Mill River Dam Removals, Massachusetts
Hopewell Mills spillway before it was removed.
With the spillway gone, Mill River now meanders through a floodplain. To unearth the historic floodplain, over 200 years of sand and silt were excavated.
A partial failure of the Whittenton Mill Dam (pictured here) nearly flooded downtown Taunton during a storm in 2005.
One year after Whittenton Mill Dam was removed, plantings on the new floodplain are taking hold.
Over two dozen sea lamprey were observed spawning in the newly constructed channel at the Hopewell Mills site soon after removal. Photo: Mike Trainor, Mass Division of Marine Fisheries
