About
Over the next several years, The Trustees will work towards removal of the Lunden Pond Dam to address existing safety concerns and improve aquatic connectivity and resiliency at Peaked Mountain. Lunden Pond, located on the Millers Forest Tract of Peaked Mountain was created by damming an unnamed tributary of Temple Brook. A popular recreational trail surrounds the pond as part of the trail network at Peaked Mountain.
The Trustees conducted a statewide assessment of all of our dams to identify existing safety concerns and places where dam removal would improve aquatic connectivity and provide ecological benefits. Findings led us to consider dam removal at Lunden Pond.
What will change?
While there will no longer be a large pond, the remaining wetland will provide a variety of habitat types and ample opportunities for wildlife viewing.
Dams disrupt a river’s natural course and flow, alter water temperatures in the stream, redirect river channels, transform floodplains, and disrupt river continuity. These dramatic changes often reduce and transform the biological make-up of rivers, isolating populations of fish and wildlife and their habitats within a river.
Studies and surveys have shown that before the dam’s construction, the area now submerged was a large, vegetated wetland complex with areas of standing water. Dam removal will restore the natural river flow and connectivity of the stream ecosystem, including connections to habitat of rare species just downstream of the dam.
What will happen to the species here now?
Many of the turtles, fish, beavers, and other creatures currently on site can adapt to a wide variety of changing conditions. There are rare species on site or nearby, however, that require specific cold-water and stream habitats that dam removal will provide. We will continue monitoring the site and its vulnerable species throughout this process and in the years to come.
What happens when beavers dam up the stream again?
It will be welcome! Beavers play an important ecological role on the landscape. Their dams are different from ours in that they are ephemeral. Eventually the beavers will move to a new location, allowing the area to become a “beaver meadow” full of native species with the stream running through it until conditions are good for the beavers to return. Our ecosystems have adapted to these disturbances over millennia. Currently, “beaver deceivers” are placed on site, to protect the human-made dam from failure, but following dam removal these are not expected to be necessary. Beavers will be happy!
Why are The Trustees pursuing dam removal?
Lunden Pond is considered a Significant Hazard by the state’s Office of Dam Safety due to the downstream areas that would be greatly impacted by catastrophic failure of the dam, including private residences, town roadways, and a gas pipeline. Assessments of the dam have found significant structural issues that could lead to failure of the dam. Dam removal will proactively eliminate the risk of dam failure during a large storm with powerful flood waters.
Dam removal at Lunden Pond will reconnect the stream ecosystem, allowing upstream passage of fish and other aquatic fauna, including organisms dependent on cold-water streams (ex. Eastern brook trout). Downstream of the dam, Temple Brook is designated as a Coldwater Fish Resource by MA Division of Fisheries and Wildlife. Removal of the dam will restore the vegetated wetland habitat of the impoundment and improve water quality flowing from this watershed of Temple Brook.
Why not repair the dam?
Repair is a temporary measure and does not benefit rare species on site or improve aquatic habitat and connectivity. Did you know that there are more than 3,000 dams in the state and many of them are nearing the end of their lifespan? Over the years, we’ve conducted routine monitoring and maintenance of the dam such as tree clearing, erosion control, installation of beaver deceivers (flow devices), and 5-year safety assessments and emergency planning. These maintenance activities, however, are not long-term solutions. We’re at a point where we need to make a decision and removal is preferred for its ecological benefits.
What are the next steps in this process?
In 2024, The Trustees partnered with the town of Monson to complete a feasibility analysis funded by a Division of Ecological Restoration (DER) grant awarded to the town, which recommended removal of the dam. We are now conducting additional data collection on site to inform permitting and design. Partnerships with the town, state, and community are ongoing and continue to inform the process. We will continue to update the community on our progress as dam removal is a lengthy process usually taking 3-5 years.
What will my hiking experience be like after dam removal?
The loop trail around Lunden Pond is the main recreational corridor through the Miller Forest Tract of Peaked Mountain. The Trustees recognize the importance of maintaining a loop trail around the restored wetland following dam removal. We know many of our visitors enjoy the views of the pond itself, but we hope that these visitors will appreciate the ecosystem benefits of removing the dam and the beauty of a restored stream system.
Some visitors to the property utilize Lunden Pond for fishing. We are committed to restoring natural fish habitat through this restoration project. While some fishing opportunities may decline, others we anticipate will rebound due to the restoration of the natural stream system.
