Mayor John Vieau and City Councilor George Balakier cut the ribbon to signify the completion of Phase 1 of the Abbey Brook restoration project.
Reminder Publishing photo by Tyler Garnet
CHICOPEE — The city of Chicopee hosted a ribbon cutting event on Aug. 14 at Frank J. Szot Memorial Park to celebrate the completion of Phase 1 efforts to restore and revitalize Abbey Brook.
Phase 1 of the Abbey Brook Restoration and Revitalization project was initiated following the receipt of a Dam Safety Order from the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation Office of Dam Safety in April 2017.
Abbey Brook is a small waterway that rises in Springfield and flows through Szot Park before emptying into the Chicopee River.
Abbey Brook’s flow through Szot Park was interrupted by two earthen dams, the Upper and Lower Bemis Pond dams. Both dams outlived their intended use and have begun to degrade and impact water quality.
Downstream from these dams, Abbey Brook flows through a culvert underneath Front Street and then dips underground beneath the municipal light company before flowing into the Chicopee River.
In 2018, the project was designated as a DER Provisional Priority Project with the intention of investigating the possibility of removing both dams and enhancing the Abbey Brook corridor.
A three phase program was conceptualized to address the removal of the dams and replacement of the existing culverts with a naturalized open channel compliant with Massachusetts Stream Crossing Standards.
Phase 1 of the project addressed removal of Lower Bemis Pond Dam and restoration of Abbey Brook from Upper Bemis Pond Dam through the footprint of the Lower Dam. The project included the development of passive recreation trails, an outdoor classroom, boardwalks and seating areas within the former footprint of Lower Bemis Pond.
As the brook passes further north, closer to the park entrance at Front Street, it was historically impounded by two dams, Upper and Lower Bemis Pond Dams, which created two shallow ponds, originally utilized for ice production and later for public swimming.
As noted at the event, the project was a collaborative effort between many local and state agencies to allow the restoration project to advance.
Phase 1 of the project was supported by several funding sources including a Division of Ecological Restoration Priority Project Grant for $2.2 million, an American Rescue Plan Act appropriation from Chicopee for $2.4 million, a MassDEP Section 319 grant for $122,000 and a Massachusetts Dam and Seawall Repair and Removal grant for $165,000.
Ward 4 City Councilor George Balakier said due to all the funding sources, the city only had to pay “about $500,000” to complete the project.
Mayor John Vieau referred to Szot Park as a “crown jewel of a park” and talked about the benefits that the completion of Phase 1 brings to the city.
“It’s the city’s most ambitious environmental and public safety project. This transformative effort, it’s more than just restoring a stream, it’s about protecting our future, improving our infrastructure and preserving the natural beauty that makes Chicopee such a special place that we all call home. As the Abbey Brook restoration moves forward, Chicopee becomes stronger, safer and more connected to all this nature that surrounds us.”
Planning Department Director Lee Pouliot said that the city is currently beginning work to design Phase 2 of the project, which will focus on the culvert under Front Street and a second culvert under the parking lot at Chicopee Electric Light that ultimately brings Abbey Brook to the Chicopee River.
Phase 3 will include the removal of the Upper Bemis Pond Dam and restoration of Abbey Brook extending from the upper dam footprint, upstream 1,000 feet.
Once all three phases are complete, the project will reconnect 1.5 miles of Abbey Brook with the downstream Chicopee River, eliminating the risk to public safety posed by the aging dams, reducing flood risk, improving water quality and enhancing recreational opportunities for the community.
