What Happens When a Dam Removal Project Spans a Decade: A Case Study
Jessie Thomas-Blate
American Rivers
Washington, DC
Gabriel Martin, PE
Kleinschmidt Associates
Strasburg, PA
Authors:
Jessie Thomas-Blate, Director River Restoration (American Rivers)
Gabriel Martin, PE, CPESC (Kleinschmidt)
When dam removals take many years to align regulators, funding, and impacted parties, unforeseen challenges can arise as players and thinking on related issues evolve. The Paper Mill Dam removal in Reading, PA, is presented as a case study of hurdles that can arise during dam removal design and construction. As sediment has become a major topic of concern in the Mid-Atlantic region in recent years, all dam removals will come under increasing scrutiny. Here we will share the story of the hurdles encountered throughout the dam removal process and our observations of the shifting landscape on sediment at dam removal sites in the Chesapeake region. The adaptive management approaches used to deal with landowners, utilities, sediment, and other site constraints will be discussed, along with lessons learned along the way.
About Jessie Thomas-Blate
Ms. Thomas-Blate is a Director of River Restoration for American Rivers in Alexandria, Virginia. She is a river restoration project manager with 10 years of experience in the industry. She specializes in dam removal in the Mid-Atlantic. American Rivers is a non-profit organization championing a national effort to protect and restore all rivers, from remote mountain streams to urban waterways.
About Gabriel Martin, PE
Mr. Martin is a Project Water Resources Engineer with Kleinschmidt Associates in Strasburg, Pennsylvania. He is a licensed Professional Engineer in Pennsylvania with over six years of experience in the industry. He specializes in dam removal, nature-like fish passage, erosion and sediment control, and stormwater management.