Whittenton Pond Dam
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Whittenton Pond Dam or Whittenton Street Dam is a private earthen dam across the Mill River in Taunton, Massachusetts.
Built in 1832, the original dam was a half-mile upstream from downtown Taunton. It was 12 feet high and constructed of timber. It was built of wood in 1832, and flooded Taunton when it failed in 1968.[1]
The dam was purchased during the summer of 2005 by Infinity Holdings, a real-estate development company in the Boston area.
Historically heavy and protracted rains fell on New England beginning October 12, 2005. On the morning of Sunday, October 16, officials realized that the dam was in trouble. The dam was determined to be in imminent danger of failure and of flooding Taunton with an 6-foot (1.8 m) wall of water. On Tuesday, 2000 residents of the city were evacuated and twenty-one troops from the National Guard were stationed in Taunton. School in Taunton was cancelled, and several roads were closed.
Though the wooden dam held, later inspections uncovered extensive structural damage. (The Commonwealth of Massachusetts had last inspected the dam for safety and structural integrity in 2003.) Work commenced on a new compressed earth and rock dam to replace the original structure.
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2005/10/18/officials_taunton_dam_stable_but_threat_of_failure_remains/
- City returns to high alert (October 22, 2005). The Herald News Online.
- How crews tore down and built a new dam in Taunton (October 22, 2005). The Boston Globe.
- Stone to replace wood structure (October 22, 2005). The Taunton Gazette.
- Downing, Terence J. (October 22, 2005). Taunton breathes easier with new dam. The Brockton Enterprise.
