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SAUGUS RIVER. 



Saugus River takes its origin in Quannapowitt Lake, Wake- 

 field, and flows southeasterly to Lynn Harbor, forming several 

 artificial ponds in its course. Used chiefly for industrial pur- 

 poses, it is obstructed by dams, and is somewhat polluted. 

 Flax Pond Brook, from Flax Pond and Lake Wyoma. joins the 

 Saugus River 1 mile above its entrance into Lynn Harbor. At 

 the outlet from Flax Pond are two board dams with gates, 8 

 and 18 inches in size, respectively. At its entrance into Saugus 

 River at low tide the stream flows dow r n an incline forming a 

 miniature cascade of 2 to 3 feet, but at high tide the passage 

 of alewives is not impeded. 



At the present time there are three obstructions to the pas- 

 sage of fish on this stream, one at the dam of the Lynn 

 Water Works at Montrose; a second at Pranker's Pond, the 

 10-foot dam of the United States Worsted Company; and an- 

 other in the form of a 13-foot dam on the former Wallace Nut- 

 ting property, now owned by the Cellugraph Engineering Cor- 

 poration of Boston. As far as the last two mentioned dams are 

 concerned, that at Pranker's Pond is at present equipped with 

 a fishway in a very bad state of repair, while that of the Cellu- 

 graph Engineering Corporation is practically entirely destroyed. 



Years ago, when there existed an unobstructed water route 

 to Quannapowitt Lake, the Saugus River supported a flourish- 

 ing fishery. The Flax Pond fishery, also, was fairly profitable, 

 but since 1905 no alewives have entered the pond. Alewives 

 at present come up the river as far as Pranker's Pond, but 

 none ascend to the headwaters in Lake Quannapowitt. 



If alew r ives are once more permitted to run up to the head- 

 waters of Saugus River and to Flax Pond, and the amount of 

 pollution entering the river and its tributaries is curtailed, a 

 great step will have been taken toward restoring this fishery. 

 The dam of the Lynn Water Works at Montrose need cause 

 no concern for the present, since the rights of flowage of the 

 city of Lynn over adjoining meadows above it are not operative 

 from April 1 to October 20, which necessitates the gate being 

 left open during that time. It is expected, with the co-opera- 



