The Issues
Visual Impact & Vision for Dam Removal
What will dam removal look like at Camden Harbor?
The Town has selected a design option that will maintain an aesthetically pleasing outlet of the river without the need for human adjustment of gates and water levels wherever possible, while also meeting other key objectives such as fish passage.
How did Montgomery Dam influence Mary Louise Curtis Bok and the Olmsted Brothers design plans?
Bok and Olmsted’s interest in the dam was limited to reinforcement and strengthening necessary for the creation of Harbor Park. According to the Camden Public Library Board of Trustees, “grading of Harbor Park and retention/planting of trees were done specifically to block the view of the dam from Harbor Park and keep the dam out of the landscape frame Olmsted Brothers sought to have their design create.”
How will removal of Montgomery Dam effect upstream flow?
The images above compare the existing condition just upstream of the dam, on the other side of Maine Street (Route 1), to renderings of what the river would look like after the dam is removed. The volume of water coming down the river won’t change. The still water area will go away, but will be replaced with the wildlife and vegetation now seen further upstream where the River runs free.
As mentioned elsewhere on this website, and throughout the various engineering studies of the River, the reduced water levels here will mitigate flooding both upstream and down. Removing the Montgomery Dam will also reduce the danger of debris dams that can form in this area during high flow conditions.
What will be the effect of removing Montgomery Dam on Harbor Park?
The Town has worked closely with the Library Board of Trustees which oversees the management of Harbor Park to develop a solution that enables the Park to absorb much higher levels of flooding than is currently possible with the existing deteriorating seawall. The Library Board of Trustees will have ultimate design authority over any areas where the Park is affected.
Will there still be a falls at Harbor Park?
Yes! The river will still cascade into the Harbor but not at the same spread or angle. How it looks will depend partly on the design implemented. Those who oppose removing the dam base their case on saving the Harbor falls, but during a typical summer season, the Megunticook River can slow to a small stream producing a meager falls. That is true with the dam, and will be true without it.
The head of Camden Harbor will still be a beautiful and important attraction without the dam, and there will also be increased interactive saltwater and freshwater education experiences for the public, library patrons, and local school children.
The “falls” in early September. (Click to enlarge.)
How does Montgomery Dam affect Harbor Park?
Montgomery Dam sluiceway is undermining the dam sidewall that protects Harbor Park, which is also regularly overtopped during high tide events, especially when heavy rain corresponds with high tides. The area of Harbor Park that is regularly flooded during the high River flow and tide events is a former intertidal zone that also includes the original river channel. Resulting damage includes loose or fallen granite seawall blocks, extensive erosion of the ground behind the seawall, toppling or loss of park benches, and damage to Park walkways. With rising sea levels, these impacts will continue to worsen, increasing the frequency and severity of flooding and structural damage. This negatively affects Harbor Park’s safety, accessibility, and usability.