At its annual awards ceremony, the American Council of Engineering Companies – New Hampshire Section (ACEC-NH) recognized highly impactful, innovative, and successful projects completed by members of the New Hampshire engineering community. The awards are intended to celebrate projects that demonstrate innovation, make visible and positive impacts on communities, are delivered on time and within budget, and advance the state of the engineering art in New Hampshire. Led by D&K teams, the Hooksett Nature-like Fishway (Hooksett NLF) on the Merrimack River and the West Hopkinton Penstock Rehabilitation received honors at this event.
The Hooksett NLF received an Honor Award for Engineering Excellence for implementing a structure that enables salmon, trout, sturgeon, and eels to travel up the river and past the Hooksett Hydroelectric Station. The built project includes an inflatable gate with six concrete weirs with notches—enabling the owner to control flows and providing access both for fish that travel using vertical climbing as well as those that rely on horizontal/lower angle climbing surfaces. The design accounted for straightforward construction on a large body of water and included significant input from NOAA, NHDES, and US FWS, resulting in completion of a key step in the FERC relicensing process.
The West Hopkinton Penstock Rehabilitation received an Honor Award for Engineering Excellence for replacing a key component of this hydroelectric power generation facility without disrupting the traveling public. Originally a wood stave penstock that had received slip-line based repairs, the penstock conducts flows beneath a state highway from the intake structure to the powerhouse. The project’s complexities included using and evaluating a range of cutting-edge forensic tools to understand the condition of the existing penstock while also developing repair practices that avoided open-cut construction. Our team’s analysis found that the existing interior structure and annular space around it could be strengthened using shotcrete and a new lining structure that would fit within the existing space but would allow equivalent flows by constructing a significantly smoother interior surface.
Merrimack River at Hooksett
Hooksett dewatered fish ladder during construction phase
Notched weirs facilitate passage of American Eel and American Shad
Nature-Like Fish Ladder dewatered during construction
D&K’s Charles Johnston, PE, has received recognition from Vermont Business Magazine (VBM) as a Rising Star after receiving Young Engineer of the Year (YEOY) from the Vermont Society of Professional Engineers (VSPE) in February. He received honors from VBM and VSPE that highlight professionals in their 20s and 30s who have taken an “everything is…
We are excited to announce that Justin R. Vertichio has been promoted to Chief Financial Officer of DuBois & King! Justin’s promotion is a well-earned professional recognition of his years of dedicated service, leadership, and accomplishments. Justin’s was hired to fill the Controller’s position in fall 2019. As Controller, Justin assumed leadership and oversight of the finance and accounting department’s operations. During his first six years, he developed…
DuBois & King is proud to be the recipient of the 2026 Best of Business (BOB) Award for the Best Engineering Company in Vermont. The BOB awards program celebrates the best Vermont companies in more than 100 business-to-business categories in order to find the best products and services in the state. The awards program is…
D&K is pleased to announce that Leslie Fillion has been promoted to Vice President of Business Operations. In her new role, Leslie will continue to serve as D&K’s Business Manager. Leslie, who holds a bachelor’s in finance from Boston College, joined a brokerage service company in 1998 immediately following college. She transitioned to a computer corporation…
DuBois & King (D&K) is excited to announce that Alan Gould, PE, has been named Chief Executive Officer of the company! Alan has more than 35 years of experience that includes designing and implementing electrical systems for governmental, commercial, industrial, and institutional clients. Alan earned his Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering from the University…
At the annual Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Day held in Burlington by American Society of Civil Engineers – Vermont Chapter (VT ASCE) on Friday, March 6, local middle school students explored real-world engineering challenges with professionals from across Vermont. D&K Staff Engineer and VT ASCE Board of Directors Member William Devers, EI, led…