Dam Removals

Dam Removal

Halnon Dam is a private dam located upstream from Route 7 in Salisbury and is a decrepit impoundment over 5 feet tall, roughly 30 feet wide and disrupts the brook’s natural process and sediment equilibrium and significantly impacts aquatic organism passage. Currently the dam
serves no utilitarian purpose.

The intent of this proposal is to develop plans for dam removal and site restoration to 100% design by the end of 2022. Preliminary designs (to 30%) for dam removal will be completed by spring of 2022 with a consulting engineer. We anticipate that the implementation will result in utilize leveraged funding through state and federal grants. All engineering design plans will be completed for review by end of 2023.

This work is necessary because removal of the dam would restore the natural sediment regime and fluvial processes of the brook and prevent siltation of important cold water spawning habitat used by brook trout and other aquatic species. Additionally, removal of this defunct infrastructure would open at least one mile of stream for aquatic organism passage connecting the downstream portions of the brook with valuable Class 2 wetland.