Above: Water level in the Sudbury Reservoir lowered by several feet to prepare for dam work (photo by Chris Wraight)
Over the past week or so, we’ve watched the water in the Sudbury Reservoir get lower and lower as the MWRA prepares to work on two dams in town. As previously unseen rocks and islands reveal themselves, many have asked the question, “Where is all that water going, anyway?”
Good question! I asked MWRA spokesman Len Cawley and he tells me the water is released at the Fayville Dam and ultimately flows into the Sudbury River. When it’s time to fill the reservoir back up again, the MWRA will stop the releases and let the watershed refill the open channel and reservoir. If needed, Cawley said they can also release water from the Wachusett Reservoir into the Sudbury Reservoir.
Cawley said levels are just about where they need to be, so things won’t get much lower in the reservoir. But the reservoir is low enough to have revealed a bit of its history. If you travel the causeway on White Bagley Road and look east, you’ll see what I believe is the stone foundation of a home that once stood where the reservoir is now.
Southborough photographer Chris Wraight (thawkspix.com) spent some time wandering around the reservoir last week and took these beautiful shots. Click an image in the gallery below to enlarge. (Look close and you’ll notice a great blue heron in one of the shots.)
Thank You !
I was wondering & was confident I could count on MySouthborough.com to give me the answer.
Great Photos ! (Thanks Chris) Look closely one with Heron on beach & one with Heron in flight
Thanks for the update! Love reading about Sourhborough on your site. Nice photos Chris!
It would be nice if the MWRA would go out onto the dry areas and at least pick up some of the large trash. Off Marlborough Road at the town line you can see trash cans, tires…..clean it up before they refill!
Thanks guys….
Great pictures, If you could find out whose foundation it was? that would be interesting, my house was built in 1896 and then moved to Learned St, when they built the Dam.
I was wondering where the water was going – and I knew I’d find the answer here! Thanks, Susan and Chris!
I was worried something was wrong. I was worried that the lower water level would effect the wildlife especially fish.
do you have any idea when they will refill the reservoir to its original level?
i am really concerned about mosquitos breeding on the stagnant water and, since i live on the reservoir, i would not like that to happen. i also am very concverned about the wildlife that need the reservoir to survive. what has happened to the fish and turtles who make their home on it?
i would greatly appreciate an answer to this question.