Every TU project that improves watershed connectivity is important. One that opens 20-plus miles of coldwater habitat? Well, that’s next level.
This July, crews will start work on a project to dismantle an obsolete dam on Broad Brook, a 22-mile tributary to the Hoosic River in Vermont and Massachusetts with headwaters in the Green Mountain National Forest.
Built in 1889, the dam infrastructure was part of a system that served a water supply for the city of North Adams, Mass., for much of the 20th century. The dam and associated waterworks have been out of use for years, with concrete pieces now crumbling into the brook.
The dam site includes the dam and a series of raceways where water was ponded and transported for public use. Two sheds, on either end of the raceways, protect the water management infrastructure.
The whole infrastructure system, including the dam and raceways, will be demolished. Some concrete from the raceways will be buried on site with all metal removed. The remaining stream bed will be shaped to provide fish passage during low summertime flows. Large wood will be added to enhance instream habitat.
Construction is set to begin in July of 2026 and last approximately four to eight weeks. The two-acre work site will first require cutting necessary trees from the waterworks and upstream from the dam.
Upstream trees will only be removed to reshape the bank and floodplain which was mounded by deposits from dredging behind the dam. Demolition of the dam and construction of the new streambed and bank will follow and is scheduled for completion by September 1.
SumCo Eco-contract is the firm under contract for the dam removal. TU and volunteers will replant the entire work area with native species after construction. Additional plantings will likely be needed in 2027.
Though removing a dam is simple on paper, the Broad Brook dam sits at a confluence of towns, neighbors, and trail users. Despite its location in the Town of Pownal, Vt., the dam, waterworks, and property are owned by the City of North Adams, Mass. Access, however, is best from the Broad Brook Trail which is closest to the center of Williamstown, Mass.
Since the dam is no longer a water source and not adjacent to North Adams, the goal is for the property to transition to a local non-profit organization, The Trustees of Reservations, adding to their nearby protected land and trails. While in ownership limbo, TU is helping to provide continuity of support and coordination for the property and stream.
The area is home to a hiking trail popular with hikers, foragers, and dog walkers.
Broad Brook is known for its excellent brook trout population and provides miles of fishing access along the trail, which continues into Green Mountain National Forest.
During drought years with very low water levels, such as 2025, trail users have watched trout swim up to the dam where they were blocked from seeking cooler water upstream. This dam is the only barrier for fish to access the next 20 miles of Broad Brook and its tributaries. The stream is well shaded within a hemlock ravine for a few miles which helps to maintain colder water temperatures.
Though a bit hidden, the trail has many local users who are passionate about the stream, the trail, and its charismatic plants they cherish throughout the year. Knowing there was a dedicated user group, public outreach was clearly in need.
Justin Adkins, president of the local TU Taconic Chapter, helped coordinate this outreach. TU staff members Erin Rodgers and Zach Adams presented to a group of 35 community members about the dam removal process and logistics.
From that outreach event, new volunteers and committees emerged to help with the dam removal and to ensure engagement with trail users and consideration of local fauna.
One group, dedicated to the spring ephemeral flowers and foraging opportunities, is stepping up to attempt to transplant some of their favorite wildflowers before the big yellow machines arrive later this year. Ensuring the project included environmental and public safety measures was enough to show TU’s intentions to best benefit the cherished stream.
When working in the restoration world, some projects seem straightforward and the benefits obvious. When you remove a stream barrier, you reconnect the stream and the whole system benefits.
But many projects are not as straightforward as they seem. Before you blink, there are three separate towns and many dedicated trail users who are all impacted by the project. The Broad Brook dam removal showed the importance of public engagement for projects with high local traffic. This project also highlights how a TU chapter helped facilitate community engagement in a great project that benefits the community and an incredible coldwater resource. After this summer, hikers will watch brook trout successfully find their summer refuges, no longer blocked by a wall of concrete.