Dam Rehabilitation – Blueberry Lake Dam
Warren, Vermont
Professional Services Provided
- Water Resources Engineering
Description of Professional Services
Blueberry Lake is a 45 acre recreational impoundment. A portion of Plunkton Road, located on the crest of the dam, provides access to the Green Mountain National Forest and local residences beyond the dam. Vermont Dam Safety engineers identified deficiencies with the primary and emergency outlets, which would require a drawdown to repair.
Repairing the dam required closing the roadway to vehicle traffic which would cause residents to travel a seven mile detour: this provided concerns for emergency response time. Further investigations revealed that the old Plunkett Road, submerged six feet below water, was suitable to serve as a temporary detour. The old roadway became a cost effective alternative detour for the Town.
The dam embankment is 38 feet high and 530 feet long. The existing principal spillway and low level drain were removed and replaced with one new conduit at the maximum section requiring very deep cuts and steep slopes. 8,600 cubic yards of embankment had to be excavated: the excavated material, stored on site, created a 30 feet high by 100 feet long mound of earth. Ninety five percent of the excavated material was reused for dam and roadway reconstruction. Due to the pristine environment surrounding the dam, special provisions were required for sediment control to minimize impacts to natural ecosystem habitats. The Erosion Control Plan, developed for the project, was unique in that it accommodated both the roadway and dam reconstruction and satisfied the requirements of the Dam Safety Permit.
Stakeholders for the project included: the Town of Warren, Vermont Trust for Public Lands, U.S. Forest Service, Green Mountain National Forest, Vermont Agency of Transportation, and Vermont Agency of natural Resources. Back to Top
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