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Warren County, New Jersey.
This project was funded in FY2022 through the National Fish Habitat Partnership.
The Nature Conservancy is working with partners to remove the Paulina Dam on the Paulins Kill. The dam is an obstruction to American shad, American eel, and sea lamprey passage, which are found below the dam. Removal of this dam, along with the removal of the Columbia and County Lines Dams will open and improve a total of 45 miles of mainstem and tributaries to migratory and resident fish.
The removal and subsequent bank stabilization, riparian planting and restoration activities will: (1) improve aquatic and terrestrial connectivity as evidenced by improved fish passage and increases in target fish, mussel, and macroinvertebrate populations; (2) improve water quality and restore hydrology; and (3) enhance recreation and public safety, eliminating the risk of a potential breach.
The Paulina Dam is the downstream-most dam on the Paulins Kill, New Jersey’s third largest tributary to the Delaware River. The dam is a 13-foot high and 207-foot long timber crib, rock-filled dam originally constructed in 1895. It is classified as a Class II, Significant Hazard Dam, due to its proximity to the town of Blairstown.
Text and photos provided by The Nature Conservancy.