NATURE
by Kezia Bacon
Imagine a 4300-foot barrier extending from Third Cliff in Scituate, across the mouth of the North River to Fourth Cliff. Imagine this structure continuing south along the western shore of Humarock, crossing the South River upstream of today’s Sea Street Bridge. Imagine a solid, curving wall enclosing today’s estuary, and preventing ocean tides from flowing up the North River. It seems radical, but in 1871 this very thing was not only proposed, but authorized!
Imagine the North River in 1871. The shipbuilding industry had long since peaked, with the last of its major vessels — the Helen M. Foster – to be produced that spring. The calamitous Portland Gale was still 27 years into the future. The river itself ran along its pre-1898 course. It was three miles longer then, with its outlet to the sea at today’s Rexhame Beach. An 1858 effort to relocate the river mouth to its current location had failed, the dredging machine no match for Mother Nature.
In January 1871, the Fifth Annual Report of the Board of Harbor Commissioners indicated, “the total abandonment of all commercial enterprises on the North River.” Trains, roads, and bridges had replaced the river as primary transportation routes. The grand hotels that would soon transform the beaches of Marshfield and Scituate into resort destinations had not yet been established. Motor boats would not be invented for another decade at least. Although many workers traveled to factories upstream in Hanover and Pembroke, our river towns were very much agricultural communities. Salt marsh hay was still a valuable crop.
And thus, the notion of “reclaiming the marshes” began to gain traction. Positing that a dam across the North River would not “sacrifice … interests of navigation,” land owners wondered if the salt meadows could be converted into farmland. Could the marshes be drained, expanding their potential for agriculture? By restricting the flow of salt water, could more arable land be created in the river valley? At least some residents viewed it a worthy inquiry. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts gave its blessing.
Chapter 287 of the Acts of 1871, “An Act to Authorize the Construction of Dams Across North River in Plymouth County,” reads, “The several proprietors of the marshes on North River … are hereby authorized to drain said marshes by sluice-dams, dikes or other obstructions across said river, in the same manner as if the same had never been navigable …”
Clemens Herschel, a Hydraulic and Civil Engineer based in Boston, was hired to sketch out a plan. He proposed raising and fortifying the narrow shingle beach between Third and Fourth Cliffs. In addition, a 300+-foot dam would be constructed across the river, extending northeast from White’s Ferry. In between, northern Humarock would serve as a bulwark. Freshwater from upstream would flow to the ocean through three sluiceways. To assist drainage, a channel would be cut across southern Humarock, a short distance downstream of the dam. The estimated cost was $27,665.00.
There is no evidence of the North River Dam proceeding any farther than the proposal stage. However, a similar project did take place a few miles down the coast, on the Green Harbor River, the following year, with less-than optimal results. While the idea of a North River Dam may have been set aside, it wasn’t entirely dismissed. A 1915 report cited it as “still worthy of some consideration.”
From today’s perspective, it’s hard to imagine the North River walled off from the ocean, severed from the South River, with no access for boats downstream. It’s hard to imagine those 2,000 acres of salt marsh drained and sequestered… not to mention how such changes would impact the diverse array of flora and fauna residing therein.
Fortunately, because of the 1978 North River Scenic Protective Order, new dams are strictly prohibited in the river corridor. In the 21st century, dam removals are much more common than dam construction projects. The majority of our local dams are relics from centuries past, employed for a time by mills and factories but long since obsolete.
Among the many benefits of removing them include: restoring the natural flow of rivers and streams, reconnecting wildlife habitats, and enhancing fish passage and migration range. As proposed, the 1871 North River Dam would have been disastrous for species such a herring and shad, who live in the ocean but spawn in freshwater, far upstream. That impact would have rippled far up the food chain, affecting the birds, mammals and larger fish.
Ready to lend a hand with river restoration on the South Shore? Consider participating in our annual herring count! Each spring, we monitor fish populations to gauge the impact of things such as dams, drought, climate change, and shifts in predation. The data we collect really makes a difference! Sign up today on our website.
Kezia Bacon’s articles appear courtesy of the North and South Rivers Watershed Association, a local non-profit organization devoted to protecting our waters. For membership information and a copy of their latest newsletter, contact NSRWA at (781) 659-8168 or visit www.nsrwa.org. You will also find 27+ years of Kezia’s Nature columns there.