Fuss & O’Neill was hired to design the removal of Rutan Pond Dam, which had formed a one-acre pond in the lower reach of the Anguilla Brook watershed.  Due to the poor physical condition of the dam, the owner chose removal over repairs.

Our design relied on natural stream forming processes, and minimized grading and channel “design and alignment.” We focused on natural stabilization using biodegradable or self-propagating materials that existed on-site, such as root stock, live stakes, coir logs, and jute matting. The plan relied on the accumulated seed bank entrained in sediments adjacent to the stream, to allow plant species to establish a natural vegetative growth upon the removal of the pond.

The design took a minimalistic approach to the removal of the dam by managing the sediment within the impoundment. It restored the Anguilla Brook by allowing the stream bed to re-form naturally as flow entered the area from the existing watershed.