GREENFIELD, MA (FRANKLIN COUNTY NOW) — The Greenfield City Council has approved the $197,000 for emergency repairs on the Electric Light and Power Dam on Mill Street. At the Ways and Means Committee meeting last week, Department of Public Works Director Marlo Warner said the dam required emergency repairs after a 10 foot by 6 foot void was discovered by divers during an inspection, and after review the inspectors reported the void to actually be 10 foot by 10 foot.
Director Warner said he hopes to get the repairs done before winter comes and with it, ice and high waters that would prevent divers from completing the repairs.
Warner also said that the dam was declared a significant hazard dam that cannot be taken down as there is silt built up behind that dam that, if removed, would lead to exposed infrastructure upstream in the area of Enterprise. The only solution for the lowered water and exposed infrastructure would be expensive, potentially in the millions. Another solution could be a three to five foot engineered removal from the top of the dam.