CONCORD, Mass. – Benjamin Heintz is seeking a permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New England District to conduct work in waters of the United States in conjunction with a dam removal and riverbank stabilization project along the Winooski River in Marshfield, Vermont.

The purpose of the proposed project is to restore this section of the Winooski River to natural conditions.

The permit applicant proposes to place fill material in the Winooski River and an adjacent wetland in conjunction with the removal of the Marshfield 8 Dam and stabilization of the riverbanks off of Gilman Street in Marshfield.

The proposed project will involve the removal of about 59 linear feet of the Marshfield 8 Dam, with 34 linear feet of the dam remaining at river left. Access to the dam will be from Gilman Street downstream of the dam and will involve the placement of temporary fill material for an access road in about 2,420 square feet of a wet meadow adjacent to the river. An additional 1,660 square feet of river bottom will be temporarily impacted by the placement of fill material to access the dam.

About 115 linear feet of the left bank of the river immediately upstream of the remaining dam and 30 linear feet of the right bank immediately downstream of the dam will be stabilized with about 280 cubic yards of stone fill and granular backfill. This will result in a permanent impact to about 3,340 square feet of river bottom below the existing Ordinary High Water (OHW).

The existing 0.49-acre impoundment contains about 2,000 – 3,000 cubic yards of sediments which will be released upon removal of the dam. Permanent changes to the riverbed as a result of this release are expected to be confined to a 4,000-square-foot scour hole at the base of the existing dam.

Pre- and post-construction monitoring will be conducted both upstream and downstream of the dam to determine if any other long-term impacts occur and to determine any remedial action as necessary.

The application for the federal permit was filed with the Corps of Engineers in compliance with Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act, which provides for federal regulation of any work in, or affecting navigable waters of the United States; and with Section 404 of the Clean Water Act, which regulates the discharge or fill of material in United States waters, including wetlands.

The Corps public notice, with more detailed information on the proposed project, can be reviewed online at the Corps website http://www.nae.usace.army.mil. Select Regulatory/Permitting and then weekly public notices and search by file number or state.

Public comments on the Corps permit review (File # NAE-2011-0152) should be forwarded no later than July 27, 2011 to U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New England District, Vermont Project Office (ATTN:  Marty Abair), 8 Carmichael Street, Suite 205, Essex Junction, Vermont 05452.

Additional information is available from Permit Project Manager Marty Abair at 802-872-2903 or 802-872-2893 or by email to martha.a.abair@usace.army.mil.