Ipswich Mills News Today

IPSWICH — The town’s long debate over the removal of the Ipswich Mills Dam took a big step closer to a resolution Tuesday night at the annual town election, where

The Ipswich Mills Dam has existed in some form for nearly 400 years. A majority of the town's voters say they support getting rid of it.

The dam, which has existed in some form since the 1600s, is now at the center of a heated debate.

Ipswich residents will vote Tuesday on whether to remove the town's aging Ipswich Mills Dam. Some say the dam is a piece of the North Shore town's history, and still provides the locals with recreation, while others argue the dam is compromising the river's fish and natural flow of water.

A proposal to remove a centuries-old dam in the center of this historic town has triggered an emotional dispute.

To the editor: At The Trustees, our mission is to protect places of historic, scenic, and ecological significance, including the Crane Estate and Appleton Farms in Ipswich. I am writing

A decade of debate in Ipswich comes to a head May 21, when the town votes on whether to remove Ipswich Mills Dam. On one side, removal-advocates hope to restore rare wetlands and provide a cushion against flooding. On the other, dam enthusiasts the tout the importance of the dam's history and recreation, arguing there are alternatives to full removal.

Since Colonial times, there has been a dam in the center of Ipswich, and behind it a pond that has become a beloved spot for swimming and paddling. A proposal to remove that dam and "free the river" has divided the town.

IPSWICH — Over a decade of work between the Ipswich River Watershed Association (IRWA) and the town will come to a head next month when residents are expected to vote

Transitions can be hard. Transitions can be good. Transitions can turn out to be good even after at first they were hard.