Upper Bristol Dam – Going, going…Gone! The so-called Upper Dam finally met its fate, as decreed by the State and others liable for its removal. In late September crews began dismantling the concrete and timber-crib structure, re-aligning the Newfound River channel, and grading and stabilizing the river bank. Now the Newfound River follows a path closer to that of a century ago, before its energy was harnessed for human use. There are (were) three dams located down stream of the state-owned West Shore Road structure that controls the level of Newfound Lake. The Upper and Lower dams are former hydroelectric facilities that have been inactive for many years. An active hydroelectric facility generates clean power downstream from Bristol’s Central Square. The Newfound River dams are privately owned but regulated by the NH Department of Environmental Services (NHDES), an agency responsible for managing water levels and monitoring the state’s many dams to ensure public safety. During the Mother’s Day flood of May 2006, we received upwards of six inches of rain in less than 48 hours. This torrential downpour, falling on the steep hills that surround us, caused lake levels to jump three feet in 24 hours and the flow of the Newfound River to go off the charts at over 4,000 cubic feet per second. As the height of water pouring over the tops of the dams continued to rise, the Upper and Lower dams threatened to fail, to the point that downtown Bristol was evacuated. The active hydro facility was severely damaged by rocks and wood debris slammed into it by the raging waters. Emergency crews worked long and hard, at great personal risk, to relieve the pressure put on the dams by the flood. After the emergency passed, the NHDES began working with the dam owner to assure that it would not be a future hazard to the public. Freudenberg NOK was the first name on the list, as they inherited the Upper Dam when they purchased the former International Packing Corp. Upon review of ownership records, Public Service of New Hampshire (PSNH) joined the list as a prior owner of the dam, and even the NHDES was a contender to pick up the tab. With substantial money and potentially greater liability at stake, guess what happened next? Yup – legal wrangling! Fast forward to early 2008, when after almost two years of negotiations over the scope of work and who would pay for it, Freudenberg and PSNH came to an agreement about how to share the roughly $350,000 in project costs. During the spring and summer a design engineer was engaged, a NHDES wetlands permit issued, and a contractor hired. The work crews needed only to wait for low-water conditions and a decent spell of dry weather. As part of the final design, the Town of Bristol asked that some semblance of the former pool be retained, and historical consultants recommended sparing as much of the original structure as possible from the wrecking ball. As a result of this input, part of the dam footing and the brick building that houses the generating turbine remain, as well as the massive concrete abutments that framed the dam. It is early November and the Upper Dam is officially gone. There is nothing left for the NHDES to regulate, no liability to the property owners. In fact, there are no plans for further monitoring or maintenance of any of the structures or recent construction work. Basically, a wait-and-see attitude, and likely a sigh of relief by the parties involved that this long, complex and difficult project has reached this point. Time will tell how the river will behave in its new home. There is an important question for the people of Bristol to consider – what happens next? Will the building and surrounding fencing become an eyesore and hazard due to disrepair, littering and vandalism? Or will the historic structures and this part of the Newfound River become a favorite spot to sit and contemplate the flow of water and time? I admit I had my doubts about how the place would look after the work was done, so have been watching the construction, which took place a short walk from my office, with great interest. The other day under sunny October skies I explored the new terrain surrounding the Upper Dam, and gazed into pools and channels of the Newfound

River that gave back the aquamarine glow unique to pure water. Wander down to the area around the old Upper Dam some time and take a look. It’s quite a sight.

Dam Abutments and Spillway, Turbine Building in Foreground (Boyd Smith, Nov. 08)

Channel reconstruction, Turbine Building on left (Boyd Smith, Oct. 08)

Downstream channel, former Upper Dam (Boyd Smith, Nov. 08)