Vermont Agency of Natural Resources Dog River Restoration and Drainage Design

Roxbury, Vermont

Engineering and permitting services for the restoration of the Dog River and related drainage improvements to alleviate flooding problems in the Village of Roxbury. The river has been affected by historic changes, including a railroad that parallels the river and cuts the valley in half and historic dredging that resulted in a straight channel with little habitat value. Sediment deposition at the project site has blocked culverts under the railroad causing regular flooding and an elevated water table that has impacted wells, septic systems, structures, and roads.

DuBois & King’s solution involved restoring 550 ft of the Dog River to provide more natural sinuosity and to move sediment deposition away from existing drainage infrastructure. The solution included creating a new drainage swale, berm, and sediment basins to allow floodwaters to again flow under the railroad tracks to the Dog River. The Water Resources team prepared engineering drawings, including a site plan, channel profiles, river and swale cross sections, and details.

The project involved significant wetland disturbance and required clearance from both State and Federal regulators. DuBois & King conducted a site inspection to document functions and values of the wetland; conducted an alternatives analysis; coordinated with property owners and State and Federal regulators; and prepared applications for Conditional Use Determination (CUD) from the VT DEC Wetlands Program and Section 404 clearance from the US Army Corps of Engineers.