Dam Removal on the Bogue Branch

The Franklin County Natural Resources District led an effort on behalf of a local landowner to remove the 125-foot-long Johnsons Mill Dam on the Bogue Branch in Bakersfield, Vermont. The dam impeded the movement of an abundant population of brook trout between the stream’s headwaters in the Cold Hollow Mountains and the Missisquoi River. The Nature Conservancy’s Vermont Dam Screening Tool assessed the dam as having “High” impact and reported that removing it would reconnect 23 stream miles (35.7 kilometers) of aquatic habitat. The dam had previously been partially breached, but stream flow velocity through the six-foot opening sometimes made fish passage difficult. Restoring the river to a free-flowing state also will help improve water quality and flood resilience.

Grant Category: Enhanced Best Management Practices

Watch a time-lapse video of the Johnsons Mill Dam removal >>