Franklin Surveys Re-mobilized To Perform As-built Surveys of Key In-water And Emergent Marshland Elevations In New Haven, CT As The West River Restoration Project Nears Completion
Pond Lily Dam Removal on the West River
The Pond Lily Dam was built on the West River to serve a 1700’s-era mill at the site. The West River Restoration Project, administered by Connecticut Fund for the Environment, was intended to re-open channels for migratory fish by removing the dam which is no longer serving a purpose. Please see the before and after pictures as the project moved forward. Note the modern-era fish ladder in the foreground of the dam.
Franklin Surveys’ Role in the West River Restoration Project, New Haven, Conn.
Franklin Surveys provided horizontal and vertical control points at multiple project areas to enable construction of improvements to be at designed lines and grades. At the north end of the project along busy Whalley Avenue (Connecticut Route 69), we established semi-permanent marks in concrete sidewalks and bridge components in accordance utilizing traditional electronic distance measurement (EDM) total stations.
The south end controls required traversing through a broader reach of the pond and dam area. During the construction process, a reinforcing cement wall was discovered after the water level had dropped four feet. The eventual goal is for the West River to flow more naturally and to help River Herring and other Long Island Sound fish get to their freshwater spawning beds.
Improvements to the West River Watershed
The improvements to the river included riffles with natural flat river stones and large boulders to create areas for fish to rest as they swim upstream.
Franklin Surveys re-mobilized to the site to perform as-built surveys of key in-water and emergent marshland elevations as the project neared completion. We utilized the latest in AutoCAD and Carlson Survey software and produced digital survey maps in 3-D, memorializing the constructed improvements and enabling a determination of compliance with project requirements.
During one of the final days on site, our crew happened to be on site the same day as a massive cleanup effort organized by Save the Sound Connecticut. Some of the pictures show the emerging marsh area and the large amounts of debris that were removed from the river thanks to their volunteers. What a rewarding sight to see and a great project to be a part of!
