City officials in Montpelier, VT, plan to remove the Pioneer Street Dam (aka Old Mill Dam) and restore a nearby floodplain along the Winooski River to reduce flood risk and improve the river’s ecology. It will also open up new recreational opportunities on the river.

The dam is located some 1.3 miles upstream of the city and is in sever disrepair. Dismantling the dam will also require the removal of potentially contaminated sediment that has accumulated behind the dam.