P.D. 123 25 



project is not yet completed. The district should be reorganized as a 

 Reclamation District and its plans revised. 



Reclamation Districts 



1. Assabet River, Westborough and N orthborough. Active construc- 

 tion was undertaken this year of what is known as the first preliminary 

 part of the project. This consists of rebuilding the highway bridge at 

 School Street, Northborough (known as Kimball's Bridge), and in clear- 

 ing from the channel between this bridge and the marsh above, the con- 

 trolling obstructions. During the year, the district borrowed $5,000 for 

 this improvement and for paying its organization expenses, of which 

 $3,000 was devoted to construction purposes. The bridge has been com- 

 pleted, the town of Northborough paying two-thirds of its cost. The 

 channel was opened by hand methods. Antone and Ransom of Green- 

 field contracted for all this work. The purpose of this work is to drain 

 the land sufficiently to harvest a hay crop. Profits from the hay are to 

 pay for this work before more complete drainage is undertaken. 



2. Bear Meadow, Whitman. Activity in this project has been confined 

 to assisting the town authorities. The taking made last year at Franklin 

 Street enabled the towns of Whitman and Hanson to build a new bridge 

 and to straighten the river at that point. At the upper end of the project 

 the district has co-operated with the town of Whitman in its plans for 

 draining Hobart's Pond. In this connection the town has cleared much 

 of the obstructed portion of the river, which is also a direct benefit to 

 the district. The objects of the district are slowly being worked out in 

 co-operation with the town of Whitman. 



3. Cutter Sivamp, Arliyigton. The district engaged an engineer who 

 has prepared maps and the necessary plan of operations. Under his direc- 

 tion the drainage channels have been partly cleared of their rubbish and 

 bushes which has greatly improved conditions in the district. It is ex- 

 pected to further develop this project next spring. 



4. Green Harbor, Marshfield. Construction on this project was fin- 

 ished in 1925. Only a small amount of maintenance work has been re- 

 quired since. The results are very satisfactory. 



5. Milford, Milford. This district was formed in 1925 for the pur- 

 pose of preventing further damage to factories and dwellings, caused by 

 the overflow of the Charles River. The town of Milford voted $10,000 

 to be spent by the town Board of Health in carrying out the plans of the 

 district. A new and enlarged channel was dredged for about one-half 

 mile through the swamp below the town and the balance of the channel 

 was cleaned of its accumulated rubbish by hard work. The project was 

 completed in July of this year and the results have been extremely satis- 

 factory. The new channel will carry all but the very extreme floods, and 

 factories and dwelling places have been relieved of water. The land in 

 the swamps was so dried out that it could readily have been cultivated. 

 The discharge pipes from the town sewer beds have been relieved from 

 the back water of t^e river. The district plans to maintain the work and 

 to further assist the town in keeping the river clear of rubbish through 

 the control of the dumps along the river bank. The total cost has been 

 considerably below the amount of money available for the work. Antone 

 and Ransom of Greenfield were the contractors. 



6. Wapping, Deerfield. There has been no construction on this pro- 

 ject during the year. Negotiations were under way to complete a second 

 portion of the project by combining with a revised State highway loca- 

 tion at the upper end of the project. The work is expected to be put 

 through next year. 



Inactive Projects 

 There are several inactive projects listed with the Board. Some of 

 these have presented petitions, have been examined and the district com- 

 missioners appointed. Some have started petitions and others have only 



