Connecticut River Conservancy is working with multiple partners to remove the remnant 90-foot-long and 7-foot-high concrete Blake Higgins dam on the Saxtons River, a tributary of the Connecticut River, in Westminster/Bellows Falls, Vermont.
The goals of this river restoration project are the following:
Fish passage. Removal of the dam will create access to upstream spawning habitat for the anadromous population of native sea lamprey, a migratory fish. Currently, sea lamprey spawn below the dam but not above. Nests are heavily concentrated below the dam which in some cases can reduce survival of incubating eggs if the fish spawn on an existing nest. The technical term is called redd superimposition. Dam removal will expand the sea lamprey habitat by a little over 1 mile, which may not sound like a long distance, but it is the quality of increased habitat that will make a difference. These efforts will allow the fish to spread out in the river and spawn in an expanded habitat at least up to the next barrier (Twin Falls).
Water quality. Removing the dam will improve water quality by increasing the availability of dissolved oxygen which is vital for healthy habitats, wildlife, and overall cleanliness of water. Additional benefits include reduced eutrophication, enhanced nutrient cycling, cooler river temperatures, and a decrease in the potential for harmful algae blooms.
Natural sediment transport. In addition to dam removal, approximately 750 cubic yards of trapped sediment will be removed. Given the lack of dam maintenance over many years, sediment has accumulated both above and below the dam, which can result in nutrient deficiencies downstream, loss of biodiversity, or riverbed erosion. The combined impact of sediment removal, and the natural sediment flow that will occur over time with the absence of the dam, a more natural sediment transport will be restored.
Community recreation. The swimming area will be preserved as a beloved community summer spot for swimming, river access, and enjoyment. It may be a little different after the project is completed, but community use/swimming very much factored into the details and the river access will be improved as a result. Prior to this project, there was a small, steep, and rocky trail to the river, and afterwards there will be a wider, more leveled path. Once dam removal is complete, Vermont River Conservancy will make further improvements for community access.
Flood resilience. Dam removal will lower the flood elevation in this section of the Saxtons River (about 800 feet from the confluence with the Connecticut River) by about 7ft. This will help reduce the potential for harming the surrounding infrastructure, causing erosion, and creating costly cleanup efforts after severe weather events.
Partnership for River Restoration
Multiple partners came together to fund and implement this restoration project. CRC is working with Vermont Fish & Wildlife, Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTrans), Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Vermont River Conservancy, Trout Unlimited, Saxtons River Valley Trails Initiative, and the Westminster Conservation Commission. Vermont Clean Water Block grant funds, Bingham Foundation, and American Rivers also supported this dam removal.
Additional partners and contractors include SLR Engineering, Adams Trucking & Excavation, ACME Heritage Consultants, KAS Environmental Science Consulting, The Conservation Alliance, Darn Tough, Fidelity Foundation, Bingham Foundation, and Moore Law firm in Bellows Falls.
Timeline
CRC held a tour of the dam removal site with local community members in August, 2024.
Dam removal is estimated to be completed in early September 2024.
CRC will return to plant native shrubs and trees in the spring of 2025.
Vermont River Conservancy will make further improvements for public access in the summer of 2025.
Sea lamprey will have expanded habitat by the next fish migration season in May of 2025 – a great time to visit this area and see their nest-building! You can visit anytime along the Saxtons River Trail.
You can see press about this project from WCAX Wildlife Watch.
Video of Blake Higgins dam on the Saxtons river in early phase of removal
Historical Background
The timber crib remains of the dam may date to as far back as the mid nineteenth century, and are scattered adjacent to and upstream from the remains of the 90-foot-wide concrete gravity dam, which may date to as far back as the 1910s. There is bedrock at river left, and the remains of a dam back wall and buttress columns at river right.
The dam was associated with mills north of the river that had a variety of uses and owners. Although the dam and the remaining mill structures are within the town of Westminster, they were historically associated with industries located in Bellows Falls Village in the town of Rockingham.
There were reportedly two industries near the mouth of the Saxtons River by the early nineteenth century: Sanford Granger’s sawmill and the S.S. Coolidge Pail Company. The 1856 McClellan atlas of Bellows Falls shows a cluster of buildings including a pail factory and tannery. A building labeled Granger is shown on the 1869 Beers atlas of Bellows Falls, as well as the Perry & Ellis Tannery. The 1885 Bellows Falls Sanborn Insurance Map shows that the Fall Mountain Paper Company – a large concern with a complex within Bellows Falls Village – had a saw and planing mill that likely utilized the water power from the dam, although the dam is out of range of the image on the map. This mill is no longer standing.
About 1895, the Westminster Paper Company built the extant brick complex on the plateau north of the river. It became the Blake & Higgins Company paper mill about 1905. The dam appears on the 1920 Sanborn map for the first time. The mill was sold to the Green Mountain Tissue Company in 1940, which remained in operation until the late 1960s. However, it is unlikely that the dam was being used for water power at this point.
Significance and Determination of Eligibility
The dam has not been utilized for many decades and both the timber crib and concrete sections are ruins and do not retain integrity. There is no remaining physical evidence that the dam was related to a nearby industrial operation, with the exception of the buildings once associated with the Blake & Higgins/Green Mountain Tissue paper mill. The dam does not appear eligible for the National Register of Historic Places due to the loss of integrity, lack of distinctive design, and absence of evidence of its original purpose and context. In 1979, the SHPO’s Project Review for the construction of the extant bridge found that the project would “not affect any properties that are included in or eligible for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places,” and that an “on-site inspection by Division staff found extensive previous ground disturbance on both sides of the river which precludes the need for any archeological investigation.”
The paper mill complex was determined eligible for the National Register of Historic Places in anticipation of a Rehabilitation Investment Tax Credit application, but the owners decided not to pursue the tax credits and the subsequent building renovation project was not reviewed for compliance with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation. Also, the river banks adjacent to the dam have been substantially disturbed as a result of the bridge construction.
Gallery of postcards from 1905, 1928, and 1983.
This project is 4 years in the making and we are thrilled to be nearing completion of the dam removal while looking ahead to continued improvements to the site. Thanks to all those who have participated in this effort. From here you can learn more about dam removal migratory fish, and river restoration.
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