Our phone rang mid-summer 2024: Connecticut River Conservancy had everything ready to take a dam out of the Saxtons River in August except one last critical piece – permission from the landowner. Help take out dams and free our rivers? Yes! In a matter of weeks, Vermont River Conservancy became the landowner and made sure trucks could get on-site to haul out the derelict dam. Then we added a riverfront path, stone steps down to the river, and a parking area, and worked with CRC to plant trees for clean water and wildlife.
Thanks to this partnership, fish like sea lamprey and American eel can move from the Connecticut River up the Saxtons River for the first time in over 150 years… and Westminster and Bellows Falls have a brand new way to access this popular swimming and fishing spot.
Learn more about the dam removal here.
Snack to your heart’s content – and stock up on farm-fresh veggies and locally made crafts – at the Common Sense Store. Or grab a coffee at Rockingham Roasters or the Flat Iron Cooperative, then head next door to Jamaican Jewelz for a bite to eat. In the mood for a movie? The Bellows Falls Opera House is a cozy historic theater with new and classic films.
This project made possible thanks to the support and partnership of:
We recently planted sycamores, gray birch, staghorn sumac, red osier dogwood, and other native species that we expect to thrive in the conditions of this site and create a healthier river buffer for clean water and happy wildlife! Keep your eye out for young saplings and stay away as to keep from trampling them!
From Bellows Falls, travel south on US-5/Westminster Street. Before the Route 5 bridge, turn left on Paper Mill Road and follow it to the bottom of the hill. The parking area is on the right side of the road, opposite James Plumbing & Heating Oil Co. Please park only in the designated area or on the road, not on the grass, to protect the new tree planting area.
