Let the Restoration Begin!

Let the Restoration Begin!

This week marks a historic milestone for the Royal River and our community. After decades of sustained effort and years of planning, the Linkel Environmental Construction team has arrived to begin deconstructing Yarmouth's Bridge Street Dam. With good fortune (and good fundraising), the second and last dam on the Royal River at East Elm Street will be removed next summer.  

While these dams are an important part of Yarmouth's industrial history, they no longer serve the community as they once did, and they have never benefitted the river.

Built when waterpower fueled mills and industry, their environmental costs were once accepted as the price of economic progress. Today, they stand as aging relics that block migratory fish from reaching more than 200 miles of mainstem and tributary habitat and prevent the natural flow of marine-derived nutrients that sustain the river's ecosystem.

As demolition progresses throughout the summer, stay tuned for updates and ‘watch parties’ to witness the rebirth of a river. You can also visit our Frequently Asked Questions page and follow updates from the Town of Yarmouth and the Royal River Alliance.

Demolition will begin with the removal of the old fishway, followed by the dam on the river right (looking downstream). A temporary cofferdam will provide access for the crew to remove sediment that has accumulated behind the dam. In accordance with project permits, the crew should be finished and off the river before winter.

For more than 300 years, the Royal River has been dammed, diverted, and otherwise impacted by human activity. This historic undertaking marks a new chapter in the River’s history — a river returning to its natural state.

All of the work we do at the Royal River Conservation Trust is connected to the river in countless ways. We are forever grateful to the many partners, volunteers, donors, and community members whose dedication has brought the vision of a free-flowing river into reality.

Free the Royal — once and for all.