The Office of Dam Safety released an amended Dam Safety Order on July 12 for the Hathaway Pond dam, now under the ownership of the Buzzards Bay Coalition.

The coalition has repeatedly asserted that the dam is unsafe and needs to be removed.  Local residents, however, have disputed this.

As the coalition is now the owner of the dam, the ODS ordered the coalition to take several steps in order to ensure the dam complies with a variety of safety regulations. Among those are hiring an engineer with dam engineering experience, preparation of a plan to bring the dam into compliance with safety regulations, monitoring rainfall, notifying the Rochester Conservation Commission of the ODS order and applying for a dam safety permit.

The Town of Rochester is now awaiting a notice of intent from the coalition regarding what it plans to do with the property the dam sits on.

In May, the coalition purchased the dam from its previous owner, Susan Hampson, and has stated its intention to remove the 200-year -ld dam in order to restore the Sippican River to its original form.  The coalition's plan has angered local cranberry growers and residents who use Hathaway Pond, created by the dam, for recreation and agriculture.

To read the amended dam safety order, check out the PDFs below.