Thanks to the White River Partnership, the Farnham Brothers Dam was removed in the Fall of 2025. The dam, built in the early 1900s, was located along the First Branch of the White River in Tunbridge Vermont. It was once used to support a woolen mill and a wood working shop. Fast forward to 2025, the dam had been breached and was located on a reach listed as impaired for poor geomorphic conditions and bacteria. The dam caused sedimentation behind the structure, which starved the downstream reaches of sediment causing increased erosion and instability in the channel. The impoundment was also creating stagnant conditions for bacteria to thrive. Between the breach and the impairments, it was clear that this dam needed to be removed to improve water quality and public safety. 

The removal of the 75-foot-long 10-foot-wide concrete dam began on September 15th and ended later that month. Removing the dam will help restore the natural sediment transportation regime by allowing sediment to move through the system and rebuild the channel downstream. This will improve the geomorphic conditions of the stream as the sediment continuity is restored. The restoration of natural flow is expected to improve water quality significantly, since the bacteria needed stagnant water to persist. With the dam removed, and the channel restored the First Branch is flowing freely and on its way to creating a healthier watershed with improved water quality and fish passage.

Thank you to the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for funding the design and removal of this dam. We also thank Canonical Landworks, Ripple Natural Resources LLC, Watersheds United Vermont, Wolff Archaeological Services, Hand Wing Solution and the private landowner for supporting this dam removal and making the project possible.