Dufresne Pond Dam slated for demolition

Brandon Canevari - staff writer (The Manchester Journal)

MANCHESTER - The demolition of the Dufresne Pond Dam may soon become a reality.

The Department of Environmental Conservation recently approved an application from the Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife to destroy the dam. The order could still be appealed to the Environmental Court sometime before March 23, according to Stream Flow Protection Coordinator for the Department of Environmental Conservation, Brian Fitzgerald. However, in a telephone interview on Monday, Fitzgerald said he was unaware of any appeal being filed.

If the order is not appealed to the Environmental Court, Fitzgerald said it is expected that they would remove the dam sometime between July 1 and Sept. 30 of this year.

Once the demolition begins, Fitzgerald said he anticipated it would be about four weeks before work was complete.

According to Fitzgerald, one of the primary issues that they have heard from residents so far centers around the loss of the pond and the return of the Batten Kill to a free flowing stream. The reason for that, he said, is because the pond is currently stocked with fish and is a recreation spot for town residents.

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