Quinapoxet Dam Removal & Ecological Restoration Project
Wednesday, May 22, 2024, 6:00 - 7:30 pm at DCR – Water Supply Protection Headquarters, John Augustus Hall, 180 Beaman Street, West Boylston, MA
View Google map for directions. Note: Enter near flagpoles
Registration is appreciated; register online now.
In West Boylston, the MA Water Resources Authority (MWRA), working with the Dept of Conservation and Recreation, the Division of Ecological Restoration, and the Division of Fisheries and Wildlife, is undertaking a project to remove the obsolete Quinapoxet Dam and ecologically restore this regionally important river. John Gregoire, Senior Operations Manager at MRWA, to learn more about the history of the dam, the dam removal process, and the benefits of ecological restoration of the Quinapoxet River, including restored passage for land-locked salmon and native brook trout.
This dam was constructed in 1905 to support the Wachusett Reservoir construction project and has become obsolete with the various upgrades MWRA has made to its water transfer systems. The dam inhibits native species of fish from accessing miles of their natural habitat. The removal of the dam will restore passage to important fishery species such as the landlocked Atlantic salmon and native brook trout.
John Gregoire manages MWRA’s dam safety compliance program covering 28 dams and dikes, as well as other reservoir water quality, security and emergency response programs. He has over 27 years of experience working in water resources, watershed protection, and construction design and contract management. He received his bachelor’s degree from UMass/Amherst and master’s degrees from Tufts University and Framingham State University. He is member of AWWA, NEWWA, ASDSO as well as Engineers without Borders, USA where he has worked on water development projects in Africa.
Registration is appreciated; register online now.
This presentation is free and open to the public, made possible in part by a grant from the MA Division of Ecological Restoration.
