Caledonia County Natural Resources Conservation District is seeking an engineering team to provide conceptual (30%) design services for the potential removal of the Jackson Dam in Hardwick, Vermont.  The Town of Hardwick has expressed strong support for further evaluating the possibility of dam removal and associated river restoration in the context of discussions on town-wide resiliency.   Additional information, regulatory review, funding analysis, and community conversation will still be necessary before any long-term decisions are considered regarding the future of the dam.

If this dam is removed, it will be a large, expensive project and will require a unique approach.  The 30% design phase will require a significant level of effort in terms of data collection, further discussion of feasibility and approach, design services, regulatory coordination, and public engagement. 

Bidding schedule is as follows:

RFP released: Monday, June 22, 2026

Questions due: Wednesday, July 1, 2026

Answers back: Wednesday July 8, 2026

Proposals due: Monday July 27, 2026 by 5 pm

Notice of Selection: Friday, July 31, 2026

Details of the project and instructions are provided in the Request for Proposals, which can be found below.  The feasibility analysis is also available below, as well as on the Hardwick town website at https://hardwickvt.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/2026-03-13_JacksonDamMemo_V2.pdf.  Additional data associated with the feasibility analysis, including drone footage of the impoundment during the annual winter drawdown, is available upon request.  Please email Emily Finnegan at emily@caledoniacountynrcd.org to request this data. 

RFP-JacksonDam-30%.pdf2026-03-13_JacksonDamMemo_V2.pdf