Town of Dover DPW Awarded $150,000 from DER to Prepare for Culvert Replacement Projects

The outlet for the culvert on Claybrook Road in Dover was photographed during a field assessment. (Image Courtesy Town of Dover)

DOVER — The Town of Dover is pleased to share that the Dover Department of Public Works was awarded $150,000 in grant funding from the Massachusetts Department of Fish and Game’s Division of Ecological Restoration (DER) for data gathering and design to support the replacement of three culverts in the community.

The data gathering and design work, which will take place over the coming year, will support the planned replacement of three culverts on Trout Brook at Springdale Avenue, Haven Street and Claybrook Road.

Replacing the culverts to Massachusetts Stream Crossing Standards would reduce flooding, improve public safety and restore access over six miles of Charles River habitat, supporting fish passage and habitat restoration. Larger, more resilient crossings would improve the capacity of the stream to carry water during storm events, reducing the potential for upstream flooding and roadway damage.

The Springdale Avenue and Haven Street crossings currently use corrugated metal elliptical pipes. The one on Claybrook Road is plagued by deteriorating concrete pipe. All three sites experience significant flooding, and the Haven Street and Claybrook Road culverts restrict aquatic passage, disconnecting the cold-water stream from the Charles River.

Trout Brook is designated as a Coldwater Fisheries Resource by the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife.

The project will also involve public engagement and coordination with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on climate resilience and cold-water fisheries.

The work will include wetland and stream assessments, geotechnical investigations, topographic surveying, hydrologic and hydraulic analysis, and a feasibility study to determine appropriate replacement structure types and identify the permits and approvals that would be needed for construction.

All three culvert locations are within federally designated high-risk, noncoastal riverside flood zones. The Town’s Hazard Mitigation Plan has identified flooding at all three culvert locations.

Flooding in the area of these culverts can limit access to municipal and emergency services. Springdale Avenue serves as an important connection to two schools, the community center and the post office, and it also provides a direct route between the Fire Department and numerous local residences. Additionally, Claybrook Road is identified as a critical east-west route through Dover.

Dover Town Administrator Michael Blanchard and DPW Director Kevin McCabe thanked DER for providing this important grant funding.

“We are grateful for this award from our partners at DER,” McCabe said. “This will go a long way toward improving conditions on the roads around Trout Brook. It will also provide significant ecological benefits, reconnecting this critical waterway in our community to the Charles River and supporting fish, wildlife and vegetation.”

“This is great news for the Town of Dover,” said Blanchard. “Congratulations to our DPW for this award. We look forward to the positive impact it will have on our environment and our infrastructure.”

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