dollard.

"We hope to get it done this fall, but there is always that threat from Mother Nature," said Bob LaRochelle, an Enel spokesman.

The $3.5 million project is the first major upgrade to the dam since it was built in 1848. Designed by Charles Storrow, the dam, which measures 900 feet long and 35 feet high, once provided power to the city's flourishing textile mills.

Starting last summer, the dam's traditional wooden flashboard system is being replaced with a modern, inflatable crest gate — a strong balloon that can be deflated or inflated as needed for water flow. More than $1 million of the project is funded by a state technology grant.

The water level needs to be dropped so construction workers can pour concrete on the dam below the water surface. The concrete work is critical to the project and has to be done during summer months because of fish migration, Dollard said.

The stretch of the river affected by Enel's work is in Lawrence, Methuen and Dracut. It's a prime spot for boaters looking to sail, fish, wakeboard, water ski or relax.

Meanwhile, upriver, an avian illness is being blamed for dozens of ducks dying in the downtown Lowell area of the Merrimack River. A handful of dead ducks were found there earlier this summer, leading some to speculate they were killed by children throwing rocks.

But last weekend, 25 dead ducks were found in the river. David Redding, chief ranger at the Lowell National Historical Park, said bacteria avian botulism was to blame. While there's no risk to humans, the bacteria attacks a duck's nervous system, causing them to drown.

Photos

Rocky Morrison of Salem, N.H., cruises the Merrimack River yesterday afternoon looking for trash and other loose debris floating downstream due to recent rain. Morrison started Clean River Project four years ago after years of contributing to the problem of trash in the river himself. Staff photo

Bob Reid, right, and Tim Wilcox of Bancroft Construction Corp., the general contractor for the Great Stone Dam in Lawrence, talk about the crest gate construction work being flooded by the high water level of the Merrimack River. Staff photo