From heavy machinery to local artistry, the South River is bustling with restoration energy this summer. Here is an update on two of our projects:
As of July 1, construction has resumed on the Temple Street Dam removal project. Back in April, contractors paused work to allow for the spring migration of river herring and other anadromous fish (fish that travel from salt water to freshwater to spawn). NSRWA and our partners in this project – Town of Duxbury and Massachusetts Division of Ecological Restoration – have been working for over a decade to remove this barrier on the South River and we eagerly await the completion of this project later this summer.
Thanks to a generous grant from the Massachusetts Environmental Trust (MET), NSRWA is partnering once again with local artists Sally Dean and Cathy McCarthy on a new art installation to highlight the dam removal at Veterans Memorial Park in Marshfield. The dam came down in January 2025 and we have had two successful spring migration seasons since then, with thousands of river herring making their way above the previous dam site and all the way up to the next barrier at Chandlers Pond.
To celebrate this major milestone, Sally and Cathy have created 6 mural-wrapped poles, each of which highlights the native fish, birds, plants and other wildlife that call the South River home. As part of NSRWA’s Let Our Rivers Flow campaign, this project will raise public awareness around the impacts that dams and other barriers have on our rivers, and NSRWA’s work to restore the habitats that support river herring and other migratory fish.
Stay tuned for details on the official unveiling of the art installation later this summer.
