Project Description
The Old Papermill Pond Dam was a concrete dam on the East Aspetuck River in New Milford, CT located 2.9 miles upstream from the confluence with the Housatonic River. The dam was originally constructed to power a small paper mill but had become obsolete decades ago. The pond was later used by the Bucks Rock Camp as a swimming area before they donated the dam and surrounding 5.3 acres of land to the Ousatonic Fish and Game Protective Association (OFGPA), who used it for fishing and other club activities. The dam was the first barrier to migratory fish ascending the East Aspetuck River, a Class 3 Wild Trout Management Area (WTMA). Sand and silt also accumulated in the impoundment, greatly reducing suitable coldwater habitat upstream of the dam.
To compensate for injuries to the aquatic environment, the Connecticut SubCouncil of the Housatonic River Natural Resource Trustees provided OFGPA with approximately $100,000 in funding to examine dam management and fish passage alternatives for the Old Papermill Pond Dam. OFGPA hired the engineering firm Princeton Hydro to conduct the study, including preparing preliminary plans for the removal of the dam and a detailed narrative describing the benefits of dam removal. The Nature Conservancy (TNC) took over management of the project in October 2017 and submitted a proposed scope of work and budget to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) in March 2018. Later that year, the Trustee SubCouncil awarded TNC with $179,913.52 to complete the dam removal. The on-site work included excavating sediment from behind the dam and placing it on the upland adjacent to OFGPA's pavilion building, constructing an access road to the embankment for construction equipment, removing the dam using a hoe ram, transporting and disposing of the concrete, and installing root wads and boulders to stabilize the stream bank and protect the retaining wall. Following the dam removal, TNC completed three planting events with their volunteers to plant an assortment of native shrubs and 14 disease-tolerant American elms. Invasive species in the riparian zone, including mugwort, Japanese stiltgrass, purple loosestrife, and Japanese hops, were also monitored for two years and removed as needed.
Parties Implementing Restoration
Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection; Ousatonic Fish and Game Protective Association; The Nature Conservancy
DOI Project Representatives
Fish and Wildlife Service