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Open Fall River's Falls

Editorial, Providence Journal, April 16, 2002

Yes, there are falls in Fall River.  And yes, the Massachusetts city was named after them -- an extraordinary series of six falls descending a total of 132 feet. But no, you cannot see them, because Route 195 and various highway ramps cover them. Burying glorious waterways was one of the strange things that American cities did in the industrial era that started in the late 18th Century and continued until 30 years ago or so. As Providence has shown, however, rivers entombed and nearly forgotten can be reopened. The same can, and ought to happen, to the stretch of the Quechechan River where Fall River's falls used to roar.

Quechechan is an Wampanoag word meaning "Falling Water".  The falls are a rather unusual geological feature for a East Coast city south of Maine. Cities along the East Coast are usually flat, only rising a little above sea level. But Fall River has dramatic hills.

The Quechechan River is relatively placid until it gets to the Government Center. Then it tumbles in a series of rapids emptying into the Taunton River. The cascades once powered the great Pocasset, Troy and Anawan mills. Builders of Route 195 diverted the falls through a conduit.

Plans have emerged over the years to reopen the falls, but they never went anywhere. The river-restoration success in Providence and a statewide forum held last autumn in Fall River give new life to the idea. The conference was run by Urban Rivers, a Massachusetts office that studies ways to "daylight" rivers -- that is, to open them up. Restoring the falls could give a much-needed boost to Fall River's downtown. Battleship Cove, featuring the Massachusetts, is nearby. And the city has a harbor plan to increase tourism. A short greenway connecting a tourist center and downtown could run along the river and re-emerged falls.

These are lovely ideas. Can they be done? A feasibility study for opening up the river would be the place to start finding an answer. Citizens interested in the topic should consult the Web site of Urban Rivers, a branch of the Massachusetts Department of Fisheries, Wildlife and Environmental Law Enforcement (www.state.ma.us/dfwele/). Another good source of information is a Fall River/New Bedford environmental group called Green Futures (gf.gareworks.com). Green Futures has taken an especially strong interest in uncovering the falls.

There was something perverse about Fall River burying the spectacular falls that gave it its name. But as other cities have shown, such mistakes can be undone.

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