Wainwright Mill Dam removal in Salisbury to benefit surrounding environment, VT Natural Recourses Council says
The Wainwright Mill Dam is in its early stages of removal, Friday. The Vermont Natural Resources Council says the retaining wall is in poor condition and that it’s time to let the water run free again. “The removal of the dam will reconnect approximately 10 miles of river, and it will allow the river to flow naturally. So rivers, transport, water, sediment and nutrients that feed wildlife and provide habitat,” chair of the Vermont Daily Task Force, Karina Daily, said. The dam was built in 1805 and helped create Halnon Pond, which was used for a sawmill and rice cultivation. The pond is now covered in lush green plants and trapped silt.The removal not only aims to help protect wildlife but also takes steps forward in flood prevention. VTNRC says the pond has a history of overflowing.”This project is a flood resilience project. We will give the river access to its historic floodplain. The river will then be able to access during high flow events and get up onto that floodplain and slow and attenuate stormwater,” Dailey said. One member of the construction crew working on the dam removal says it’s projects like this one that come with challenges requiring careful attention. “Sites like these are generally challenging because of the silt that’s in the river makes access with heavy equipment very challenging. It’s also very environmentally sensitive, so there’s a lot of considerations that go into creating silt and any control methods,” site supervisor and lead equipment operator Jonathan Fortier said. VTNRC says the project will be completed in September.
The Wainwright Mill Dam is in its early stages of removal, Friday. The Vermont Natural Resources Council says the retaining wall is in poor condition and that it’s time to let the water run free again.
“The removal of the dam will reconnect approximately 10 miles of river, and it will allow the river to flow naturally. So rivers, transport, water, sediment and nutrients that feed wildlife and provide habitat,” chair of the Vermont Daily Task Force, Karina Daily, said.
The dam was built in 1805 and helped create Halnon Pond, which was used for a sawmill and rice cultivation. The pond is now covered in lush green plants and trapped silt.
The removal not only aims to help protect wildlife but also takes steps forward in flood prevention. VTNRC says the pond has a history of overflowing.
“This project is a flood resilience project. We will give the river access to its historic floodplain. The river will then be able to access during high flow events and get up onto that floodplain and slow and attenuate stormwater,” Dailey said.
One member of the construction crew working on the dam removal says it’s projects like this one that come with challenges requiring careful attention.
“Sites like these are generally challenging because of the silt that’s in the river makes access with heavy equipment very challenging. It’s also very environmentally sensitive, so there’s a lot of considerations that go into creating silt and any control methods,” site supervisor and lead equipment operator Jonathan Fortier said.
VTNRC says the project will be completed in September.
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