NEAFWA 2018

AUTHORS: Ron Rhodes, River Steward, Connecticut River Conservancy; Madeleine Lyttle, Fish Biologist, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service; Roy Schiff, PE/PhD, Milone & MacBroom

ABSTRACT. There are roughly 1,000 derelict dams in Vermont that no longer serve a purpose and have been abandoned in place. These “deadbeat” dams alter flow regimes and impact aquatic species, ecological processes and water temperature. The Connecticut River Conservancy and our partners selected three of these dams for removal in 2017 using information from the Eastern Brook Trout Joint Venture, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and the North Atlantic Landscape Conservation Cooperative's “Connect the Connecticut”, as well as state & regional priority rankings. Our collective approach to dam removal successfully reconnected 123 miles of cold headwaters habitat for brook trout and other aquatic organisms in 2017 alone. The dam removals where located in Vermont's Connecticut River watershed in the towns of East Burke, West Fairlee and Dummerston. Each dam required a team of partners that included federal and state agency staff, non-profit organizations, technical experts, and local volunteers. The planning, community outreach, fund raising, education, engineering design, permitting, construction, restoration and monitoring were all a group effort. Our experience indicates that the most successful dam removals are accomplished by a wide range of project partners and supporting local entities. The breadth of knowledge, experience and technical expertise allows the lead entity or project manager to side step pitfalls commonly associated with dam removals, from permitting problems to local opposition to funding.We have developed a detailed blueprint for others to follow with the intent of encouraging more deadbeat dam removals throughout the Northeast. By combining our collective talents and resources, we can breach the seemingly insurmountable obstacles that can be barriers to freeing more of our rivers in the years ahead.