Reconnecting Waterways:
A Workshop on Removing Dams & Right-Sizing Culverts

Thursday, December 5th
8:30 am to 4:00 pm
DoubleTree by Hilton
870 Williston Road, South Burlington, VT

The Reconnecting Waterways workshop was designed for project managers, engineers, and construction contractors currently working on, or interested in working on, dam removal and/or culvert replacement projects. The workshop offered an overarching exploration of barrier removal restoration goals, project phases, stakeholder roles, important tools, and critical engagement points. A recurring thread throughout the agenda is the critical intersection between structural engineering/deconstruction and stream geomorphic compatibility.

Participants were given the opportunity to focus on one track of presentations through the day – project management, engineering, or construction – or they could pick and choose the most applicable sessions to meet their learning goals. The agenda also included built-in time to gather with colleagues across sectors to process the sessions and discuss ways to facilitate good communication and streamline projects.

Click Here to View the Workshop Agenda.

Project managers explored how to identify strong barrier removal projects, understanding different constraints and benefits; how to match projects with funding sources, hearing tips and tricks of the trade; and how to collaboratively move projects forward through multiple phases and tasks with confidence and grace, with attention to critical engagement points.

Engineers explored how to capture stream flow and restoration outcomes of a dam removal design; how to phase dam and culvert projects with deliverables at each phase to advance project design and foster a collaborative design approach; knowledge of site constraints and barriers that can stall projects and creative ways to address them in the design.

Excavation contractors explored how to ‘think like a stream’ with heavy equipment; how to properly manage sediment, dewatering, site restoration, and curious onlookers; how to provide a competitive bid; and how to contribute skills and knowledge in the collaborative barrier removal process.

You can find links to presentation slides below. Recordings of the keynote, concurrent sessions, and panel discussion will be available shortly.

Thank you again to all of the excellent presenters (including our fabulous keynote speaker, Laura Wildman), panelists and attendees. Together, we’re building momentum and capacity for dam removals and culvert replacements throughout Vermont!

Presentation Slides

1A. How to Identify Strong Barrier Removal Projects
Mary Russ, White River Partnership
David Minkoff, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
Keith Fritschie, Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation
Link to Presentation

1B. Geomorphology Review, Site Assessment & Field Data Collection
Staci Pomeroy, Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation
Link to Presentation
Jesus Morales, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
Link to Presentation

1C. Getting the Job: Tips for Contractor Bidding
Jessica Clark Louisos, SLR Consulting
Kolbey Haupt, Hilltop Construction
Link to Presentation

2A. Navigating the Complex Landscape of Project Funding
Michele Braun, Friends of the Winooski River
Ron Rhodes, Connecticut River Conservancy
Link to Presentation

2B. Dam Removal & Culvert Design Demystified
Roy Schiff, SLR Consulting
Link to Presentation

2C. Managing Sediment on Construction Sites
Zapata Courage, Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation
Link to Presentation
Josh Carvajal, Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation
Link to Presentation
Tom Markowski, Markowski Excavating
Link to Presentation

3A. A Project Manager’s Guide to Undamming Rivers
Karina Dailey, Vermont Natural Resources Council
Link to Presentation
Ron Rhodes, Connecticut River Conservancy
Link to Presentation
Hilary Solomon, Poultney Mettowee Natural Resources Conservation District

3B. State & Federal Permitting Review
Josh Carvajal, Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation
Link to Presentation
Angela Repella, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

3C. Construction Process & Methods for Dam Removals and Culvert Replacements
Ben Canonica, Canonica Landworks
Greg Russ, White River Partnership
Link to Presentation

4A. Telling the Story of Place and Impact: Community, Cultural Resources & Monitoring
Lauren Weston, Franklin County Natural Resources Conservation District
Meghan Arpino, Stone Environmental
Evan Carlson, Whiteout Solutions
Link to Presentation

4B. Construction Oversight
Doug Osborne and Jessica Clark Louisos, SLR Consulting
Link to Presentation

4C. Elements of Site Restoration in Barrier Removal Design
Allaire Diamond, Vermont Land Trust
Evan Fitzgerald, Fitzgerald Environmental Associates
Link to Presentation

The Reconnecting Waterways Workshop was made possible by: