“Whether we restore all the waters in the state, that’s a big challenge, but we restored Indian Brook — one long stretch of it — and that’s making progress.”

We took out a dam! Last month, VNRC completed our removal of Mill Pond Dam on Indian Brook in Colchester. Indian Brook will gradually be restored to a free-flowing stream, to the benefit of aquatic ecosystem and public safety.

This video shows the removal process and highlights the dam owner’s motivations for wanting to have it taken out. (Plus: hear how the dam removal will positively affect wildlife in the flood plain — critters like these: 🐢🦆🐥🐟)

Big thanks to our leading partners, The Nature Conservancy in Vermont and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Funding for design, permitting, and construction was provided by the Lake Champlain Basin Program, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation – Clean Water Initiative Program, Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife – Watershed Grant Program, and The Nature Conservancy in Vermont.