Politics & Government

Centennial Dam Valve Repaired, Brook Expected to Rise Soon [VIDEO]

When water flow drops in the summer, heights can be affected, a DCR official said.

Department of Conservation and Recreation crews spent Friday repairing a valve at Centennial Dam on Mother Brook.

The broken valve - and lodged debris - , without any source to replenish it. 

"There are two reasons why the flow was low. One reason is because it is August and the overall flow in all water courses throughout New England are low," said DCR Flood Control Director William Gode-von Aesch. "The other part of the reason is most definitely we were trying to minimize the flow so we could expose the valve, get in there and work on it."

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Gode-von Aesch said there was water coming into Mother Brook, but in small amounts. 

"Once we identified the problem, we intentionally arranged things so that more was going out than coming in," Gode-von Aesch said in a phone interview Friday.

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Dry summer months usually perpetuate the problem, not just for Mother Brook, but all rivers in the DCR system, Gode-von Aesch said.

"If flows are down, then the height of the water can go down, and that is important to know. There is only so much water flowing [in the summer]," he said.

Following repairs, the state official said the dam near was up to normal summer level at mid-afternoon Friday.

"The goal is for the Mill Pond [...] to by the end of the weekend, it will be up to its normal level," he said.

"Putting in the trash rack is intended to significantly lessen the likelihood of debris getting into that gate and jamming it," Gode-von Aesch said.


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