Not surprisingly, Salmon Hole on the Winooski has been a popular fishing spot for Vermonters for decades. It has both warm water and cold water species that make for a wide variety of fish. The most fascinating aspect of this park, however, is the dam that is a few hundred feet from my phenology site. The Winooski One Dam that is visible today was built in the ’90s, however, its history goes back centuries. Ira Allen first constructed a dam near its current location in 1786 as a source of power for his sawmills. The dam experienced many upgrades but was eventually replaced and Winooski One Partnership retrofitted the dam with concrete. Its commercial operations began in 1993, providing hydropower for the area. In recent history, the Burlington Electric Department bought the plant in 2014 and public officials are hopeful that it will further efforts to provide Vermonters with access to renewable energy. This acquisition also means that there can be faster and more efficient adjustments to the plant as environmental regulations progress.
Sources:
Burbank, A. (2014, September 4). Burlington Owns Winooski One Hydro Plant. Burlington Free Press. https://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/story/news/local/2014/09/04/burlington-owns-winooski-one-hydro-plant/15088069/
Dams along the Winooski. (2012, April 8). A Window into the Winooski Dam. http://winooskiriveranalysis.blogspot.com/2012/04/dams-along-winooski.html
Salmon Hole on the Winooski River. (n.d.). Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department. https://vtfishandwildlife.com/fish/fishing-opportunities/fishing-chittenden-county/salmon-hole-on-the-winooski-river