Engineering Services – Preliminary Design & Feasibility for Removal of Three Low-Head Dams, Castleton River

Passumpsic Merrimack and Connecticut River Watershed (PMNRCD) is soliciting proposals from qualified engineering consultants to complete preliminary design and feasibility assessment for the potential removal of three low-head dams on the Castleton River in Fair Haven, Vermont, with proposals due September 7, 2026.

The scope encompasses a corridor-based systems evaluation of three dams — the Shirt Factory, Slate Factory, and Water Street Dams — assessing cumulative hydraulic, geomorphic, ecological, infrastructure, and community impacts. The consultant will evaluate existing conditions and removal alternatives including retention, partial or complete removal, phased removal, and failure scenarios. Preliminary design work will address dam safety, sediment conditions, site access and constructability, hydraulic and geomorphic conditions, aquatic habitat and organism passage, water quality, flood resilience, infrastructure risks, public safety, and potential impacts to adjacent properties and public assets. The scope also includes investigation of dam ownership and legal responsibilities, permitting and regulatory requirements, and archaeological and historic resource considerations in coordination with the Vermont Division for Historic Preservation. The consultant will perform stakeholder coordination, site investigations, hydrologic and hydraulic modeling as necessary, and will develop conceptual engineering recommendations and 30% preliminary designs for each of the three dams.

The project is funded through the WUV Enhancement Dam Removal Design and Implementation Block Grant (DIBG) with $60,000 in available project funding. The project timeline runs from August 2026 through October 2027. The consultant will provide PMNRCD, the Town of Fair Haven, Vermont DEC, and project partners with technical information necessary to evaluate feasibility, benefits, constraints, and readiness for future implementation and final design.