GREENFIELD — It appears the Wiley-Russell Dam on the Green River will stay where it is, at least for now.
Mayor Roxann Wedegartner said things are still “up in the air” about what exactly the city will do about the dam. In a yearslong debate, some environmentalists would like to see it removed, while historians want it to be restored.
“The people who were interested in the fish wanted to remove it and return the river to its natural state,” Wedegartner explained. “There had been talk about creating a fish ladder, but right now that wouldn’t be useful.”
On the other hand, Wedegartner said the Historical Commission has always wanted to preserve the 19th-century dam near Meridian Street, and to find a way to emphasize and feature the role it has played in Greenfield by possibly building a park there with an informational kiosk, a picnic area and benches.
“Our historians have been pretty adamant about it staying,” she said.
Ultimately, Wedegartner said, the city could reach a decision to do a partial removal and replacement or a renovation. She said all interested parties will hold a Zoom meeting in December to continue discussions. A date and time for that meeting has yet to be announced.
“Whatever happens, there won’t be any movement on it until spring at this point,” Wedegartner said. “The Department of Public Works will do some of the work, but we’ll have to figure out the costs and who will pay for it.”
Department of Public Works Director Marlo Warner said he has been part of the discussions, but currently he is simply looking at repairing the sluiceways, concrete culverts on either side of the dam. His department is working to determine how much a project like that would cost and he’s hoping to include it in the department’s budget next year.
“There’s no rush to do anything with the dam, except for those repairs right now,” Warner said. “A few years ago, the dam was upgraded by the state Office of Dam Safety from being a high-hazard dam to a low-hazard one.”
Warner said that means it is not in critical need of major repairs or removal.
“We’ll put money in the budget to do the repairs on the sluiceways for now,” he said. “We’ve put fencing on either side of the river to keep people away from the sides.”
Warner said before the DPW begins work on the dam it will have to go through a permitting process with the state Department of Environmental Protection. Wedegartner will eventually decide what’s to be done with the dam; Warner will simply offer his recommendation.
In 2019, the City Council decided to hold off on a decision to invest more money into refurbishing the dam. Some councilors said the Wiley-Russell Dam bringing tourism to the area was a farce and called for it to be torn down. Others disagreed and said it has both historical and aesthetic value.
A few years before that, in 2014 and 2015, historians and environmentalists were at odds regarding the dam’s future. It was determined then that it would cost between $300,000 and $350,000 to remove the dam.
The Wiley-Russell Dam, as it is today, goes back only about 80 years, but earlier dams in the same spot could go back as far as the 1830s and maybe even as early as the 1700s, when the cutlery factory opened on the river just upstream, according to Historical Commission Chair John Passiglia. The dam powered Russell Cutlery Co. and later powered Wiley & Russell Manufacturing Co. and Greenfield Tap and Die.
Those who have voiced their desire for the dam to be removed have believed it would create recreational opportunities along at least that stretch of the river, while members of the Historical Commission have said they’d like to see the site become a National Historic Landmark.
Warner said the state inspects the dam every 10 years. It will happen again in 2024, and the city will receive a report in 2025.
“We’ll see where we’re at then,” he said. “We’ll keep discussing things.”
Reach Anita Fritz at 413-772-9591 or afritz@recorder.com.