AUGUST 2025

Pine Tree Brook

Early, during the month of August of 1955, Hurricane Diane was working her way up the east coast. She arrived in the New England area around August 15th. She deposited three consecutive days of persistent rainfall on the Town of Milton, totaling more than 15 inches. By August 19th Milton had experienced the most severe flooding ever documented in the town's history. With little time to prepare the banks of the Pine Tree Brook overflowed, resulting in the flooding of every basement along its nearly 10-mile stretch. The Neponset lower falls were dangerously high as the river flowed into Dorchester Bay.

The Town of Milton and the State reached a consensus that action needed to be taken regarding the Pine Tree Brook. Financial resources were limited as both the town and state pursued funding opportunities. Delays were frequent, and the project would take 15 years for completion.

Many cement canals were created to handle and direct large quantities of water during heavy rains, but the most important to the project was the building of the Unquity Dam. Finally in 1970 with the help of the Federal Government’s Agriculture Department the dam was built at an area where Unquity Road and Harland Street meet.

Flooding on Harland Street

The primary purpose of the dam is to direct water from Pine Tree Brook, which originates in the Blue Hills, as well as from the surplus runoff of the conservation watershed along Harland Street. Due to the elevation of Harland Street, the roadway is susceptible to flooding when the watershed flow converges with Pine Tree Brook at the Unquity Dam. On certain occasions, the town was compelled to close the street for safety reasons. The flooding in this region continues to this day.

In early June 2025, the town would close Harland Street for several days due to significant flooding that was exacerbated by a beaver dam located near the entrance of the dam, which caused the conservation overflow to accumulate and intensified the flooding of Harland Street.

On June 10, 2025, Marina Fernandez, the head of Milton’s Department of Public Works, submitted a request for a ten-day permit to the Health Department, as mandated by law, seeking authorization to trap beavers at the specified location and dismantle the dam. The Health Department concurred with the Department of Public Works and granted permission for the out-of-season trapping of the beavers and the removal of the dam constructed at this site.

The beaver dam at this location aggravated the flooding, and its removal would undoubtedly provide temporary relief; however, it is not a cure-all since this area will always be susceptible to flooding during periods of heavy rainfall. 

Pine Tree Brook Maintenance 

The importance of Pine Tree Brook is often undervalued by the public. Many individuals associate it solely with the runoff originating from the streets. Unfortunately, by the time the brook converges with the Neponset River, its once pristine waters have become significantly polluted due to the accumulation of debris and contaminants washed in from the streets.

The principal concern with the brook is to ensure that it flows unimpeded and remains free from any obstructions. It is imperative that fallen trees and other debris are removed; otherwise, the banks will inevitably overflow.