river reaches tidewater. The dam dates to 1913 and is listed on the New Hampshire State Register of Historic Places, where it is referred to as the Oyster River Dam. Prior wooden dams provided power to sawmills and gristmills dating back to the mid-1600s. As of February 2019, the dam was being considered for removal, due to the cost of potential repair work and water quality issues with the Mill Pond, which the dam creates. In November 2020, consultants with Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc. (VHB) advised that the dam should either be removed or stabilized, and that taking no action would leave "the community at risk for a future safety issue.” A news report in January 2021 cited cost estimates of $4 million for stabilization vs. $1.3 million for removal. In September 2021, the Durham town council voted to remove the dam. Following a citizens' initiative, removal of the dam was scheduled for a town-wide vote in March 2022. Voters voted to uphold the Durham town council decision to remove the dam. Water use The Oyster River is a significant source of drinking water for the town of Durham and the University of New Hampshire. The extent to which the Oyster River can be used as a resource is being stretched more and more as the population increases within the area. Residential water usage in the area is expected to increase by 54% before the year 2025, and non-domestic usage, for example commercial, industrial, irrigation and mining, is expected to increase 62%. Thus, the Oyster River is going to become an even more essential resource to the community. Conservation issues The river crosses under heavily-traveled U.S. Route 4 in three separate places in the town of Lee and passes within of the busy Lee Traffic Circle, which poses an ecological threat if runoff from the road gets into the water. Along the river there remain stretches of untouched floodplain and forests that stretch on for almost . These floodplain areas are useful in holding excess water during severe weather and help to reduce the damage done to the infrastructure elsewhere along the river. The floodplains also house diverse ecological communities and are home to many diverse species of New Hampshire. One species that has been greatly affected by the steady decline in the health of the Oyster River is the oyster itself. Due to siltation and water pollution in the