Restored gates offer control of water level; Blackstone Canal is piece of history.

Byline: Steven H. Foskett Jr.

UXBRIDGE - With the sound of the Blackstone River rushing by the foliage-filled background, local, state and federal officials yesterday celebrated the completed restoration of three gates along the Blackstone Canal near the Stanley Woolen Mill.

Once used as a tow path for horses to drag boats along the Blackstone Canal, the trail along the waterway now serves as a route for local cross-country running teams, people walking their dogs, and other outdoorsy types.

The series of three gates, which runs from Rice City Pond to the mill, will help to regulate water levels and showcase the blend of history and recreation that now serves as the waterway's main purpose.

Now part of the Blackstone River & Canal Heritage State Park, the canal was constructed from 1824 to 1828 and operated for about 20 years before the railroad made it obsolete. It later served as a source of water power for area mills.

The gates were restored to their original look and function over the past several months as part of a nearly $800,000 project that rebuilt and reused many parts of the original pieces.

Workers used large metal bars yesterday to turn the gears that cranked open the middle gate, releasing immense amounts of water through to the nearby river, which flowed around 20 feet below the canal. The need for better control of the water level in the canal was highlighted during the October 2005 floods that caused widespread damage in the area, state Rep. Jennifer M. Callahan, D-Sutton, said during a ceremony yesterday morning at the middle gate, a few hundred yards north of the Stanley Woolen Mill.

The project was funded with $238,000 from the John H. Chafee Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor Commission; $238,000 in matching funds from the state Office of Public and Private Partnerships in the Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs; and $312,000 in design and construction funds from the state Department of Conservation and Recreation.

Christopher J. Cullen, an engineer with Fuss & O'Neill, the firm that oversaw the design and construction of the project, said the water level in the area of the middle gate was lowered by the installation of temporary dams as crews dismantled the old gate, which had not functioned in about 20 years. He said all the wooden parts of the structure were replaced, and the metal components were disassembled and restored to functioning condition. The concrete base of the gate was patched and reformed, and a new wooden bridge encouraging pedestrian and bike traffic now spans the gate.

"We were putting the finishing touches on it up until around two weeks ago," Mr. Cullen said.

U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal, D-Springfield, said it was important to support the project to help conserve a piece of the nation's heritage.

"We need to ensure that we're good stewards of the public trust," Mr. Neal said during the ceremony.

Officials from the corridor commission and the DCR, along with state Sen. Richard T. Moore, D-Uxbridge, also spoke during the ceremony. Students from Uxbridge High School and Our Lady of the Valley School paddled to and from the ceremony in canoes. Selectman Julie Woods said the project was an example of local, state and federal agencies working together, adding that the conversion of the canal and river from industrial workhorse to recreational attraction continues.

"It's the kind of place that makes Uxbridge very, very special," Ms. Woods said.

ART: PHOTO

PHOTOG: STEVEN H. FOSKETT JR.

CUTLINE: One of the three restored gates on the Blackstone Canal, which will offer better control over the canal's water level. The need for that highlighted during the October 2005 floods.