Dispossession Through Dams
Watertown Dam was the first dam placed in the Charles River. The Charles River flows through the traditional territory of the Massachusett and Nipmuc people and we humbly recognize Indigenous people as the past, present, and future caretakers of the river and its watershed lands. Before colonization, the Charles River flowed freely and Indigenous ancestors relied on its vibrant population of migratory fish, maintaining a productive, sustainable fish weir just above the head-of-tide where the free-flowing Charles River met the Boston Harbor. In 1632, Governor Winthrop granted colonists the right to build their own fish weir and prevented Indigenous people from using it , an act of systemic oppression to make room for the burgeoning settler population and industry. In 1634, the fish weir was replaced with a stone dam, and a dam has remained in its place ever since.
Over its long history, various industries including grist mills, a sawmill, a cotton mill, a foundry, and even Bakers Chocolate Company established their roots around the Watertown Dam and used it as a source of hydropower.
Once constructed, Watertown Dam had immediate consequences on the ecology of the Charles River and the on the Indigenous communities who depended on it. As the first major barrier between the wetland estuary of Boston Harbor and the majestic, meandering freshwater river, the dam stood in the way of migratory fish species that annually made their way to the ample lakes, ponds, and tributaries to spawn. Dam Regulations Aim to Protect Fish Passage
Beginning in 1709, the first dam regulations were enacted to "prevent nuisances by hedges, wares, and other incumbrances obstructing the passage of fish in rivers."
In 1727, the law was strengthened with a penalty to fine dam owners for failing to provide ample fish passage.
In 1740, "An Act to Prevent the Destruction of Fish Called Alewives" was enacted to explicitly require dam owners to provide passage for river herring.
However, with the explosion of dams across New England and their role as the main economic engine for the Industrial Revolution, regulations to protect migratory fish species often went unenforced. In 1783, despite Massachusetts law requiring dam owners to provide ample fish passage, colonists illegally raised Watertown Dam several feet to increase its power yield, completely blocking spring fish runs upstream to the Nipmuc people in Natick who relied on the annual migration for food, ecosystem benefits, and cultural survival.