Dams benefit humans, wildlife; Swimming, boating, hiking, biking, nature gazing in Charlton, Oxford.

Byline: Ellie Oleson

Despite rumors to the contrary, tree harvesting at 50-year-old Hodges Village Dam in Oxford has nothing to do with the Asian longhorned beetle infestation and resulting tree-cutting taking place 15 miles to the north in Worcester.

Jamie R. Kordack, a park ranger who has been at Hodges Village in Oxford and Buffumville Dam in Charlton for 17 years, said rumors might have started because it had been so long since trees were harvested there.

Timothy G. Russell, project manager for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at the dams, said the forestry cut and timber sale began two years ago to benefit the forest and wildlife.

"Timber harvesting hadn't been done in the 50 years the dam's been here, and was overdue," he said.

Selected pine and oak trees are being harvested on 115 acres of the 1,200-acre Hodges Village site. Lumber rights were bought by Hull Forest Products of Pomfret. Profits, $10,000 this year and $30,000 for the first logging in 2007, will go toward operation of the site. Both Hodges Village and Buffumville dams have their roots in the federal Flood Control Acts of 1928 and 1936, when the Army Corps was told to initiate flood control projects with economic benefits that outweighed project cost.

Heavy spring floods in 1936 led the Army Corps to develop flood control schematics for the area, but the plans were held up because of concerns by residents who stood to lose their homes and property.

Then came hurricanes Connie and Diane, which together dumped 20 inches of rain on Central Massachusetts between Aug. 13 and Aug. 20, 1955, claimed eight lives and caused $62 million in damage in the Thames River Valley, including along the French and Quinebaug rivers.

A group of local businessmen created the Quinebaug-French Rivers Manufacturers Association and successfully lobbied Boston and Washington for flood control projects.

Then-Gov. Christian A. Herter dug the first ceremonial clump of dirt for the $2.99 million Buffumville Dam in Charlton on Oct. 6, 1956. The $4.4 million Hodges Village Dam was begun in 1957 and finished in 1959. A commemoration of the 50th anniversary of Hodges Village Dam will be held later this year.

To build the dam, 862 acres of land in Oxford and 463 acres in Charlton were taken. Since then, "land has been sold and acquired," Ms. Kordack said.

The property loss for those families was a tremendous gain for the communities protected by the flood control dams, Mr. Russell said. "We're here primarily to protect human life and property. Since it was built, Hodges Village Dam has prevented $107 million in damages. Last year alone, $4.5 million in damage was prevented."

Buffumville Dam prevented $92.5 million in flood damage since it was built, and last year saved $3.5 million in damage. "That does not include human life, which is priceless," he said.

The sites also provide recreation opportunities. In Charlton, the 480-acre Buffumville Dam site offers swimming and boating at Buffumville Lake, hiking, mountain biking and more.

Wildlife also benefits. Deer, beavers, otters, rabbits, ducks, geese, raccoons, foxes, turkeys and other wildlife call the area home.

Hodges Village is dotted with bluebird boxes and blinds, where park visitors can sit and watch the wildlife. One of Mr. Russell's favorite blinds is in a field the Corps planted with corn, clover and sunflowers to feed wildlife last winter.

"Uses at the dam include flood control to protect lives and property, but also wildlife habitat, forest production, watershed protection and outdoor recreation," he said, pointing to four men approaching one of multiple basketlike "holes" set up for playing disc golf at the site.

"We have 15 miles of trails for mountain biking and hiking. Registered, two-wheel motorized dirt bikes are allowed on orange-blazed trails on the west side of the French River only. We have fishing, canoeing and kayaking as well as disc golf," Mr. Russell said.

Facts about the dams

Peak storage capacity: Buffumville Dam, 11,280 acre-feet of water; Hodges Village Dam, 13,250 acre-feet of water

Highest pool of record: After a spring melt in April 1987, Buffumville reached 32.5 feet (58 percent capacity); Hodges Village reached 27.4 feet (59 percent capacity)

Buffumville Lake storage capacity: 5.2 billion gallons

ART: PHOTOS

PHOTOG: T&G Staff Photos/TOM RETTIG

CUTLINE: (1) Timothy G. Russell, project manager for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at Buffumville Dam in Charlton and Hodges Village Dam in Oxford, checks out young trees that now have a chance to grow following logging at Hodges Village Dam. (2) Hodges Village Dam in Oxford, above, was finished 50 years ago. (3) Below,

hardwood trees are logged on federal land in Oxford. (4) Timothy G. Russell, project manager, stands near Buffumville Dam in Charlton, which was finished 51 years ago.