Watertown Dam
| Watertown Dam | |
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| Coordinates | 42°21′55″N 71°11′21″W / 42.36528°N 71.18917°W |
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The Watertown Dam spans the Charles River 980 feet (300 m) upstream from the Watertown Bridge near Watertown Square in Watertown, Massachusetts. The dam is located where the Charles River tidal estuary historically ended (the tides no longer reach this point because of the downstream Charles River Dam). Watertown Dam is of earthen construction, a gravity dam. Its length is 220 feet (67 m). Its capacity is 30 acre-feet (37,000 m3). Normal storage is 20 acre-feet (25,000 m3). It drains an area of 0.2 square miles (0.52 km2).
The history of the dam traces back to 1632 when construction of a fish weir was authorized. The current dam, maintained by the Department of Conservation and Recreation, dates from 1900. It is part of the Upper Charles River Reservation.[1]
Herring Run
The dam creates an obstacle for the herring that run in the spring. The high concentrations of herring below the dam make it a popular place for seagulls, herons (great blue and night) and [Cormorants] to fish.
References
- ^ Haglund, Karl (2003). "12". Inventing the Charles River (Google Books). Boston: MIT Press. pp. 424–425. ISBN 978-0-262-08307-2. Retrieved 2008-09-28.
A fish weir was authorized by the General Court in 1632 at the falls two miles north of Roger Clapp's 1630 landing site, the upper reach of the Charles River tidal basin.
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- http://findlakes.com/watertown_dam_massachusetts~ma00456.htm
- http://www.mass.gov/dcr/parks/charlesRiver/upperCharles.htm
Crossings of the Charles River | ||||
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