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Village Waterfall Restoration
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Request Date: 5/10/2025 11:09:11 AM
Open Date:
Closing Date: 5/30/2025 10:00 PM
Intent To Bid Deadline:
Est. Dollar Value: $0.00
RFQ Number: TOB2025-1
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Town of Brandon
2417 Franklin Street
Brandon,
VT
05733
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Bid Type:
Request for Proposal
Locations:
Rutland
Keywords:
Construction (Non Building), Stream Restoration
Bid Description:
The Town of Brandon is a community of 4,000 in northern Rutland County, Vermont. The village, a
Vermont Designated Downtown, is built around the Neshobe River (tributary of the Otter Creek),
which is heavily managed around parkland and downtown business and civic buildings.
The most prominent view of the river is at the “Upper Falls” behind Kennedy Park and a small
boutique numbered as 31 Center Street. This waterfall is created by a manmade 19th-century
stone dam now owned by the Town of Brandon. The dam is in poor condition. [Vermont Dam
Inventory ID #146, State ID 26.05, 43.799°N, -73.088°W.] The dam’s impoundment is normally
3 acre feet with a maximum of 8 acre feet. The dam is 15 feet high and 66 feet across. Flood
hazard potential is minimal due to the small amount of water impounded and the construction of
an overflow relief structure immediately downstream, between #31 and #35 Center Street.
The Town’s primary goal is restoring the aesthetic appearance of the waterfall. Deterioration of
the dam structure and buildup of vegetation on it have compromised the visual appeal, as the
major volume of water no longer cascades uniformly across the top course of the dam. The south
end of the dam is now receiving most of the flow and the center and north parts are dry most of
the time. The Town envisions three possibilities for this project but is open to other proposals:
1
Remove the dam, leaving whatever ledge naturally occurs there and the river will tumble
over some cascades similar to what it does downstream of the bridge between the town office
and 4 Conant Square. Some funding from the State of Vermont may be available for this option.
2
Restore the appearance of the waterfall by plugging the two largest holes (on the south
end and in the middle), removing vegetation at the north end, and generally evening out the top
course so the weir-like full-width waterfall is again the dominant feature
3
Repair the dam functionally by removing silt deposited behind it, plugging all existing
holes, removing vegetation, and rebuilding the dam for more-than-aesthetic results
Any work performed must be permitted by the State of Vermont and performed within the
acceptable seasonal window for river work (1 June - 1 Oct) and subject to conditions of the
Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation Rivers Program. Work will fall under the
Stream Alteration General Permit (not the Dam Safety Program). It is anticipated that this project
will be locally-funded.
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