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On Long Island in Nassau, New York, they migrate between Mill Pond Creek and the ocean, using Bellmore Creek as a highway. The river herring live much of their adult life in the ocean and travel to the freshwaters of Mill Pond Creek in order to spawn. There is a dam located at the point where Bellmore Creek meets Mill Pond. When the water level isn’t high enough, the river herring can be blocked from swimming upstream to reach their spawning habitat. This not only has negative implications for river herring species, it also negatively impacts the entire ecosystem. The herring are a vital food source for countless other fish, birds and animals, and play a critical role in transferring marine derived nutrients into surrounding estuarine, freshwater and upland habitats. River Herring have been documented at the base of the dam at Mill Pond for the past several migration seasons. Bellmore Creek is one of only two-dozen streams on Long Island where remnant runs of this ecologically valuable, diadromous fish still exist. In 2018, Seatuck Environmental Association, a nonprofit dedicated to wildlife conservation on Long Island, was awarded the NYSDEC Division of Marine Resources Grant for Tributary Restoration and Resiliency to design a fish passage at the dam intersecting Mill Pond and Bellmore Creek. Seatuck contracted Princeton Hydro to design the fish passage options. The project goals not only include increasing river herring spawning habitat, but also are focused on improving the ecological condition of Bellmore Creek, maintaining and enhancing recreational values, and improving site resiliency to climate change and sea level rise. To provide guidance on the project, Seatuck assembled an advisory committee with representation from Nassau County (dam owner), New York State Office of Parks, NYS Department of Environmental Conservation, Nassau County Soil and Water District, Town of Hempstead, the South Shore Estuary Reserve, Trout Unlimited, The Nature Conservancy, South Shore Audubon, and the Bellmore Civic Association. Princeton Hydro conducted a study to understand the feasibility of enhancing fish passage to Mill Pond. The initial site investigation, in November 2020, included sediment probing and sampling, and a thorough assessment of the existing dam, spillway, water pipes, bridges and upper reaches. [gallery ids="10580,10579,10581"] Based on its findings, the Princeton Hydro team developed three design options to restore fish passage: A nature-like fishway, where a channel made of boulders and concrete is constructed through the dam to mimic a natural, steep stream; A technical fishway, where a pre-fabricated metal fish ladder is placed within the spillway to allow fish to swim up and into the pond; and A full or partial dam removal, where the spillway is fully or partially removed and the pond is restored to a free-flowing stream and wetland complex. On June 8 2021, Seatuck, Nassau County and Princeton Hydro held a virtual meeting to get the public’s input on each of the fish passage designs. Emily Hall, Conservation Policy Advocate for Seatuck, also put together an informative presentation in which she provides a synopsis of Bellmore Creek's history, describes the project goals, and discusses the community engagement process and the results of the public opinion survey. Watch it now: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CvdWsI_3MIU[/embed] Additionally, Princeton Hydro completed a site investigation including topographic survey, sediment probing and sampling, and assessment of structures to identify project opportunities and site constraints. Sediment sampling and analysis indicated no major concerns with contamination. By performing analysis of the longitudinal profile, Princeton Hydro determined that the full dam removal (option 3 listed above) was not recommended due to the potential for initiating uncontrolled channel incision below the original river grade into Mill Pond and upstream reaches. Ultimately, the technical fish ladder (option 2 listed above) was chosen as the most appropriate solution for restoring fish passage to Mill Pond and maintaining existing recreational values. Princeton Hydro is currently developing preliminary engineering design plans for this selected alternative as part of this phase of the project. The focus on Bellmore Creek is just one of many projects included in Seatuck’s River Revival program, which has sought to clear similarly blocked waterways across Long Island. If you’re interested in learning more about Seatuck’s conservation work and getting involved, click here. Princeton Hydro has designed, permitted, and overseen solutions for fish passage including the installation of technical and nature-like fishways and the removal of dozens of small and large dams throughout the Northeast. To learn more about our fish passage and dam removal engineering services, click here and check out our blog: Conservation Spotlight: Restoring Fish Passage on the Noroton River. [post_title] => Bellmore Creek Fish Passage Project: Restoring Access to Critical Spawning Habitat [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => open [ping_status] => open [post_password] => [post_name] => bellmore-creek-fish-passage [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2025-11-04 02:54:39 [post_modified_gmt] => 2025-11-04 02:54:39 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://princetonhydro.com/?p=10534 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw ) [1] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 7721 [post_author] => 3 [post_date] => 2021-02-23 16:12:00 [post_date_gmt] => 2021-02-23 16:12:00 [post_content] => The Hudson River provides habitat for approximately 85% of New York State’s fish and wildlife species, 200 of which rely on the Hudson River for spawning, nursery, and forage habitat. According to Riverkeeper, a nonprofit focused on protecting and restoring the Hudson River, there are approximately 1,600 dams, mostly obsolete, fragmenting the rivers and streams of the Hudson Valley and blocking fish from reaching critical habitat. The recent removal of two defunct dams – The Strooks Felt Dam and Furnace Brook Barrier #1 – marks an important milestone in the Riverkeeper’s journey to “Undam the Hudson River” and restore fish passage between the Hudson and the Atlantic Ocean. The removal of these dams, located on tributaries of the Hudson River, are especially important to depleted populations of migratory fish like river herring and American eel, who are a vital part of the coastal ecosystem and spawn in freshwater tributaries. Funding for both projects was provided by the Environmental Protection Fund and administered by the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC). Riverkeeper led the effort to remove the obsolete dams, with Princeton Hydro providing dam and stream assessment, surveying, engineering design, and permitting assistance. Strooks Felt Dam For the first time in 300 years, fish in the Quassaick Creek will be able to move upstream thanks to the dismantling of the 106-year-old, 4-foot-high Strooks Felt Dam in Newburgh, New York, located 60 miles north of New York City in the critical estuary of the Hudson River. The dam site was dominated by gravel, cobble, boulder, and even bedrock steps, indicating a high-energy stream with a high sediment transport potential. This dam removal, like many others, released this coarse sediment and allowed the creek to carry it to downstream reaches. This coarse sediment forms habitat features like riffes, bars, and pools that are crucial components of healthy streams and rivers. Releasing the impounded bedload by removing these dams is key to increasing the resilience of freshwater streams like Quassaick Creek. The dam removal, which was completed in October 2020, involved excavating the concrete spillway before reshaping and re-grading bedload sediment behind the dam. Historically, the Strooks Felt Dam was part of a series of older dams that sat in slightly different positions in the same area and supplied former mill operations. Other nonobstructive structures associated with the former mill were left as part of an enduring history, allowing anyone who visits the site or combs through the records to visualize what was there before. The obsolete dam, however, will no longer block water, sediment, or critical fish passage. Project collaborators included: Riverkeeper, Orange County and the City of Newburgh, the Town of New Windsor, DEC Hudson River Estuary Program, Quassaick Creek Watershed Alliance, Steelways Inc, RiverLogic Solutions, and Princeton Hydro. Two additional dams farther upstream from the former Strooks Felt Dam site are in the early planning stages for removal. Furnace Brook Barrier #1 The 5-foot-high, 75-foot-long Furnace Brook Barrier #1 was dismantled in Westchester County, New York in mid-November 2020. The removal of this dam brings migratory fish one-step closer to reconnecting with their ancestral habitat. The positive results were immediate. Riverkeeper stated in a recently published article, “As soon as a path was cleared, we spotted two fish – white suckers, a freshwater species – darting up to the previously unreachable part of the brook. We can’t wait to come back in the spring and see whether herring, returning from the ocean, are migrating upstream…” The dam clearing process at Furnace Brook involved the removal of the dam and an existing collapsed former concrete bridge span downstream of the dam. Stone masonry boulders from the former spillway were then redistributed and partially embedded in the restored channel to enhance aquatic habitat and increase bank stabilization. Project collaborators included Rivekeeper, NYSDEC’s Hudson River Estuary Program, Westchester County Parks Department, Westchester County, the dam owner, the town of Cortlandt, the Friends of the McAndrews Estate, and Princeton Hydro. Upstream of this project, Princeton Hydro is developing an initial engineering design and sediment management plan for the removal of another, larger dam. Princeton Hydro has designed, permitted, and overseen the reconstruction, repair, and removal of dozens of small and large dams throughout the Northeast. To learn more about our dam engineering and removal services, visit: bit.ly/DamBarrier. ... [post_title] => Two Dams Removed in the Hudson River Watershed [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => open [ping_status] => open [post_password] => [post_name] => hudson-river-dam-removals [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2025-04-29 17:12:06 [post_modified_gmt] => 2025-04-29 17:12:06 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://www.princetonhydro.com/blog/?p=5895 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw ) [2] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 5209 [post_author] => 3 [post_date] => 2020-07-27 11:02:22 [post_date_gmt] => 2020-07-27 11:02:22 [post_content] => Here at Princeton Hydro, we are dedicated to protecting our natural resources and changing our ecosystems, quality of life and communities for the better. As part of that, our team members are committed to continuing to learn new technologies, staying ahead of regulatory changes, and expanding their knowledge. Today, we are proud to put the spotlight on four team members who recently achieved new professional certifications. Senior Ecologist Michael Rehman PWS and Fluvial Geomorphologist Paul Woodworth are now Certified Ecological Restoration Practitioners (CERP) through the Society for Ecological Restoration (SER). SER's CERP program encourages a high professional standard for those who are designing, implementing, overseeing, and monitoring restoration projects. Only senior level practitioners who have achieved the knowledge requirements and have greater than five years of full-time experience with restoration can be certified. Michael is one of 15 people to hold a CERP certification in New Jersey, and Paul is one of two people to be CERP certified in Connecticut. Since he began working with Princeton Hydro in 2008, Paul has supported over 50 river restoration projects involving the removal of over 35 dams and barriers along the east coast. As a fluvial geomorphologist, he assesses streams to determine channel evolution processes and predict geomorphic responses to restoration actions. This certification is a culmination of 25 years of hard work from undergrad, early professional jobs, grad school, and over 10 years of restoration work at Princeton Hydro. I had little idea that the course work I chose in undergrad was steering me toward a career in restoration that I didn't even know existed at the time. SER has emerged as a top-notch organization with a global perspective on the proactive restoration of ecosystems and the sustenance of human communities. I'm excited about applying SER measures to our projects. Michael has worked with Princeton Hydro since 2006. He is an expert in wetland permitting and delineations for USACE, NJDEP, and PADEP projects; wetland mitigation projects; habitat assessments; threatened and endangered species investigations; analysis of terrestrial/wetland ecosystems; municipal EIS/reviews and water quality/land use issues. "Earning the CERP is a big achievement, and I'm proud to join the international network of credentialed professionals. I'm passionate about the restoration and enhancement of natural resources, and I have seen the transformation of brownfields to greenfields firsthand. Through the design and implementation of creative, nature-based solutions, my work will help advance the mission of SER and the field of ecological restoration." CERP is designed to ensure that certified practitioners are up to date on the new and important developments in the field of ecological restoration – both from the scientific and the practical perspectives. The certification is valid for 5 years after approval, and recertification requires that CERPs earn a minimum of 50 continuing education credits within the five-year period since they were last certified. Both Emily Bjorhus and Robert George earned the Professional Wetland Scientist (PWS) certification through the Society of Wetland Scientists program. [gallery columns="2" size="medium" link="none" ids="5226,5215"] The certification program was developed to meet the needs of professional ecologists, hydrologists, soil scientists, educators, agency professionals, consultants, and others who practice wetland science. This program is aimed at serving the public's need to identify qualified individuals to assess and manage wetland resources around the world. The PWS certification is awarded to those meeting specific educational and experience requirements: Minimum degree requirements are BA/BS, with course distribution of 15 semester hours each in biological and physical sciences and 6 hours in quantitative areas plus an additional 15 semester hours in wetland-related courses. In addition to comprehensive training in wetland science, a PWS is expected to have professional experience of at least five years as a wetland scientist, demonstrating the application of current technical knowledge dealing with wetland resources and activities. As an Environmental Scientist, Emily Bjorhus works on a wide range of projects from flood risk management to wetland mitigation to stream restoration. She specializes in wetland and stream ecology and environmental permitting and compliance. Emily joined the Princeton Hydro team in 2016. "I'm very proud of my Professional Wetland Scientist certification. I've been working in wetlands for the past six years and have a deep love of botany that makes my job a joy. I know this certificate will allow me to better serve the public's need to have qualified individuals assess and manage wetland resources." Robert is a Project Manager in the Natural Resources Practice Area who provides technical expertise in environmental toxicology, wetland ecology, wildlife surveys, permitting and compliance for a variety of federal, state, and municipal ecological restoration projects. Robert has over twelve years of experience as a natural scientist. "Certification as a Professional Wetland Scientist was important for me because this credential demonstrates to clients and local, state, and federal regulatory agencies that I am an experienced practitioner of wetland science with an educational and professional background that satisfied the rigorous standards of the Society of Wetland Scientists." Congratulations to Emily, Michael, Paul and Robert! For more information about SER and the CERP program, visit ser.org. To learn more about the Society of Wetland Scientists’ PWS program, visit sws.org. If you’re interested in learning more about the wide variety of engineering and environmental services Princeton Hydro offers, go here: princetonhydro.com/services. … [post_title] => Employee Spotlight: 4 Team Members Earn New Professional Certifications [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => open [ping_status] => open [post_password] => [post_name] => 2020-professional-certifications [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2025-11-18 11:52:36 [post_modified_gmt] => 2025-11-18 11:52:36 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://www.princetonhydro.com/blog/?p=5209 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw ) [3] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 2638 [post_author] => 3 [post_date] => 2018-10-05 13:57:48 [post_date_gmt] => 2018-10-05 13:57:48 [post_content] => Throughout October, Princeton Hydro is proud to participate in a number of conferences and events on topics ranging from floodplain management to ecological restoration to dam removal: October 10: Society for American Military Engineers (SAME) MEGA Maryland Small Business Conference The conference, being held in Baltimore, gives small and minority businesses in the architecture, engineering and construction industries the opportunity to come together with federal agencies in order to showcase best practices and highlight future opportunities to work in the federal market. The program consists of networking events, a variety of speakers and small business exhibits. Be sure to stop by the Princeton Hydro booth to say hello to President Geoffrey Goll, P.E. and Communications Strategist Dana Patterson. LEARN MORE October 11: Great Swamp Gala & Silent Auction The Great Swamp Watershed Association, a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting and improving the water resources of the Passaic River region, is hosting its 2018 Gala & Silent Auction. This year's event is being, held in honor of former New Jersey Governor Thomas Kean, for his environmental leadership during his administration for enacting landmark protections for New Jersey’s shoreline and freshwater wetlands. present and future generations. The evening will include a cocktail hour, dinner banquet, expansive silent auction, and remarks delivered by Governor Kean. Princeton Hydro is proud to be a Benefactor of the event and looking forward to attending. LEARN MORE & REGISTER October 11 - 13: Atlantic Estuarine Research Society (AERS) Fall Meeting The theme of this year's AERS Fall Meeting is "The power of framing your message: It's not what you say, it's how you say it!" Participants will gather at Stockton University to hear a variety of ignite-style presentations about misconceptions that typically surround scientific work, how to address them, and how to re-frame your message to be better understood by the general public and other non-scientists and increase stakeholder involvement. Princeton Hydro's Senior Aquatics Scientist Jack Szczepanski, PhD will be attending the conference; chat with him to learn more about our pond and lake services. LEARN MORE October 11 - 13: Society for Ecological Restoration (SER) New England 2018 Regional Conference This year's SER New England conference brings together stewards, researchers, students, regulators, community activists and practitioners to explore innovative ecological restoration techniques and projects that connect communities within and across ecosystems. The conference includes a variety of plenary talks, field trips, workshops and a keynote address, which will be given by Stewart Diemont of SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry. The keynote, titled "Learning from the People and the Land: Traditional Ecological Knowledge Toward Restoration of Ecosystems and of our Connection with Nature," is free and open to the public. Members of the Princeton Hydro are attending the conference and leading two sessions: Laura Wildman, Water Resources and Fisheries Engineer, is leading a workshop about implementing dam removal to restore rivers. Paul Woodworth, Fluvial Geomorphologist, is presenting on the post-dam removal monitoring of active and passive restoration approaches utilizing the Hyde Pond Dam removal as a tangible example. LEARN MORE October 11: Hudson-Delaware Chapter of the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (HDC-SETAC) 2018 Fall Workshop HDC-SETAC is a professional society for scientists, engineers and related disciplines concerned with environmental science and health throughout the Hudson River and Delaware River metropolitan area. The 2018 Fall Workshop, being held at Villanova University, aims to enhance participants’ knowledge of “Harmful Algal Blooms and other Emerging Contaminants.” Princeton Hydro’s Director of Aquatic Programs Dr. Fred Lubnow is giving a presentation on “The Monitoring and Management of Cyanotoxins in Raw Water Supplies.” We hope to see you there! LEARN MORE October 12: Association of New Jersey Environmental Commissions (ANJEC) 2018 Environmental Congress ANJEC, a nonprofit organization supporting efforts to protect the environment and preserve natural resources in communities throughout New Jersey, is hosting its 45th Annual Environmental Congress at Mercer County College. The Environmental Congress is an annual statewide gathering of environmental commissions, local officials, agencies, citizen groups and environmental organizations, which includes an exhibitors hall, farmer's market, and workshops on a variety of current environmental topics. Princeton Hydro, a business member of the ANJEC, will be exhibiting during the event. Stop by the booth to say hello to Dr. Stephen J. Souza, Princeton Hydro Founder and ANJEC Board of Trustees member, and Dana Patterson, Communications Strategist for Princeton Hydro. LEARN MORE October 23 - 25: New Jersey Association for Floodplain Management (NJAFM) 14th Annual Conference NJAFM is hosting its 14th Annual Conference and Exhibition in Atlantic City, NJ. Participants will attend meetings and seminars covering topics, including hazard mitigation, flood insurance, infrastructure, mapping, planning, flood modeling, regulations, floodproofing, stormwater management, flood proofing, construction standards and more. Princeton Hydro's Christiana Pollack, GISP, CFM and NJDEP's Jessica Jahre, PP, AICP, CFM are giving a presentation, titled "A Flood Assessment for the Future," for which they'll showcase a flood assessment and flood mitigation analysis that Princeton Hydro performed in the Lower Moodna Creek Watershed. LEARN MORE & REGISTER October 23: "Undamming the Hudson River" Film Screening and Panel Event, Free & Open the Public Riverkeeper and Patagonia present the premiere of "Undamming the Hudson River," a short documentary film by National Geographic filmmaker Jon Bowermaster showcasing Riverkeeper’s efforts to restore natural habitat by eliminating obsolete dams throughout the Hudson River Estuary. The screening will be followed by refreshments and a panel discussion, moderated by Bowermaster, featuring experts in the field and an audience Q&A. Panelists, include:
River herring are diadromous fish, which means they migrate between fresh and salt water. On Long Island in Nassau, New York, they migrate between Mill Pond Creek and the ocean, using Bellmore Creek as a highway. The river herring live much of their adult life in the ocean and travel to the freshwaters of Mill Pond Creek in order to spawn.
There is a dam located at the point where Bellmore Creek meets Mill Pond. When the water level isn’t high enough, the river herring can be blocked from swimming upstream to reach their spawning habitat. This not only has negative implications for river herring species, it also negatively impacts the entire ecosystem. The herring are a vital food source for countless other fish, birds and animals, and play a critical role in transferring marine derived nutrients into surrounding estuarine, freshwater and upland habitats.
River Herring have been documented at the base of the dam at Mill Pond for the past several migration seasons. Bellmore Creek is one of only two-dozen streams on Long Island where remnant runs of this ecologically valuable, diadromous fish still exist.
The project goals not only include increasing river herring spawning habitat, but also are focused on improving the ecological condition of Bellmore Creek, maintaining and enhancing recreational values, and improving site resiliency to climate change and sea level rise.
To provide guidance on the project, Seatuck assembled an advisory committee with representation from Nassau County (dam owner), New York State Office of Parks, NYS Department of Environmental Conservation, Nassau County Soil and Water District, Town of Hempstead, the South Shore Estuary Reserve, Trout Unlimited, The Nature Conservancy, South Shore Audubon, and the Bellmore Civic Association.
On June 8 2021, Seatuck, Nassau County and Princeton Hydro held a virtual meeting to get the public’s input on each of the fish passage designs. Emily Hall, Conservation Policy Advocate for Seatuck, also put together an informative presentation in which she provides a synopsis of Bellmore Creek's history, describes the project goals, and discusses the community engagement process and the results of the public opinion survey. Watch it now:
Additionally, Princeton Hydro completed a site investigation including topographic survey, sediment probing and sampling, and assessment of structures to identify project opportunities and site constraints. Sediment sampling and analysis indicated no major concerns with contamination. By performing analysis of the longitudinal profile, Princeton Hydro determined that the full dam removal (option 3 listed above) was not recommended due to the potential for initiating uncontrolled channel incision below the original river grade into Mill Pond and upstream reaches.
Ultimately, the technical fish ladder (option 2 listed above) was chosen as the most appropriate solution for restoring fish passage to Mill Pond and maintaining existing recreational values. Princeton Hydro is currently developing preliminary engineering design plans for this selected alternative as part of this phase of the project.
The focus on Bellmore Creek is just one of many projects included in Seatuck’s River Revival program, which has sought to clear similarly blocked waterways across Long Island. If you’re interested in learning more about Seatuck’s conservation work and getting involved, click here.
Princeton Hydro has designed, permitted, and overseen solutions for fish passage including the installation of technical and nature-like fishways and the removal of dozens of small and large dams throughout the Northeast. To learn more about our fish passage and dam removal engineering services, click here and check out our blog: Conservation Spotlight: Restoring Fish Passage on the Noroton River.
The Hudson River provides habitat for approximately 85% of New York State’s fish and wildlife species, 200 of which rely on the Hudson River for spawning, nursery, and forage habitat. According to Riverkeeper, a nonprofit focused on protecting and restoring the Hudson River, there are approximately 1,600 dams, mostly obsolete, fragmenting the rivers and streams of the Hudson Valley and blocking fish from reaching critical habitat.
The recent removal of two defunct dams – The Strooks Felt Dam and Furnace Brook Barrier #1 – marks an important milestone in the Riverkeeper’s journey to “Undam the Hudson River” and restore fish passage between the Hudson and the Atlantic Ocean.
The removal of these dams, located on tributaries of the Hudson River, are especially important to depleted populations of migratory fish like river herring and American eel, who are a vital part of the coastal ecosystem and spawn in freshwater tributaries.
Funding for both projects was provided by the Environmental Protection Fund and administered by the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC). Riverkeeper led the effort to remove the obsolete dams, with Princeton Hydro providing dam and stream assessment, surveying, engineering design, and permitting assistance.
For the first time in 300 years, fish in the Quassaick Creek will be able to move upstream thanks to the dismantling of the 106-year-old, 4-foot-high Strooks Felt Dam in Newburgh, New York, located 60 miles north of New York City in the critical estuary of the Hudson River.
The dam site was dominated by gravel, cobble, boulder, and even bedrock steps, indicating a high-energy stream with a high sediment transport potential. This dam removal, like many others, released this coarse sediment and allowed the creek to carry it to downstream reaches. This coarse sediment forms habitat features like riffes, bars, and pools that are crucial components of healthy streams and rivers. Releasing the impounded bedload by removing these dams is key to increasing the resilience of freshwater streams like Quassaick Creek.
The dam removal, which was completed in October 2020, involved excavating the concrete spillway before reshaping and re-grading bedload sediment behind the dam.
Historically, the Strooks Felt Dam was part of a series of older dams that sat in slightly different positions in the same area and supplied former mill operations. Other nonobstructive structures associated with the former mill were left as part of an enduring history, allowing anyone who visits the site or combs through the records to visualize what was there before. The obsolete dam, however, will no longer block water, sediment, or critical fish passage.
Project collaborators included: Riverkeeper, Orange County and the City of Newburgh, the Town of New Windsor, DEC Hudson River Estuary Program, Quassaick Creek Watershed Alliance, Steelways Inc, RiverLogic Solutions, and Princeton Hydro.
Two additional dams farther upstream from the former Strooks Felt Dam site are in the early planning stages for removal.
The 5-foot-high, 75-foot-long Furnace Brook Barrier #1 was dismantled in Westchester County, New York in mid-November 2020. The removal of this dam brings migratory fish one-step closer to reconnecting with their ancestral habitat.
The positive results were immediate. Riverkeeper stated in a recently published article, “As soon as a path was cleared, we spotted two fish – white suckers, a freshwater species – darting up to the previously unreachable part of the brook. We can’t wait to come back in the spring and see whether herring, returning from the ocean, are migrating upstream…”
The dam clearing process at Furnace Brook involved the removal of the dam and an existing collapsed former concrete bridge span downstream of the dam. Stone masonry boulders from the former spillway were then redistributed and partially embedded in the restored channel to enhance aquatic habitat and increase bank stabilization.
Project collaborators included Rivekeeper, NYSDEC’s Hudson River Estuary Program, Westchester County Parks Department, Westchester County, the dam owner, the town of Cortlandt, the Friends of the McAndrews Estate, and Princeton Hydro.
Upstream of this project, Princeton Hydro is developing an initial engineering design and sediment management plan for the removal of another, larger dam.
Princeton Hydro has designed, permitted, and overseen the reconstruction, repair, and removal of dozens of small and large dams throughout the Northeast. To learn more about our dam engineering and removal services, visit: bit.ly/DamBarrier.
...
Here at Princeton Hydro, we are dedicated to protecting our natural resources and changing our ecosystems, quality of life and communities for the better. As part of that, our team members are committed to continuing to learn new technologies, staying ahead of regulatory changes, and expanding their knowledge.
Today, we are proud to put the spotlight on four team members who recently achieved new professional certifications.
Senior Ecologist Michael Rehman PWS and Fluvial Geomorphologist Paul Woodworth are now Certified Ecological Restoration Practitioners (CERP) through the Society for Ecological Restoration (SER).
SER's CERP program encourages a high professional standard for those who are designing, implementing, overseeing, and monitoring restoration projects. Only senior level practitioners who have achieved the knowledge requirements and have greater than five years of full-time experience with restoration can be certified. Michael is one of 15 people to hold a CERP certification in New Jersey, and Paul is one of two people to be CERP certified in Connecticut.
This certification is a culmination of 25 years of hard work from undergrad, early professional jobs, grad school, and over 10 years of restoration work at Princeton Hydro. I had little idea that the course work I chose in undergrad was steering me toward a career in restoration that I didn't even know existed at the time. SER has emerged as a top-notch organization with a global perspective on the proactive restoration of ecosystems and the sustenance of human communities. I'm excited about applying SER measures to our projects.
Michael has worked with Princeton Hydro since 2006. He is an expert in wetland permitting and delineations for USACE, NJDEP, and PADEP projects; wetland mitigation projects; habitat assessments; threatened and endangered species investigations; analysis of terrestrial/wetland ecosystems; municipal EIS/reviews and water quality/land use issues.
"Earning the CERP is a big achievement, and I'm proud to join the international network of credentialed professionals. I'm passionate about the restoration and enhancement of natural resources, and I have seen the transformation of brownfields to greenfields firsthand. Through the design and implementation of creative, nature-based solutions, my work will help advance the mission of SER and the field of ecological restoration."
CERP is designed to ensure that certified practitioners are up to date on the new and important developments in the field of ecological restoration – both from the scientific and the practical perspectives. The certification is valid for 5 years after approval, and recertification requires that CERPs earn a minimum of 50 continuing education credits within the five-year period since they were last certified.
Both Emily Bjorhus and Robert George earned the Professional Wetland Scientist (PWS) certification through the Society of Wetland Scientists program.
The certification program was developed to meet the needs of professional ecologists, hydrologists, soil scientists, educators, agency professionals, consultants, and others who practice wetland science. This program is aimed at serving the public's need to identify qualified individuals to assess and manage wetland resources around the world.
The PWS certification is awarded to those meeting specific educational and experience requirements: Minimum degree requirements are BA/BS, with course distribution of 15 semester hours each in biological and physical sciences and 6 hours in quantitative areas plus an additional 15 semester hours in wetland-related courses. In addition to comprehensive training in wetland science, a PWS is expected to have professional experience of at least five years as a wetland scientist, demonstrating the application of current technical knowledge dealing with wetland resources and activities.
As an Environmental Scientist, Emily Bjorhus works on a wide range of projects from flood risk management to wetland mitigation to stream restoration. She specializes in wetland and stream ecology and environmental permitting and compliance. Emily joined the Princeton Hydro team in 2016.
"I'm very proud of my Professional Wetland Scientist certification. I've been working in wetlands for the past six years and have a deep love of botany that makes my job a joy. I know this certificate will allow me to better serve the public's need to have qualified individuals assess and manage wetland resources."
Robert is a Project Manager in the Natural Resources Practice Area who provides technical expertise in environmental toxicology, wetland ecology, wildlife surveys, permitting and compliance for a variety of federal, state, and municipal ecological restoration projects. Robert has over twelve years of experience as a natural scientist.
"Certification as a Professional Wetland Scientist was important for me because this credential demonstrates to clients and local, state, and federal regulatory agencies that I am an experienced practitioner of wetland science with an educational and professional background that satisfied the rigorous standards of the Society of Wetland Scientists."
Congratulations to Emily, Michael, Paul and Robert!
For more information about SER and the CERP program, visit ser.org. To learn more about the Society of Wetland Scientists’ PWS program, visit sws.org. If you’re interested in learning more about the wide variety of engineering and environmental services Princeton Hydro offers, go here: princetonhydro.com/services.
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Throughout October, Princeton Hydro is proud to participate in a number of conferences and events on topics ranging from floodplain management to ecological restoration to dam removal:
The conference, being held in Baltimore, gives small and minority businesses in the architecture, engineering and construction industries the opportunity to come together with federal agencies in order to showcase best practices and highlight future opportunities to work in the federal market. The program consists of networking events, a variety of speakers and small business exhibits. Be sure to stop by the Princeton Hydro booth to say hello to President Geoffrey Goll, P.E. and Communications Strategist Dana Patterson.
The Great Swamp Watershed Association, a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting and improving the water resources of the Passaic River region, is hosting its 2018 Gala & Silent Auction. This year's event is being, held in honor of former New Jersey Governor Thomas Kean, for his environmental leadership during his administration for enacting landmark protections for New Jersey’s shoreline and freshwater wetlands. present and future generations. The evening will include a cocktail hour, dinner banquet, expansive silent auction, and remarks delivered by Governor Kean. Princeton Hydro is proud to be a Benefactor of the event and looking forward to attending.
The theme of this year's AERS Fall Meeting is "The power of framing your message: It's not what you say, it's how you say it!" Participants will gather at Stockton University to hear a variety of ignite-style presentations about misconceptions that typically surround scientific work, how to address them, and how to re-frame your message to be better understood by the general public and other non-scientists and increase stakeholder involvement. Princeton Hydro's Senior Aquatics Scientist Jack Szczepanski, PhD will be attending the conference; chat with him to learn more about our pond and lake services.
This year's SER New England conference brings together stewards, researchers, students, regulators, community activists and practitioners to explore innovative ecological restoration techniques and projects that connect communities within and across ecosystems. The conference includes a variety of plenary talks, field trips, workshops and a keynote address, which will be given by Stewart Diemont of SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry. The keynote, titled "Learning from the People and the Land: Traditional Ecological Knowledge Toward Restoration of Ecosystems and of our Connection with Nature," is free and open to the public.
Members of the Princeton Hydro are attending the conference and leading two sessions: Laura Wildman, Water Resources and Fisheries Engineer, is leading a workshop about implementing dam removal to restore rivers. Paul Woodworth, Fluvial Geomorphologist, is presenting on the post-dam removal monitoring of active and passive restoration approaches utilizing the Hyde Pond Dam removal as a tangible example.
HDC-SETAC is a professional society for scientists, engineers and related disciplines concerned with environmental science and health throughout the Hudson River and Delaware River metropolitan area. The 2018 Fall Workshop, being held at Villanova University, aims to enhance participants’ knowledge of “Harmful Algal Blooms and other Emerging Contaminants.” Princeton Hydro’s Director of Aquatic Programs Dr. Fred Lubnow is giving a presentation on “The Monitoring and Management of Cyanotoxins in Raw Water Supplies.” We hope to see you there!
ANJEC, a nonprofit organization supporting efforts to protect the environment and preserve natural resources in communities throughout New Jersey, is hosting its 45th Annual Environmental Congress at Mercer County College. The Environmental Congress is an annual statewide gathering of environmental commissions, local officials, agencies, citizen groups and environmental organizations, which includes an exhibitors hall, farmer's market, and workshops on a variety of current environmental topics. Princeton Hydro, a business member of the ANJEC, will be exhibiting during the event. Stop by the booth to say hello to Dr. Stephen J. Souza, Princeton Hydro Founder and ANJEC Board of Trustees member, and Dana Patterson, Communications Strategist for Princeton Hydro.
NJAFM is hosting its 14th Annual Conference and Exhibition in Atlantic City, NJ. Participants will attend meetings and seminars covering topics, including hazard mitigation, flood insurance, infrastructure, mapping, planning, flood modeling, regulations, floodproofing, stormwater management, flood proofing, construction standards and more. Princeton Hydro's Christiana Pollack, GISP, CFM and NJDEP's Jessica Jahre, PP, AICP, CFM are giving a presentation, titled "A Flood Assessment for the Future," for which they'll showcase a flood assessment and flood mitigation analysis that Princeton Hydro performed in the Lower Moodna Creek Watershed.
Riverkeeper and Patagonia present the premiere of "Undamming the Hudson River," a short documentary film by National Geographic filmmaker Jon Bowermaster showcasing Riverkeeper’s efforts to restore natural habitat by eliminating obsolete dams throughout the Hudson River Estuary. The screening will be followed by refreshments and a panel discussion, moderated by Bowermaster, featuring experts in the field and an audience Q&A. Panelists, include:
This event is free and open to the public and will take place at Patagonia SoHo, 72 Greene St, New York, NY 10012 from 7:30 - 10pm.
MAC URISA 2018, the largest GIS conference in the Mid-Atlantic region, will showcase outstanding and innovative uses of GIS technologies in the area. The program includes a variety of presentations, breakout sessions, a GIS Techspo forum, lightening talks, and more. Thomas Hopper, Princeton Hydro's GIS Analyst, is providing a technical demonstration on the Linkage Mapper GIS Toolkit, which was created by the Nature Conservancy to support habitat connectivity analyses.
NALMS is hosting its 38th International Symposium in Cincinnati Ohio, titled "Now Trending: Innovations in Lake Management." This year’s symposium includes a robust exhibit hall, a variety of field trips, and a wide array of presentations on topics ranging from the latest in monitoring technologies to combating invasive species to nutrient and water quality management and more. Princeton Hydro's Dr. Fred Lubnow, Director of Aquatic Programs, and Dr. Stephen Souza, Founder, both of whom have been members of NALMS since its inception, are presenting and exhibiting during the conference.
SAME gives leaders from the A/E/C, environmental, and facility management industries the opportunity to come together with federal agencies in order to showcase best practices and highlight future opportunities for small businesses to work in the federal market. Princeton Hydro is proud to be attending the 2018 SAME SBC Conference, which is being held in New Orleans and co-locating with the Department of Veteran's Affairs' National Veterans Small Business Engagement. The program consists of networking events, small business exhibits, a variety of speakers and much more.
The Moosup River is a beautiful 30-mile-long, trout river flowing through Connecticut and Rhode Island, eventually emptying into the Quinebaug River.
Several dams, most originally built in the 1800s or early 1900s, impeded the river’s natural flow, impaired habitat, fragmented the river system, and prevented fish from swimming upstream to their native spawning grounds.
In 2013, American Rivers, CTDEEP Fisheries, and Natural Resources Conservation Service began collaborating on the removal of multiple dams and remnant dams as part of a larger project to restore connectivity to the Moosup River in the Town of Plainfield. Princeton Hydro and RiverLogic Solutions were contracted to provide design-build and permitting services.
As part of this larger multi-year effort, five dams are planned for removal from the Moosup River. The most downstream barrier, the Hale Factory Dam was removed in 2014. The remnants of the toppled Griswold Rubber Dam were removed in 2015. In 2017, the removal of Brunswick Mill Dam #1 was completed. And, two more dams, downstream of New Brunswick Mill Dam #1, are currently under consideration for removal. When fully completed, the Moosup River Dam Removal Project will reconnect fish habitats along 6.9 miles of the Moosup River.
The Hale Factory Dam was constructed of a boulder core capped in a one-foot-thick concrete layer. The dam was partially breached as the concrete cap had deteriorated severely over the years, allowing flow to pass between boulders and allowing the normal pool elevation to drop substantially from its former design height.
The resource delineation conducted on site identified a vernal pool with an 18 inch culvert outlet that discharged 90 feet upstream of the dam. To preserve this ecological resource on the site, the vernal pool was not disturbed during the dam removal.
Princeton Hydro provided a field assessment, sediment characterization and analysis, final design and permit application package for the full removal of the Hale Factory Dam. Full removal of the dam entailed demolition and removal of the concrete, and re-use of the natural cobbles and boulders from the dam to create in-stream habitat features. Once completed, the river and its boulders appeared as if placed by nature itself, with the former dam’s presence indicated only by the age-old lichen covered field stone walls leading up to the banks.
The Griswold Rubber Dam was in a gravel-cobble reach of the river approximately 80 feet wide in the Village of Moosup and was adjacent to the 1992 expansion of the Griswold Rubber factory. At one time, the dam stood approximately 10 feet high and 150 feet long. The dam was constructed of a large segmented concrete slab that had since toppled over and was lying nearly flat on the river bed in multiple sections. The dam structure, having failed, served no useful purpose. Despite being toppled, the dam still presented a deterrent to the effective movement of aquatic organisms at normal to low flows and was therefore worthy of complete removal to restore river connectivity.
Princeton Hydro conducted an initial field investigation with RiverLogic Solutions to gain insights regarding the construction approach. Princeton Hydro then followed-up with a more detailed assessment of river bed sediment, geomorphic conditions, the likely riverine response, construction access, and other design related issues that were incorporated into design plans and permit applications. The restoration design Princeton Hydro developed aimed to remove the partial barrier to fish passage with as little disturbance to surrounding infrastructure and resources as possible.
This dilapidated timber crib dam stood approximately 4-feet high and spanned the channel at approximately 130 feet. The timbers ranged from 1.5 to 2.5 feet in diameter and over 20 feet in length; 50 were integrated into the dam. The timber crib was filled with gravel and other debris, and the gravel substrate extended 50 feet upstream. The original dam was significantly higher, but the timber crib spillway deteriorated and gradually collapsed over time and only a portion of the structure remained.
For this project, Princeton Hydro completed sediment investigation, sampling and analysis; hydrologic and hydraulic analysis; and provided design and engineering for full removal of the dam. Princeton Hydro contracted with an archeologist / industrial historian, and together closely observed the dam deconstruction to observe and record how the timber crib had been assembled. Multiple types of iron pins and wooden pegs revealed how the dam had been repaired over the years – findings, old maps, and photos were incorporated into a historical report filed with the state historic preservation office. Princeton Hydro coordinated to have the old timbers salvaged for eventual re-use. Removing the Brunswick Mill Dam #1 was a continuation of the large scale Moosup River restoration effort and paved the way for the potential removal of two more dams downstream in the coming years.
"When a dam is breached and taken out, the tangible results are very quickly noticeable," said Paul Woodworth, Princeton Hydro Fluvial Geomorphologist. “The return of migratory fish is a very strong indicator of the ecological benefits of dam removal - sometimes after a removal you can see fish immediately swimming upstream. Removing dams also improves safety in nearby communities, reestablishes the natural flow of sediment, improves water quality, provides new recreation opportunities, and restores habitats for fish and wildlife.”
Click here to read more about Princeton Hydro’s engineering services for the restoration and removal of dams.
Rivers are a critical natural resource and an essential element for the health and survival of billions of people and countless species. Flourishing populations of migratory fish are an important indicator of a healthy, coastally connected river and a robust aquatic ecosystem as a whole. Migratory fish help to maintain a balanced food web, support productive river systems, and provide income for people around the world.
Yet many migratory fish species are severely threatened primarily due to man-made obstacles like dams and weirs, which disrupt the natural flow of rivers and prevent fish migration. When fish can’t reach their habitat, they can’t reproduce and maintain their populations.
A new book, titled From Sea to Source 2.0, explores the challenges behind the restoration of fish migration in rivers around the world and provides a practical guide to promoting the protection and restoration of fish migration. The book is a unique collaboration of over 100 international fisheries professionals and supported by river managers, governments, research institutes, and NGOs including World Wildlife Fund and The Nature Conservancy. Geared toward practitioners, but also a wonderful resource for the general public, the book is comprised of inspiring stories from nearly every continent on the planet. Click here to download it for free.
“Ultimately our ambition is to contribute in a positive way to making a better world and a positive difference for migratory fish, nature and humans on local and global levels by inspiring new initiatives for and with people all around the world,” as stated on www.fromseatosource.com. “Whether the challenge is simply to increase access to spawning habitats through connectivity improvements for salmon, or to maintain the livelihoods for hundreds of millions of people dependent upon fish and fisheries in the great rivers of Asia, Africa, and South America, we hoped our book would help to achieve these goals.”
“We’re so proud to be part of this incredible project with so many partners globally," said Wildman. "We envision that this book will provide a valuable resource and inspiration for those in countries and regions where the importance of restoring riverine connectivity is newly gaining momentum. We hope it will help emphasize the importance of finding balanced and environmentally informed solutions when proposing additional utilization of public trust resources such as rivers.”
Approximately 40% of all fish species in the world reside in freshwater ecosystems, contributing economic and ecological benefits and value. It’s critical that we support efforts that aim to protect migratory fish species, reconnect rivers, sustain fish passage, and preserve free-flowing rivers by removing unnecessary dams, reconnecting floodplains, managing our water use, and managing hydropower for sustainable rivers.
Education and awareness building are key first steps in protecting rivers. From Sea to Source 2.0 seeks to inform, educate, and inspire those who want to know more about how to meet the challenges of restoring fish migration in rivers around the world. The book is regarded as a crucial resource in the ongoing fight to protect and preserve the enormous value of our waterways.
For thousands of years, river herring swam from the Atlantic Ocean through the Long Island Sound and up the Noroton River to spawn each spring. Then, they returned to the ocean until the next spawning season.
Back in the 1920s, President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s administration began connecting the country through a massive interstate highway system. As part of the infrastructure plan, hundreds of thousands of culverts were built across the U.S. with the intention of moving water quickly and efficiently. While that goal was met, many migratory fish and other aquatic organisms could not overcome the culverts’ high-velocity flows, shallow water depths, and perched outlets. This infrastructure prevented them from reaching their native migratory destinations.
By the late 1950s, Interstate 95 cut through Connecticut’s coastal rivers, and culverts were installed to convey river flows. Alewives, American Shad, Blueback Herring, and other native fish species were unable to navigate the culverts. Their populations dwindled to the point where Connecticut, along with Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and North Carolina, instituted moratoriums on catching and keeping the valued forage fish.
Along the Noroton River, three parallel concrete culverts, each 300-feet long, 13-feet wide and 7-feet in height were installed, completely blocking upstream fish passage. In order to restore important fish populations and revitalize the Noroton River, Save the Sound launched a project that reopened approximately seven miles of the river, allowing migratory fish populations to safely and easily travel through the culverts to reach their original spawning habitat upstream.
The project is a collaboration among Save the Sound, Darien Land Trust, Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (CTDEEP), Connecticut Department of Transportation, Princeton Hydro, and other partners. For the project, Princeton Hydro lead design engineering and guided the construction of the following elements to restore upstream fish passage:
Reopening river passage for migratory species will improve not only the health of the Noroton River itself, but will also benefit the overall ecosystem of Long Island Sound. Over the last decade, fish passage projects around the sound’s Connecticut and New York shores have dramatically increased freshwater spawning habitat for the foundational species whose return is restoring a more vibrant food web to the Long Island Sound.
Construction of the baffles and rock ramp were completed in time for the 2018 migratory season. Construction of the concrete weir is on temporary hold for low-flow conditions. On April 26, 2018, project partners gathered for a project celebration and the release of migratory fish by CTDEEP at an upstream location.
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