Rez in good shape heading into busy season

By Jay Turner

Abutters and frequenters of Reservoir Pond in Canton can expect to see a return to normalcy this season following the successful completion of dam repairs and the return of water levels to normal range. The once popular waterway also has a new steward — the town of Canton — although officials intend to stick to the status quo when it comes to maintenance and use of the pond.

Reservoir Pond from Pleasant Street (Courtesy of George Comeau)

“It shouldn’t be much different than what we’ve gotten used to seeing down there,” said Selectman Sal Salvatori, who was the point person in negotiations with the reservoir’s previous owner, the Napleton Company. “I don’t envision [the town] having anything of major substance to alter.”

Officially acquired in February following the certification of dam repairs by the state Office of Dam Safety, the pond now finds itself under the jurisdiction of the Board of Selectmen and the Conservation Commission, although Salvatori insisted that the town will not become “incredibly bureaucratic right out of the box.”

He does, however, see the need for an advisory committee and intends to recommend something along these lines to selectmen at an upcoming meeting.

The way Salvatori envisions it, the advisory committee would be made up of representatives of various town boards as well as a few at-large members and one or two members of the Reservoir Pond Preservation Association — a volunteer group of about 40 members that focuses on weed control and other maintenance issues.

Salvatori said the committee could potentially advise the board on acceptable uses of the pond while also helping to promote it to residents as a recreation destination.

“What we’d really like to do is use it as a marketing tool,” he said, “to accentuate it so townspeople are more likely to use it and to realize that it’s actually a wonderful treasure.”

And while abutters may not exactly want to see large speedboats zooming along the surface at 100 miles per hour, the reservoir, to Salvatori’s point, certainly has a long history of recreational uses — from fishing and boating to ice skating and even ice sailing.

The Rez, as it is known by locals, was even a popular hunting destination for many years, with the area known as Birch Point serving as the site of a hunting stand and lodge throughout the early 1900s.

Located in the geographic center of Canton, south of Randolph Street between Turnpike and Pleasant streets, the man-made reservoir was originally used as a backup water supply for manufacturing companies downstream, including Paul Revere’s copper mill. The Revere company inherited the rights to the waterway from the Neponset Woolen Company, and they were later passed on to Plymouth Rubber before ending up in the hands of Napleton, an Illinois-based developer.

Then, in 2011, following a lengthy and at times contentious period of negotiations, the developer agreed to part ways with the pond, donating its rights to the town in exchange for a hefty tax write-off. Napleton also agreed to make all necessary repairs to the Pleasant Street dam, which were completed in August 2012 by local contractor J. D’Amico Inc.

In addition, as part of the ownership transfer, Napleton provided the town with two separate cash donations — one for $15,000 and the other for $2,500 — and selectmen have identified maintenance of the dam as one possible use for the funds.

However, Salvatori said the dam is now in excellent shape and should be for the foreseeable future. “We’re not envisioning that there will be any kind of major repairs or structural maintenance necessary,” he said, “but we will be proactive in keeping an eye on it.”

Salvatori added that the town would welcome the Reservoir Pond Preservation Association’s (RPPA) ongoing weed control efforts, both in the short term while the town gets its “feet wet” and ideally in the future as well.

For Jim Rogers, RPPA’s president, all he asks is that residents of the town respect the reservoir and that the permitted uses take into account the size of the pond.

“I like it the way that it’s always been,” said Rogers, while noting that the pond has “never really been overused.”

Rogers said the association typically conducts a major weed control treatment every three to four years, and the members are happy to continue this work despite the change in ownership.

As for the water levels, Rogers said they are currently almost at their highest possible point, which is welcome news after enduring a few summers of lower levels.

“It could probably hold a little more water,” Rogers said of the reservoir. “I like it as high as possible around this time of year, heading into the summer months.”

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