CONCORD, Mass. – Controlled releases of water will be made by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New England District, from Birch Hill Dam and Tully Lake Dam, both in Royalston, Mass., on Saturday, April 12, 2014 and on Sunday, April 13, 2014 to provide adequate river flows for recreational canoeing, kayaking and rafting on the Millers River, according to Corps of Engineers officials.
The Corps of Engineers will provide water release flows of approximately 1,100 cubic feet per second (cfs) from Birch Hill Dam and 300 cubic cfs from Tully Lake Dam for Saturday, April 12 and Sunday, April 13, according to Project Manager Jeffrey Mangum in Royalston. The water releases that support these recreational activities are subject to an adequate volume of water being available for release and could be cancelled during low flow or high flow events, or storm events.
Various events by local groups are scheduled for Athol-Orange, including the 51st annual River Rat Race on Saturday starting at 1 p.m.; the Sunday Pro Race starting on Sunday at 10 a.m.; and the Kayak Race starting on Sunday at 11 a.m. For details visit their website at: http://www.riverratrace.com/.
Events by local groups scheduled in Erving include the Zoar Outdoor Rafting starting on Saturday at 10:30 a.m. and the Zoar Outdoor Rafting starting on Sunday at 10:30 a.m. For details visit their website at: https://www.zoaroutdoor.com/raftingmillers.htm.
Construction of Birch Hill Dam, on the Millers River in Royalston, was completed in 1942 at a cost of $4.8 million. The 1,400-foot-long, 56-foot-high dam can store 16.2 billion gallons of water. To date, flood damages amounting to more than $78.8 million ($256.3 million, corrected for inflation) have been prevented. Birch Hill offers many recreational opportunities. The Lake Dennison Recreational Area, managed by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, provides camping, swimming, picnicking, boating and fishing. The Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife manages much of the remaining reservoir as part of the Birch Hill Wildlife Management Area. Activities include hiking, hunting, fishing, mountain biking, snowmobiling and cross country skiing in season.
The Birch Hill Dam and reservoir area attract more than 250,000 visitors annually. For details contact the Park Ranger staff at 978-249-4467 or 978-318-8267 or visit the website at:
http://www.nae.usace.army.mil/Missions/Recreation/BirchHillDam.aspx.
Tully Lake Dam, on the East Branch of the Tully River in Royalston, is 1,570 feet long and 62 feet high. Completed in 1949 at a cost of $1.7 million, the dam has a reservoir storage capacity of 7.1 billion gallons of water. Tully Lake Dam has prevented flood damages of $28.4 million ($80.4 million, corrected for inflation) since it was constructed. Over 100,000 visitors annually enjoy picnicking, hiking, boating, mountain biking, fishing, hunting and cross country skiing in season. For details contact the Park Ranger staff at (978) 249-9150 or visit the website at: http://www.nae.usace.army.mil/Missions/Recreation/TullyLake.aspx.