“Our Responsibility” Film Premiere
“The impacts of climate change sometimes leave people feeling helpless. As caretakers of this place where we live, we can take action by removing this dam.”
Anne Carroll, Ipswich Resident and River Abutter
Join us for the premiere screening of “Our Responsibility: Freeing the Ipswich River”. This 12-minute film features a local clammer, long-time residents, and other stakeholders discussing why removing the Ipswich Mills Dam is our responsibility.
The Ipswich Mills Dam Removal Project has been in motion since 2012 and has been identified as one of the highest priority dam removal projects on the Eastern Seaboard. Removal of this unused dam means not only elimination of liability, maintenance, and operational costs for the Town of Ipswich, but also vast ecological benefits and improved river health.
“Freshwater ecosystems are in trouble, we’ve over engineered them, fragmented them, polluted them. Climate change – with more frequent and intense storms and excessive heat – only exacerbates these impacts with alarming consequences for fish, wildlife, and people. Fortunately, we’re also at a time of great opportunity to remove obsolete dams and realize the benefits that can come from restored river function – from enhanced fish and wildlife passage, to reduced flood and drought risk, cleaner water, new recreational opportunities, and improved economies.”
Marea Gabriel, Freshwater Manager at The Nature Conservancy.
“Freshwater ecosystems are in trouble, we’ve over engineered them, fragmented them, polluted them. Climate change – with more frequent and intense storms and excessive heat – only exacerbates these impacts with alarming consequences for fish, wildlife, and people,” says Marea Gabriel, Freshwater Manager at The Nature Conservancy. “Fortunately, we’re also at a time of great opportunity to remove obsolete dams and realize the benefits that can come from restored river function – from enhanced fish and wildlife passage, to reduced flood and drought risk, cleaner water, new recreational opportunities, and improved economies.”
Following the film, we’ll have a panel discussion with representatives from The Nature Conservancy, American Rivers, and the Massachusetts Division of Ecological Restoration to discuss dam removal. We’ll talk about why dam removal is so critical, why dams are being removed across New England, and what communities have to gain from dam removal.
Speakers:
Kristen Ferry, Habitat Restoration Branch Manager, MA Division of Ecological Restoration
Andy Fisk, Northeast Regional Director, American Rivers
Marea Gabriel, Freshwater Manager, The Nature Conservancy
