The Buzzards Bay Coalition proposed removing the dam at Horseshoe Mill at the Conservation Commission meeting on August 22 as part of the group’s efforts to restore the natural habitat.

The dam is located on the Horseshoe Mill reserve, south of Decas School between Fearing Hill Road and I-195, and blocks part of the Weweantic River.

The dam is at the head of the Weweantic River, where fresh and saltwater meet, and is an important environment for spawning fish. There is a fish run on the site, but it is somewhat ineffective and fish can be stranded by the tide. 

Although it has been crumbling for decades, the Horseshoe Dam Mill was once part of the infrastructure that supported manufacturing in Wareham. It was built in 1827 to power a factory that manufactured nails, and later, the horseshoes, which gave the site its name. The site has been abandoned since the 1950s or 1960s.

Removing the dam would restore about three and a half miles of fish passage, said engineer Paul Woodworth of Princeton Hydro, who is leading the project.

The removal would also improve water quality behind the dam. Currently, that water is shallow and gets fairly warm.

The project would also make the site safer and reduce liability, and improve access to the site for visitors. Some of the material removed from the dam would be used to fill in the fish run, creating an ADA-compliant ramp to a kayak launch.

Rainbow smelt, river herring, American eels, and white perch are among the species that the dam removal would benefit.

The conservation group has intended to remove this dam since it purchased the property in 2012.