To the editor: It’s time for the Williams Dam to go
The Chester Telegraph | Dec 20, 2023 | Comments 0
The dam is located on the mill pond at the intersection of Route 100 and Route 11 near the Mill Tavern Restaurant. It is old, it is leaking and — from the aerial photographs of the flooding during the summer — it is absolutely clear that flooding at dam itself is the cause of the intersection at Route 100 and 11 to be blocked – cutting off travel east and north of the village.
While that might be a minor inconvenience to some, for a person with a medical emergency it could be the difference between a good outcome and a very bad day.
On Monday, local ambulances were moved out of the Rescue Squad building to locations on either side of the rivers so they would be available in an emergency and not blocked by the rising water.
I have heard an argument that the dam needs to be saved to maintain the dry hydrant at the mill pond so the fire company can have a source of water in case of a fire. There are other sources of water. While having the mill pond available is a good choice in some cases, there are also over 600 medical emergencies in the mountain town area every year and only a few structure fires.
I am not aware of a fire where water from the mill pond could have saved a life, but I know that if an ambulance is blocked by rising waters, lives could be put at risk.
It is pretty simple to see that the dam restricting the river right at the Route 11 bridge causes a backlog of water that has nowhere to go but over the road. If the dam were not there, the road would not flood and Routes 100 and 11 would not need to be shut down. True, there still could be flooding upstream or downstream, but at least a major intersection could be kept open.
People in Londonderry love the mill pond and hate so see it go. I share that sentiment. I love the mill pond too, and the dam is beautiful if one takes the time to walk down past the Mill parking lot to enjoy it. Unfortunately, only very few people ever walk down to see the dam.
With more and more heavy rain events happening, there will be more and more floods. The dam itself is in need of very expensive repairs with no money to fund them. There is state and federal money for removal of the dam and sediment behind it. I bet the river would be just as beautiful, in a new way, if the dam were to be removed.
Perhaps a park and a pedestrian river path could be part of the removal bid. Perhaps a fire pond could also be part of the bid. It could be quite nice, and safer for everyone.
Sincerely,
Doug Friant
South Londonderry
Filed Under: Commentary • Letters to the Editor
