By Ipswich resident Roger Wheeler
On May 21, a yes vote to remove the head of tide Ipswich Mills Dam and free the river will provide Ipswich, Essex County, and New England with a rare fish-accessible river. This could be an extraordinarily uncommon river and watershed if all fish have accessibility at the head of tide, and the river is generally free of freshwater flow regulation by dams. With these two factors working together, the Town of Ipswich would possess an invaluable natural resource.
Due to dams, rivers in New England are so flow-regulated and impassable for fish that the vital functioning of their estuaries as nurseries for the greater marine ecosystem is greatly compromised. At least 85 percent of marine fish have some part of their life cycle tied to river estuaries. It is not surprising that the phytoplankton and the fisheries in the Gulf of Maine are in such a depleted state.
With the Ipswich Dam removed, marine fish populations and their nutrients will be transported freely by the migrating fish and ultimately help nourish the Ipswich River watershed’s forests and wildlife.
When a river is free and passable for all species of migrating fish, thousands of acres of freshwater and land ecosystems benefit from the ecosystem services the diversity of these sea-run species provide. Also, the highest quality and robust ocean ecosystems over thousands of square miles of the Gulf of Maine are maintained when rivers run free.
The Ipswich Dam and its mill pond are but a speck on the map, yet for generations, the dam has been a contributor to the suppression of a world-class North Atlantic fishery of an area stretching deep into the Gulf of Maine and even to the Sargasso Sea. Healthy estuarine and marine ecosystems are responsible for significant carbon sequestration in the ocean depths and reducing atmospheric CO2. With a free river for migrating fish and its natural seasonal flow cycle, the Ipswich River will have the opportunity to develop the highest quality estuarine ecosystem.
With the present fishway, only a small percentage of fish ascend the small ladder compared to massive numbers that would swim up a free river. Before dams, billions of herring and alewives once ascended New England rivers along with millions of salmon and shad. Before the dams blockaded the rivers and ended the migration of anadromous fish, the coastal waters once teemed with a bounty of life that no one but the early colonists has experienced.
What heritage and historical preservation will the younger generation and their descendants want? In studies for dam removal, historical significance is considered by government agencies. Yes, the dam played a role in the industrialization of Ipswich but a very notable and important history of the town preceded the full damming of the river. This earlier and unrecognized history was centered around the early colonial peoples’ dependence on the anadromous fishery for survival.
Instead of working all day in a mill, citizens supplied their families and community with all the food they needed and fertilizer for their crops by fishing along the river and in small boats close to the ocean shores. It was a proud independent lifestyle that shaped the character of the citizens of Essex County. The river at the head of tide in Ipswich was a social center for gathering and preparing the fish. This community heritage of the fish runs is what all future generations can witness and again experience the benefits from if the Select Board votes to remove the dam.
A free Ipswich River will bring new social, recreational, and ecosystem vitality to the town. A free river will strongly expand Ipswich’s proud heritage.
—Roger Wheeler Input to Ipswich Select Board Ipswich Mills Dam 5-6-24
Historic Ipswich 