Local residents and visitors near the Foss Reservoir will notice a bit more exposed shoreline in the coming months.
MWRA will perform a drawdown of the reservoir, lowering the water to 10 feet below normal elevation in order to control the growth of aquatic invasive plants.
A slow drawdown will begin on November 1, with the goal of reaching the target elevation by December 1. MWRA will monitor the response of the exposed areas to drawdown and, once it has been determined that a successful depth freeze has occurred, the water level will be restored.
At Foss Gatehouse, this drawdown will also provide sluicegate access to enable MWRA to install a new valve operator stem to replace a damaged stem. This is critical for flood control operations at this facility.
The timing of water level restoration depends on temperatures and snowfall, but will likely occur in February. The MWRA drawdown plan follows MassWildlife Department guidance to be protective of fish, wildlife and their habitats.
The public is advised to not enter into the areas where the reservoir has been drawn down due to unstable footing on the rip rap stones, plant matter and deep mud, which could be unsafe.
About the Foss Reservoir
The Foss Reservoir, located in Framingham, holds 1.5 billion gallons of water and is an integral part of the MWRA’s emergency back-up water supply system. The Foss dam receives a detailed regulatory inspection every two years and, with MWRA’s Capital and routine maintenance, continues to be classified as Satisfactory by the MA Office of Dam Safety.