Editor's note: Sen. Warren had to reschedule her visit to North Adams.
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The city's congressional delegation is taking notice of the 70-year-old flood chutes that contain the Hoosic River.
U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren will be in North Adams on Friday afternoon to view the failing panels in the Willow Dell section and U.S. Rep. Richard Neal has a $200,000 earmark in a House appropriations bill for a study on upgrading the system.
The city has requested the U.S. Army Corps to conduct a feasibility study on this system.
The Hoosic River Basin Flood Control System was constructed in the 1940s and 1950s by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to prevent the destruction and loss of life in North Adams after a number of devastating floods.
It took 11 years and $18.8 million to dredge and bank some 6 miles of river and contain more than a mile of it with concrete walls.
The concrete panels that bound the river were shorted on rebar, according to Neal, and after nearly 70 years, have passed their useful life and begun to fail and collapse into the river. The collapsing panels have allowed the river to flow behind the flood control system further undermining the structure.
One of the first panels collapsed in Willow Dell and others have been undermined where the river runs through the campus of Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art.
The Hoosic River Revival found through a preliminary study nearly a decade ago that four sections had fallen and eight were tilting. Three of the fallen slabs were replaced and the city's public services department jury-rigged a steel brace for an area near the end of Building 6.
The nonprofit initiative has been working on ways to re-naturalize and integrate the river while maintaining flood control.
Neal had initially asked for $1.5 million as part of his Community Project Funding Request for Fiscal Year 2023. Only $200,000 was earmarked on Thursday by the Appropriations Committee in the $57 billion Energy and Water Development, and Related Agencies funding.
The earmark is included in the House bill where it awaits further action.
Neal said the feasibility study is imperative as it must be conducted before any work can begin. The congressman says he has worked with U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to give this project the coveted "new start" designation, allowing the Corps to begin receiving funding on its behalf and essentially jumpstart progress.
"As a former mayor, I know how important issues like these are," said Neal in a statement. "Not only will this feasibility study work toward enhancing protections along the Hoosic River Basin, but it will also rehabilitate infrastructure, support the ecosystem, create jobs, and, most importantly, reduce flood risk."
If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.
Your Comments
iBerkshires.com welcomes critical, respectful dialogue. Name-calling, personal attacks, libel, slander or foul language is not allowed. All comments are reviewed before posting and will be deleted or edited as necessary.
No Comments
Spectrum Cable Hearing Set in North Adams
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — A public hearing for the renewal of the cable television contract for four North Berkshire communities will be held on Wednesday, April 24, at 6 p.m. at City Hall.
The 10-year contract with Spectrum/Charter Communications will cover the city of North Adams and the towns of Adams, Cheshire and Clarksburg.
The hearing in Council Chambers is open to residents of all four communities. In-person attendance is encouraged but a remote option is available here via Zoom.
Topics covered during the hearing will include the future of cable-related community needs and interests (community television) and performance of the operator under the cable license. It does not include internet or other provided services.
The hearing is required under state law as part of the contract renewal process. Any documents or reports relating to the contract can be obtained through the governmental offices of each community.
This spring weekend, there are a variety of events in and around the Berkshires, including Spring Celebrations, music, cleanups, and more.
click for more
More than 300 students from area high schools entered their work in 12th annual Teen Invitational at Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art. click for more
Backed by a $750,000 federal grant for a planning study, North Adams and Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art are looking to undo some of that damage.
click for more
"It wasn't 100 percent consistent but I was afforded the opportunity to get to know other people with different religion, beliefs, backgrounds and culture and to be able to embrace that." click for more