The Ashuelot River Dam near West Street is a stone masonry dam constructed prior to 1920. In 2009, the City received a letter of deficiency (LOD) from the NH Department of Environmental Services about safety and maintenance items to be addressed at the dam. The dam is classified by the Bureau as Low Hazard, meaning its failure would not result in loss of life. It could damage private property and roads and have environmental or economic impacts. The problems at the dam include erosion, steep slopes, tree clearing, seepage control, and repair of the low-level outlet gates at the dam. Some of those items were addressed at the time by City staff. In 2011, the City hired a consultant to evaluate costs to repair the dam. The more extensive repairs were placed on hold at that time, due to a proposal by a private entity to rehabilitate the dam for hydroelectric power. After significant study and regulatory review, the entity has recently decided to abandon their project. The City needs to address the remaining issues identified in the 2009 LOD. The removal of the dam is also an option. The City will embark on a thorough public engagement process to determine the preferred alternative. Repair requires extensive work along the upstream levee, which is approximately 1/3 of a mile long. We expect that repair will also trigger a requirement to provide fish passage across the dam. Repair is expected to be more costly than removal. Repair costs are carried below. As of September 11, 2024, this project is included in the city's 2025-2031 Capital Improvement Program (CIP)
*Project information has been obtained through a public capital improvement plan (CIP). A CIP is a financial schedule for short- and long-range projects which is updated regularly. Information listed in the CIP often evolves based on funding availability and the project details, including timeline and value, are subject to change. The content management team will continue to pursue additional details as they become available.
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