CCNR 2013 Presentation Abstract
Title:
Anguilla Brook Fish Passage Restoration and Dam Removal
Authors, Affliations: Sally Harold, The Nature Conservancy
Steve Gephard, CT DEEP
Josh Wilson, Fuss & O’Neill
Contact Emails:
sharold@tnc.org
steve.gephard@ct.gov
jwilson@fando.com
Presentation Type:
** Workshop **
Abstract
Anguilla Brook, the eastern-most coastal stream in Connecticut, is the main tributary to Wequetequock
Cove in Stonington. A partnership of land owners, non-profit, government, and private entities [including
Bill and Linda Rutan, The Nature Conservancy, The Avalonia Land Conservancy, U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Foundation, the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, U.S Department of
Fish and Wildlife, Fuss & O’Neill, Inc, and SumCo Eco-Contracting, LLC] cooperated on a two-dam
project to restore connectivity to13 miles of diadromous fish habitat. Target species were alewife, sea-run
trout, brook trout, and American eel (Anguilla rostrata), the namesake of the brook. The two dams were
Wequetequock Pond Dam and Rutan Pond Dam.
Wequetequock Pond Dam is the first dam at the head-of-tide on Anguilla Brook. Most of the spillway
consists of a very large boulder called Saddle Rock, which could not be removed. Wequetequock Pond
Dam is the site of an historic grist mill and required a simple design to restore passage without impacting
the historic remains of the mill or altering Saddle Rock. A sensitively-designed pool-and-weir fishway
was constructed to circumvent the southern end of the dam, allow fish passage, and blend with the natural
surroundings.
The second dam, Rutan Pond Dam, is a former mill site with little-to-no historic significance. The eightfoot high Rutan Pond Dam was in very poor shape and beginning to fail. A minimalistic approach to the
removal of the Rutan Pond dam, management of sediment, and restoration of Anguilla Brook was taken
on this portion of the project. The guiding approach was to rely on natural stream forming processes
rather than hard engineering and design. The goal was to minimize grading, channel “design and
alignment,” and to focus on natural stabilization using materials that exist on site, were self-propagating
(e.g., root stock, live stakes, etc) or that were biodegradable (e.g. coir logs, jute matting, etc.). The project
design also relied on the accumulated seed bank entrained in sediments adjacent to the stream to allow for
volunteer plant species to establish a natural vegetation community.
This workshop will cover the various aspects of the assessment, design, permitting and construction of
these two projects. The presenters will discuss lessons learned and invite an open dialogue from the
attendants.
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