Dam Operating and Licensing

VNRC continues to get involved in dam permitting and licensing issues to ensure that facilities operate in a manner that comply with Vermont’s Water Quality Standards. Dams often alter river flows and destroy habitat for fish and other aquatic species. VNRC is now actively working on 3 dam issues in Vermont: Four dams on the Clyde River in the Northeast Kingdom; the Peterson Dam on the Lamoille Rive in West Milton, and the Waterbury Reservoir dam on the Little River.

Clyde River

VNRC is currently appealing a decision by the Water Resources Board (WRB) involving the re-licensing of the Clyde River Hydroelectric Project to the Vermont Supreme Court. This project consists of four dams on the lower Clyde River from Penshioner Pond to the junction of the Clyde and Lake Memphremagog in Newport.

Peterson Dam

Proceedings are underway at the Public Service Board (PSB) to determine the fate of the Peterson Dam in Milton. VNRC has advocated for removal of the dam in order to meet water quality standards and restore spawning habitat for fish. The PSB needs to approve a settlement agreement among various parties that would remove the dam in 20 years.

Little River Project

The Waterbury Dam, owned by Green Mountain Power (GMP), was originally constructed as a flood control project on the Little River after the 1927 flood. The dam also generates electricity as a peaking project and the terms of GMPs current operating license has levied significant ecological damage to both the river and the Waterbury Reservoir that is impounded by the dam.

The future of Dufresne Dam on the Batten Kill

Dufresne Dam is located on the Batten Kill in Manchester. It is the only dam on the main stem of the Batten Kill. Dufresne Pond is the 9-acre impoundment formed by the dam. The dam was originally built to supply power to a local mill. Since 1957, the dam and the surrounding lands have been owned and managed by the Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife. The pond is stocked with catchable-size (yearling) brook trout creating a put-and-take fishery for anglers.

Dispatches From the Field - A Closer Look at Dams