After more than a decade of discussion, residents of Ipswich, Massachusetts, are taking on a nonbinding vote on whether to remove the historic town's 400-year-old mill dam or keep it as it is.
The first version of the dam was built in 1637. The existing 7-foot Ipswich Mills Dam was built in the 1800s, but hasn't been used in roughly a century.
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Advocates say removing the dam will restore freshwater tidal wetlands and allow herring to thrive, but opponents say it's a vital part of the historic North Shore town.
"We take this dam down, we could destroy something that's been there for 400 years," said Benjamin "Benjie" Gorniewicz of the "Save Our Dam" group.
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"It's part of my heart, it's part of my soul, it's part of our community, it's part of our town, which I love deeply," said Joni Soffron of Save Our Dam.
"People are passionate on both sides, and I think it all stems from a love of the river," said Neil Shea, the Ipswich River Watershed Association project director. "All the studies show that not only is dam removal feasible, but it's one of the most important things we can do on behalf of the river and the ecology."
More on dams in Massachusetts
"This vote is the culmination of a 12-year research project," said Carol Bousquet, a leader with Friends of Free the River. "Everything points to the necessity of removing it. It's the most important dam removal project on the Eastern Seaboard."
Once the residents cast their votes at the Ipswich YMCA, the question goes to the select board for a final decision. If approved, the project will be paid for by the state and federal government.
The last time the town voted on this issue, 68% were for its removal.
