The Watertown Dam spans the
Charles River
The Charles River ( Massachusett: ''Quinobequin)'' (sometimes called the River Charles or simply the Charles) is an river in eastern Massachusetts. It flows northeast from Hopkinton to Boston along a highly meandering route, that doubles b ...
upstream from the
Watertown Bridge
The Watertown Bridge is a five-lane traffic bridge over the Charles River, carrying Rt. 16 and Galen Street. It connects Watertown Square on the north side and Watertown Yard on the south side of Watertown, Massachusetts. Pedestrian walkways ...
near
Watertown Square
Watertown Square is the main square of Watertown, Massachusetts, located at the confluence of North Beacon Street and Main Street ( US-20), Mt. Auburn Street ( MA-16), Pleasant Street, Arsenal Street, and Charles River Road. The Armenian Library ...
in
Watertown Watertown may refer to:
Places in China
In China, a water town is a type of ancient scenic town known for its waterways.
Places in the United States
*Watertown, Connecticut, a New England town
**Watertown (CDP), Connecticut, the central village ...
,
. The dam is located where the Charles River
tidal estuary
An estuary is a partially enclosed coastal body of brackish water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea. Estuaries form a transition zone between river environments and maritime environment ...
historically ended (the tides no longer reach this point because of the downstream
Charles River Dam
The Charles River Dam is a flood control structure on the Charles River in Boston, Massachusetts, located just downstream of the Leonard P. Zakim Bunker Hill Memorial Bridge, near Lovejoy Wharf, on the former location of the Warren Bridge.
His ...
). Watertown Dam is of Concrete construction, a gravity dam. Its length is . Its capacity is . Normal storage is . It drains an area of .
The history of the dam traces back to 1632 when construction of a fish
weir
A weir or low head dam is a barrier across the width of a river that alters the flow characteristics of water and usually results in a change in the height of the river level. Weirs are also used to control the flow of water for outlets of l ...
was authorized. The current dam, maintained by the
Department of Conservation and Recreation
The Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) is a state agency of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, situated in the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs. It is best known for its parks and parkways. The DCR's mission is ...
, dates from 1900. It is part of the
Upper Charles River Reservation
The Upper Charles River Reservation is a Massachusetts state park encompassing portions of the banks of the Charles River between the Watertown Dam in Watertown and Riverdale Park in Dedham and the West Roxbury neighborhood of Boston. The park ...
.
Ecological impact
The Watertown Dam is the second of numerous dams located along the length of the
Charles River
The Charles River ( Massachusett: ''Quinobequin)'' (sometimes called the River Charles or simply the Charles) is an river in eastern Massachusetts. It flows northeast from Hopkinton to Boston along a highly meandering route, that doubles b ...
. The current earthen dam creates an obstacle for the river herring that run in the spring, but herring have long been harvested at this site. The Pequossette (one of the tribes of the
Massachusett people
The Massachusett were a Native American tribe from the region in and around present-day Greater Boston in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The name comes from the Massachusett language term for "At the Great Hill," referring to the Blue Hills ...
) inserted stakes into the river then interwove brushwood to create a weir that would trap the herring as the tide went out.
Today, a fish ladder provides access to upstream spawning habitat as part of a system of fish passages that provide access up to river mile 20.
The high concentrations of
blueback herring
The blueback herring, blueback shad, or summer shad (''Alosa aestivalis'') is an anadromous species of herring from the east coast of North America, with a range from Nova Scotia to Florida. Blueback herring form schools and are believed to mi ...
and
alewife below the dam in the spring make it a popular fishing spot for
herring gulls,
great black-backed gull
The great black-backed gull (''Larus marinus'') is the largest member of the gull family. Described by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology as "the king of the Atlantic waterfront", it is a very aggressive hunter, pirate, and scavenger. It breeds on t ...
s,
great blue herons,
night herons and
cormorants.
File:Great Blue Heron readying to strike.JPG, Readying to strike
File:Great Blue Heron catching Herring.JPG, Heron has fish under water
File:Great Blue Heron spears Herring.JPG, Successfully speared
File:Great Blue Heron with Herring.JPG, With herring
References
{{Crossings navbox
, structure =
Crossings
, place =
Charles River
The Charles River ( Massachusett: ''Quinobequin)'' (sometimes called the River Charles or simply the Charles) is an river in eastern Massachusetts. It flows northeast from Hopkinton to Boston along a highly meandering route, that doubles b ...
, bridge = Watertown Dam
, bridge signs =
, upstream =
Thompson Footbridge
Thompson may refer to:
People
* Thompson (surname)
* Thompson M. Scoon (1888–1953), New York politician
Places Australia
*Thompson Beach, South Australia, a locality
Bulgaria
* Thompson, Bulgaria, a village in Sofia Province
Canada
* ...
, upstream signs =
, downstream =
Watertown Bridge
The Watertown Bridge is a five-lane traffic bridge over the Charles River, carrying Rt. 16 and Galen Street. It connects Watertown Square on the north side and Watertown Yard on the south side of Watertown, Massachusetts. Pedestrian walkways ...
, downstream signs =
Dams in Massachusetts
Buildings and structures in Watertown, Massachusetts
Charles River
Dams completed in 1900
1900 establishments in Massachusetts
Crossings of the Charles River