The bulk of Haverhill's Little River dam, a stone masonry structure near Winter Street dating to the early 1800s, has been removed, clearing the way for a long-planned riverside park. The Little River now flows beneath Winter Street toward the Merrimack River with few barriers remaining, and city officials are preparing to walk residents through what comes next.
According to WHAV, Lucianos Excavation of Taunton bid $7.3 million to remove the dam, and Haverhill has received more than $4 million in state grants toward a project WHAV described as originally estimated at $6 million to $9 million. An earlier WHAV report from May pegged the estimated project cost at $9.5 million. The removal effort, chronicled by WHAV before The Cool Down, caps years of feasibility studies and planning that stretch back more than half a decade.
Why Officials Wanted the Dam Gone
City officials cited upstream flooding along Apple Street and Little River Street, threats to natural habitat and the desire to encourage nearby development among the reasons for pursuing removal, per the same WHAV account. Haverhill Public Works Director Robert E. Ward said removing the dam would allow better flood control, reconnect aquatic habitats and improve water quality. Back in 2022, consultants from Fuss & O'Neill told residents the move would bring a cleaner waterway and improve recreational access.
The project traces to 2021, when a day-long Community Resilience Building forum had concluded the dam was a possible climate-related hazard, the station's report notes. At the time, officials acknowledged the city had not committed to removal because it needed to know the price tag, and the next phase was described as a two-year process requiring signoffs from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
A Mill Fire Changed the Equation
The dam sits beside the Pentucket Mill, whose future was once closely tied to the structure's fate. In a 2016 State of the City address, then-Mayor James J. Fiorentini unveiled a Winn Development proposal for 80 units of housing with a restaurant on the first floor of the mill, which would have reopened a stretch of the Little River to the public after a century of closure through a public park and walkway. The redevelopment was impeded by the dam's potential liability, and per the same account, all those plans evaporated after a three-alarm fire destroyed the mill complex.
Separately, trustees of the Shain Realty Trust agreed to transfer the deed for the Little River Dam to the city at no cost, and WHAV reported the city planned to take an easement on the mill property to build a retaining wall along the riverbank.
What's Planned for the Riverfront
Project plans call for a canoe and kayak launch, a fishing platform and access trails in Cashman Park, amenities WHAV reported could cost up to an additional $2.8 million. A 2023 project tour outlined a planned footbridge behind Cashman Field connecting to a path across the river. Haverhill has also worked to obtain access to nearby property to support the broader park vision, according to WHAV.
Julianne Busa said, per WHAV, that the project aims to expand river access, provide ways to interact with the river, create public greenspace and increase downtown tree cover. Haverhill city councilors had earlier backed an application for funding through the Massachusetts Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness program to pursue the initial feasibility study that set the project in motion.
Public Info Session Set for Saturday
Haverhill's Conservation Department has scheduled a public information session for Saturday, Nov. 7, from 9 to 11 a.m., at Cashman's Field, 175 Hilldale Ave. MeVa Transit will provide transportation between the park and the dam site during the session, and a Spanish interpreter and hot beverages will be available. If rain forces a postponement, the session will move to Saturday, Nov. 21.
