Rockefeller Dam Removal

VHB supported the Farm & Wilderness Foundation with final design, permitting, and implementation for the removal of the outdated Rockefeller Dam in Plymouth, Vermont. To reduce erosion and sediment transport risks during construction, VHB developed a phased reservoir drawdown approach that allowed the former impoundment area to revegetate and stabilize before the dam was breached. Soil removed from the dam embankment was reused to fill an eroded gully downstream of the auxiliary spillway, helping protect a historic lime kiln located below the site. VHB also guided the project through an extensive permitting process and assisted with grant applications that secured $230,000 in funding. Once dam removal was completed natural stream function was restored and long-term environmental conditions were improved. The project received a 2025 ACEC Vermont Engineering Excellence Award.