Department of Conservation and Recreation to fix Moody Street Dam seepage

Construction is taking place this spring to fix the seepage coming from the Charles River at 190 Moody St. 

The seepage is coming from a spot in the training wall just above the fish ladder, as observed by Waltham Conservation Commission member Michael Donovan during an on-site visit. The seepage from the river was first noticed on Oct. 3, 2023, when the sidewalk became slippery due to the excess water. 

The Conservation Commission discussed the project at its March 13 meeting and heard a presentation on it from Lucas Fromm of Tighe & Bond on behalf of the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation.

The construction project to fix the spot will take about two to four weeks of active construction according to Fromm’s presentation.

“We are hoping to get this done very quickly,” said DCR Officer of Dam Safety Edward Connor in the meeting.

Conservation Commission’s principal office assistant Christopher Daly said in an email to The Waltham Times that the commission hadn’t been told of a definitive start date, but that he expected the construction to start sometime in May or June.

The project seeks to repair the current draining pipe and seepage collection system alongside minor repairs to the training wall in order to prevent further issues. While there was some concern about the area’s proximity to the surrounding wetlands, Fromm assured the commission that there would be no permanent impact to the environment.

Commission member Jerry Duframont noted that he thought the project needed to be completed before starting work on improvements to Landry Park due to the proximity of the two sites. The Landry Park project will include new asphalt paths, turf maintenance and tree maintenance as well as new signage and benches. Native plantings and stormwater management are on the agenda as well.

Both the dam repairs and Landry Park improvements are expected to be complete by this fall.

Elizabeth Walsh, the DCR project planner assigned to the project, did not respond to request for comment.