The case against the Talbot Mills Dam removal

The proposed Talbot Mills Dam Removal would erase a 300-year-old icon that has come to symbolize the town of Billerica and its history. As a result, I believe the character of the town would be diminished.

I understand the reasons proposed for removal; the diadromous fish restoration that would result, and the fact that the dam last received maintenance in 1850 and is in current need of repairs. However, the Damis a significant part of what Billerica is, and a representation of how it got there. The town’s history is present in thedam as much as it is in any historic building.

Further, a study has been cited that therewould be no immediate impact on Billerica’swater intake system. This study only takes the immediate results of thedam removal into account. Keeping thedam intact is added insurance, in the uncertainties of climate change, that the town’s future water supply is not jeopardized. It might be noted that the originaldamwas contested in 1711 by farmerswho lost land when the Dam caused the riverwater level to rise.

Finally, it is noted that the removal of the damwould enhance the ecology for diadromous fish. Ecology is not static, but evolutionary. The ecology of the river has changed over 300 years. Dam removal would significantly impact the existing ecology, a result that does not appear to have been studied.

In all, I believe removal of the Dam would be a mistake that would diminish the quality of life within Billerica. Fund a fish ladder and repair the Dam, but do not demolish a significant historical structure.

Bernie Kirstein North Billerica