Before we can restore fish passage past the Baker and the Tileston & Hollingsworth Dams, the PCB-contaminated sediments that have accumulated behind each dam must be cleaned up.

Dam removal would greatly expand fishing opportunities. Boating which is currently blocked by the dams would be safer and considerably more enjoyable, and the safety of those recreating along the banks of the river would be enhanced. Removing the dams also would change the appearance of the river as seen from the perspective of those […]

Neither the Baker Dam nor the Tileston & Hollingsworth Dam is used to generate hydropower, nor are they likely to be used to do so in the future. The characteristics of these sites are not conducive to generating power in this day and age.

Modifying or removing both the Baker and the Tileston & Hollingsworth Dams would open up passage for migratory fish to swim between the fresh water of the Neponset River and its tributaries, the brackish water of the Neponset Estuary, and the salt water of Boston Harbor.

The health of the Lower Neponset River is complicated by the contamination of its sediments with PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls), in the area downstream of Mother Brook, in Hyde Park, Mattapan, Dorchester and Milton.

The Neponset River has a long and rich industrial history, the remainders of which we continue to experience today.

The Baker Dam at Lower Mills causes increased flooding, and the T&H Dam upstream serves no meaningful flood control purpose. Removing these two dams would reduce flooding on the Lower Neponset River.

  Over the last 30 years, pollution in the Neponset River has been reduced, the buildings along its shores have been converted to residential and commercial rather than industrial use, and its banks have been improved for recreation. All of these changes have dramatically increased the river’s importance as an aesthetically pleasing backdrop that people […]

Exotic, invasive species bring turmoil to a natural system; they can out compete native species and reproduce vastly, taking over a significant swathe of the ecosystem in a short time, changing the structure and composition of wildlife habitat, reducing diversity of species, and even changing the availability and make-up of water resources. Over the years, […]

  The Lower Neponset River restoration project presents a unique opportunity to continue the revitalization of neighborhoods along the river by making the Neponset cleaner, more accessible, and closer to its natural condition. Since the 1970s, an extraordinary improvement in the water quality of the Neponset River has occurred. Untreated industrial wastewater discharges and sewer […]