 These dams, as well as wastewater from the towns that grew up around factories along the river, contributed to the extirpation of many species of fish.Over time and with the closing of many of the factories, the dams ceased to provide hydropower or serve any other economic purpose.The Anaconda Dam (Waterbury), Freight Street Dam (Waterbury), Union City Dam (Naugatuck) and the Platts Mill Dam (Naugatuck) were removed in 1999, while the Kinneytown Dam was bypassed with a fish ladder that same year.