When restored, the Turbine Headgate at Stanley Woolen Mill will help control the flow of water from the canal back into the Blackstone River.

Restoration of Historic Canal Gates Underway at Blackstone River and Canal Heritage State Park
The restoration of three historic water control structures at the Blackstone River and Canal Heritage State Park in Uxbridge, MA got underway in early May. The gates, which have not been operated for 20 years, will be made functional so that they may once again control the flow of water through the canal. The project involves lowering the water level in the canal so that the gates may be disassembled and their metal components repaired and/or re-cast off-site. Deteriorated concrete will be patched, masonry repaired and all timber components replaced. Great care is being taken to ensure that the restored gates will be both functional and historically accurate, and to protect endangered species within the project area. Slated for completion this summer, the project is being funded with $238,000 from the Corridor Commission, $238,000 from the Massachusetts Office of Public Private Partnerships in the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, and $91,000 from the Commonwealth’s Department of Conservation and Recreation.

In the 1850s, the segment of the Blackstone Canal that runs through the Heritage State Park was converted into a mill race to power Moses Taft’s Central Woolen Mill, now known as the Stanley Woolen Mill. This entailed digging a new ditch to connect the old canal to the mill, building Rice City dam and constructing a series of three gates: the Headgate that controlled the flow of water from Rice City Pond into the canal; the Wastegate that regulated the amount of water in the canal by allowing excess to flow back into the river; and the Turbine Headgate that controlled the flow of water into the mill itself. The restoration of the gates will result in better water circulation and a greater ability to respond to high water events. To see the work for yourself, be sure to visit the Blackstone River and Canal Heritage State Park this summer!

For more information, contact Joanna Doherty, Community Planner at the Corridor Commission, at 401-762-0250 or e-mail us.

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Millbury Dam Removal Study Moves Ahead
An often forgotten 1830 granite dam built to provide water power for a satinette mill on the Blackstone River in the Town of Millbury, MA is emerging as the model for how to study the impacts of removing a dam on a heavily industrialized river. A broad-based coalition including Riverways (a program of the Massachusetts Department of Fish & Game) Mass Audubon, National Grid, Coastal America (a corporate wetlands philanthropy) and the National Heritage Corridor is partnering to conduct a feasibility study to examine the potential of the complete or partial removal of this very early Millbury dam. The engineering firm Fuss & O’Neill and KCI Technologies were hired to complete the specific tasks.

Phases I & II have been completed. While the principal goal was to remove a deteriorating river obstacle allowing for enhanced river habitat, better fish passage and enhanced recreational boating, it has become increasingly clear that the issue of what to do with the sediments behind the dam must be dealt with in an appropriate and proactive manner.

Much of the river landscape has changed dramatically from the heyday of manufacturing during the 19th century. The large mill ponds that dominated the mill villages have decreased significantly in size. A quick sampling of the Blackstone Valley communities as viewed in the 1870 Beers atlas illustrates this point very clearly. It is these “legacy” sediments -- sediments no longer in the stream channel but within the older and larger mill pond and part of today’s flood plain -- that require greater scrutiny and analysis. Fortunately, the Millbury Dam Removal Feasibility Study takes a serious look at these “legacy” sediments and provides us with analysis and approaches in dealing with this important issue.

For more information, you can view this study here. 
(PDF: 8.8 MB/ 177 pages)

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Mill Building Survey Completed
The Commission's efforts to preserve the mill fabric of the Blackstone Valley has been bolstered by the completion of a Mill Building Survey by the Economic Development Foundation of Rhode Island. The survey documents those mill buildings in Northern Rhode Island that were constructed prior to 1954 and that are currently being used, or that are available, for industrial and commercial purposes. The Commission hopes to expand the survey to include the Corridor communities in Massachusetts in the near future. To obtain information about properties on the survey, contact the Economic Development Foundation at 401-658-1050 or view their website here www.edf-ri.com/.

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