In the photo above you can see the Shelton Canal located between Riverview Park to the left and the Housatonic River in the center.  The locks are in the lower left corner, next to the buildings, connecting the canal and river. The dam is located in the upper right corner.  See additional photos and maps.

Background: The Shelton Canal and Ousatonic Dam (aka Derby-Shelton Dam) were constructed in the late 1860's to power new factories. 

The canal supplied water power which lead to the immediate rise of industrial Shelton.  Recent newspaper articles have incorrectly stated that the canal was built to allow shipping passing.  Although the canal, in conjunction with a set of 3 locks, did in fact allow passage of boats, this was not its primary purpose, which was to supply power in an age before electricity.  The canal was THE power structure for all downtown industries and the reason for their existance in Shelton. 

The dam was built in order to fill the canal with water at an elevation higher than the river.   Each factory tapped into the canal with a tunnel that directed water from the canal to a wheel pit in which a turbine was powered by the water as it fell to the river below.  The turbine was connected to factory machinery throught a series of shafts, pulleys, and belts.

The canal and dam were so important that the town took its name after Edward Shelton, the primary mover and backer of the Ousatonic Dam Company.  (See history)

Most of the canal has been filled in over the years, but a reminant still survives off the northwest end of Canal Street.  The remaining canal is 1200 feet long (a quarter mile long) and 80 feet wide, totalling 2.5 acres.  It rests on a six-acre piece of riverfront property owned by the hydroelectric company which operates the dam, and is open to the public under their federal licensing agreement. There are picnic tables, views of the Housatonic River and dam, and steps leading to the water.  Public access is at the northwest end of Canal Street, adjacent to the Canal Street redevelopment project currently underway.

This area has been considered a major destination for the City's multi-million dollar River Walk extension, which is currently in the planning stages.

Proposal: In late 2007 City officials learned that McCallum Enterprise, the dam operator, had received permission in May from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to fill in the 2.5 acre canal with 45,000 cubic yards of material, including bricks and asphalt, so that the land could be sold for future development. 

This news came as a surprise, since there are no requirements for adjacent property owners or City officials to be notified.  FERC approvals generally over-ride other permitting requirements (such as Inland Wetlands permits) due to the importance of energy generation, although questions have been raised as to whether this is the case in Shelton since the canal closure is not related to energy production.

According to the conditions of the FERC agreement, the canal closure must be reviewed by the State Archeology Office and the CT Department of Environmental Protection before filling may commense.  An application to the DEP was submitted in mid-December 2007.

The property is zoned R-4, which would allow for 35 to 45 homes if the canal were filling in.  A PRD overlay, which would allow for increased density, might also be allowed by the City in order to retain some public access to the water, which is not required under a standard subdivision.

The stated purpose of the project is to pay for a fish ladder. This fish ladder is required under the applicant's 1986 hydroelectric license regardless of whether the canal is filled in or not. Since 1999, there has been much discussion and planning regarding the fish ladder on the part of McCallum Enterprises, FERC and the Fish and Wildlife Service.  Local comment was not solicited. Therefore,  features of local scenic and historical significance, such as the canal and gatehouse, were not discussed as assetts to be protected.    For example, one option for the fish ladder is to remove the scenic gatehouse and build the fish ladder in its place(this is the building depicted in the Depression-era painting on display in the Shelton Post Office and in another painting prominantly displayed in Plumb Library).  This is also why the roof of the gatehouse has not been repaired (recent photos show the roof collapsing).

The pressure to build a fish ladder has increased recently due to the requirement of upstream dams to install fish ladders, which would be pointless unless all downstream dams also had fish ladders.

The following have taken a special interest in this proposal:  Mayor Mark Lauretti, Shelton Economic Development Corporation (SEDC), Citizen's Advisory Committee, Conservation Commission, Shelton Historical Society, and the Housatonic Valley Association (HVA). 

See the left margin for additional resources regarding the canal closure.