Montpelier, Vermont — In a step towards promoting flood safety and healthy water ecology in Vermont, VNRC is partnering with Middlebury College, Vermont Emergency Management, Lake Champlain Basin Program, and US Fish and Wildlife Service for the removal of the Breadloaf Dam on Brandy Brook in Ripton, VT. The construction season is planned for the beginning of August, 2025 to October 1, 2025.
The Breadloaf dam deconstruction project is designed to reconnect approximately 3 miles of high-quality brook trout spawning habitat and ultimately reconnect Brandy Brook to the Middlebury River. “These cold, headwater streams are critical habitat areas for cold water fish species including native brook trout and we are so excited to restore flow and connectivity in this river reach,” says Karina Dailey, Project Manager.
Middlebury College built the dam in 1937 to impound a drinking water supply for the college’s Breadloaf campus. This water retention infrastructure is no longer needed, however, as a modern well system now provides a more efficient source of drinking water to the campus. In addition to drinking water, the small reservoir was historically used as a snowmaking pond for the Rikert Nordic Center but a more efficient instream water intake has replaced the dam’s use as a snowmaking impoundment.
The concrete dam is approximately 175 feet long and 25 feet high, and currently retains approximately 4,000 cubic yards of impounded sediment behind the dam on Brandy Brook Removing infrastructure will improve instream habitat, water quality, and wildlife habitat in the Brandy Brook corridor as well as foster floodplain restoration through additional flood storage that will naturalize downstream movements of floods and sediment.
Original engineering drawings from the 1937 project have aided in a design that will closely resemble the pre-dam stream and floodplain topography. Restoration will include planting of native seed mixes, along with tree and shrub planting by Middlebury College students. The re-vegetation work will promote the long-term stability of soils, restore the local forested river corridor, and will help create floodplain habitat structure.
Dam removal operations will begin with mobilization of heavy equipment, construction of site access routes and staging, removal of the chain link fence and fence posts along with any necessary tree clearing, implementation of flow bypass and erosion control measures, removal of the concrete dam, pumphouse, and other appurtenances, removal of some of the impounded sediment behind the dam, and restoration of the 400 feet of Brandy Brook and almost ½ an acre of floodplain.
“Middlebury College is delighted to partner with VNRC in the removal of the dam. Such restoration projects fit perfectly within the purposes of the Bread Loaf Conservation Easement, which in perpetuity protects ecological integrity of lands and waters and provides for compatible educational and outdoor recreational activities. Our students will have an opportunity for hands-on learning to see how projects can restore aquatic and riparian functions and habitat. When they return years from now, they’ll be able to see how their hands helped restoration of the former reservoir,” says Marc Lapin, Environmental Professor at Middlebury College.
The Vermont Natural Resource Council (VNRC) is managing the project in collaboration with the landowner, Middlebury College. The engineering firm that designed the dam removal is SLR Consulting of Waterbury, VT and the construction firm completing the removal is Goodhue Excavating, Inc. of Fairfield, VT.
Funding for design, permitting, and construction has been provided by Vermont Natural Resources Council, Vermont Emergency Management through the Flood Resilience Community Fund, NEIWPCC in partnership with the Lake Champlain Basin Program, and US Fish and Wildlife Service.Should you have any questions, concerns or comments, please contact Karina Dailey, Restoration Ecologist at VNRC (kdailey@vnrc.org).