Hands Mill Dam was successfully removed by the Winooski Natural Resources Conservation District (WNRCD) in partnership with the Town of Washington in October of 2024. The dam was constructed on the Jail Branch of the Winooski River in the 1860s and was used to power mills for the nearby lumber industry. Originally 165 feet long and around 12 feet high despite it being partially breached it was classified as a “High Hazard” dam under Vermont’s Dam Safety regulations. The partially breached portion of the dam continued deteriorating which was increasing the likelihood of a dam failure that could lead to possible loss of life and property damage. The state of the dam intensified the need for its removal, and in 2020 the Town of Washington began work with their partners to restore the river.  Unfortunately, the removal process was not fast enough for the Jail Branch and in July of 2023 the dam failed, causing massive flood damage downstream and leaving a massive incised canyon upstream. Following the flooding WNRCD modified the removal design to address dam failure cleanup which included removal of much of the impounded sediment upstream of the dam.  This work was completed in 2024.

Not only has aquatic organism passage been restored, but the river’s natural sediment and nutrient transport regime is finding its equilibrium again. This project has also significantly improved the town’s flood resiliency, since the project will help lower flood levels, and has eliminated a major safety hazard on the river.

We want to recognize the Town of Washington and the Winooski Natural Resources Conservation District for working hard to complete this project. Stone Environmental completed the engineering for this project, Hilltop Construction was the contractor that restored the river, and Redstart completed the riparian and floodplain tree planting.