Removing the Pelletier Dam in Castleton, Vermont

Dam removal is an important way to restore natural flows, habitat, and surrounding vegetation to rivers. Many dams in Vermont are long-standing, with a history of being used for industrial work or creation of recreational spaces such as fishing ponds or swimming holes.

Projects, like the recent removal of the Pelletier Dam in Castleton, allow for passage of fish and other aquatic life and restoration of rivers and their associated floodplains. The Pelletier Dam removal project received funding and permits, began and has nearly finished de-construction, and is moving on to the revegetation and monitoring stage.

Listen to the September episode of the Restoration Roundup podcast to learn more about the history of this dam, why and how dam removal benefits stream and riparian habitats, and what makes this project unique.

Watershed Forestry Partnership staff were excited to hear about the process and future plans for the Pelletier Dam site. To find out more, they spoke with Karina Dailey (Restoration Ecologist with Vermont Natural Resources Council), Shawn Good (Fisheries Biologist with Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department), and Gabe Bolin (Water Resource Engineer with Stone Environmental).

Their conversation dives into the history of dams, the general goals and tools of dam removal and restoration, how native wildlife interacts with dams (both man-made and beaver-made), and how launching a massive removal project can face challenges but ultimately come through with promising results.

Listen to this podcast and many others on Lake Champlain Sea Grant's Watershed Forestry Partnership Restoration Roundup Podcast webpage or find the episode on most podcast streaming platforms.

The Restoration Roundup podcast, released on the last Wednesday of each month, is supported by NEIWPCC and the Lake Champlain Basin Program.