Dam Removal at the Winchell Reservoir
Winchell Dam was a granite stone masonry and concrete structure approximately 145 feet long by 14.5 feet high in the Town of Granville. It was constructed in 1899 to create a reservoir to serve as a water supply for the City of Westfield, but the reservoir ceased serving its water supply purpose in the 1950s. However, Westfield continued to maintain the dam to keep it from falling into disrepair.
To eliminate the burden of these legacy costs, Tighe & Bond assisted the City in applying for funding under the Dam and Seawall Repair and Removal Grant Program through the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA). Tighe & Bond then provided design engineering, permitting, and construction phase services for the removal of the dam:
- A sediment characterization program following the requirements of the Massachusetts 401 Water Quality Certification Regulations
- A hydrologic and hydraulic analysis
- A Gatehouse Hazardous Building Materials Assessment as required by the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) regulations
- Permitting plans and construction documents
- Bidding assistance
- Construction administration and observation services
