Dam

New Hampshire’s deteriorating roads and bridges - and how to invest in them - are major questions for lawmakers this year. But whatever the funding, one critical piece of the state’s infrastructure – private dams – likely won’t see a penny.  

Beavers (Castor canadensis) have been in North America for two million years. Their ponds ease flooding downstream, and support large numbers of bird species, fish, amphibians, and otters. They are a keystone species to an entire eco-system. Humans and beavers have a long history together because they like to live in the same places, but the way we've built our infrastructure has almost guaranteed our two species will be locked in eternal conflict.

A continuation of our series on New Hampshire infrastructure: wastewater and dam structures are old, crumbling, and vulnerable to severe weather. Intense storms, flooding, and drought have all contributed to the damage, and many of our dams and underground pipes are over 100 years old. We'll discuss the challenges with tackling this problem, including lack of funding, and stricter regulation requirements.

There are 4,800 dams in New Hampshire but only two where a full time dam operator is required to live on site.  There's Moore Dam in Littleton and Murphy Dam in Pittsburg.  NHPR's Sean Hurley recently visited with Murphy Dam Operator Alan Williams to learn more about life on a dam. 

Near sunrise, nearly every morning, coffee in hand, Alan Williams leaves the dam house and walks up the dam road and heads out across the half mile bunker of piled earth that is the Murphy Dam.