HIGHGATE, Vermont — After over a decade of planning, the Northern Forest Canoe Trail, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the towns of Swanton and Highgate removed the East Highgate Dam on the Missisquoi River in Vermont on Aug. 8.
The East Highgate Dam was a significant safety hazard for paddlers on the Missisquoi River. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service used two excavators to demolish the dam. The villages of Swanton and Highgate trucked the dam remains off site.
Funding for the project came from the Vermont Watershed Grants Program and RiseVT.
“The removal of the East Highgate Dam is one of the most important projects the Northern Forest Canoe Trail has ever coordinated,” NFCT Vermont Field Coordinator Noah Pollock said.
The 740-mile canoe trail connects waterways from New York’s Adirondack Park to Fort Kent and the Canadian border. For more information, visit northernforestcanoetrail.org.
