Residents Join Site Visit for Future Floodplain Restoration Project

 in Community / Flood Management/Resilience

More than 20 residents, Town staff, project partners, and supporters joined a site visit Friday afternoon at the future Lamoille River confluence floodplain restoration project.

SLR, the Town’s project consultant, led participants through the site to discuss its history, findings from recent flood modeling, and plans for restoring floodplain function along this section of the Lamoille River.

The project is funded through the Community Development Block Grant – Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) program and is moving toward implementation.

The project also has strong roots in community knowledge. During conversations with residents of the Granite Street Historic District, residents shared oral history about an earlier flood mitigation project at the site. That information helped bring the site back to the Town’s attention and contributed to its further evaluation. Three Granite Street residents who participated in those earlier conversations joined Friday’s site visit.

The work also connects with the upcoming examination of Jackson Dam. Two members of the Jackson Dam Steering Committee attended the site visit, providing another opportunity to connect information and conversations taking place across the Lamoille River watershed.

The Town thanks SLR for leading the site visit and everyone who came out to learn more, ask questions, and share their knowledge of the area.

Help Shape the Future of the Jackson Dam Project

 in Community / Flood Management/Resilience / Jackson Dam / Uncategorized

The Town of Hardwick, Hardwick Electric Department, and the Caledonia County Natural Resources Conservation District are inviting residents, property owners, businesses, and anyone with an interest in the Jackson Dam project to participate in a community survey.

As the project moves from feasibility into the next phase of engineering and planning, community input will help the Jackson Dam Steering Committee better understand what information people would like to receive, what questions they have, and what issues are most important to them.

This survey is not a vote on the future of the dam. Instead, it is an opportunity to help guide community engagement and ensure that future discussions address the topics that matter most to residents.

The survey is open through August 28, 2026.

Take the survey here: https://forms.gle/vYnKGmGofcjcmFFW6

Paper copies are available at:

  • Hardwick Electric Department
  • Jeudevine Memorial Library
  • Hardwick Town Manager’s Office

Additional project information, reports, and meeting materials are available on the Town’s Jackson Dam webpage. Jackson Dam – Hardwick, Vermont

Public Site Visit – Confluence Floodplain Restoration Project

 in Flood Management/Resilience

Friday, August 14
2:00 p.m.

Join the Town of Hardwick and SLR Consulting for a public walking tour of the Confluence Floodplain Restoration Project.

This is not a formal presentation. Instead, participants will have the opportunity to walk the project area with the engineering team, view the site firsthand, and discuss the project in the landscape where the work is being planned.

The site visit will include conversation about the river, floodplain restoration, project goals, and the next steps in the planning process. Questions are encouraged throughout the walk.

We will meet at the Cottage Street Bridge, but parking in the immediate area is limited. If you are able, please walk to the meeting location or park nearby on West Church Street or at Atkins Field and walk to the bridge.

Please wear sturdy footwear suitable for uneven terrain and dress for the weather.

Questions? Contact Kristen Leahy at (802) 472-1686 or zoning.administrator@hardwickvt.gov.

default

Invitation to Bid: NRCS EWP Bank Stabilization Project

 in Flood Management/Resilience / Town Manager

Posted: July 23, 2026

The Town of Hardwick is seeking qualified contractors to submit bids for the NRCS Emergency Watershed Protection (EWP) Bank Stabilization Project. The project includes bank stabilization work at three locations along Cooper Brook and the Lamoille River within the Town of Hardwick.

Project Schedule

Bid documents available: Thursday, July 23, 2026

Optional pre-bid meeting:
Wednesday, August 5, 2026, 8:00 a.m.
Hardwick Memorial Building
20 Church Street
Hardwick, Vermont

Questions due: Monday, August 10, 2026

Bid submission deadline: Monday, August 17, 2026, by 4:00 p.m.

Public Bid Review:
Thursday, August 20, 2026
Hardwick Select Board Meeting
6:00 p.m.

Project Scope

The project includes bank stabilization work at three sites within the Town of Hardwick along Cooper Brook and the Lamoille River. The work is funded through the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Emergency Watershed Protection (EWP) Program and is intended to stabilize flood-damaged streambanks and protect public infrastructure.

Bid Submission

Bids will be accepted by email only. Please submit bids with the subject line:

“NRCS EWP Bank Stabilizations”

Email bids to:

David Upson, Town Manager
david.upson@hardwickvt.gov

Please copy:

Will Davis, PE, Verdantas
wdavis@verdantas.com

Paper bids will not be accepted.

Project Documents

Bid documents, addenda, and all official notifications are available for download below. Contractors are responsible for reviewing all addenda issued during the bidding period. Firms wishing to receive addenda directly by email should notify the Town Manager.

Downloads

Questions

Questions regarding the project must be submitted no later than Monday, August 10, 2026, to:

David Upson, Town Manager
david.upson@hardwickvt.gov

or

Will Davis, PE, Verdantas
wdavis@verdantas.com

The Town of Hardwick reserves the right to reject any or all bids, waive informalities, and award the contract in the best interest of the Town.

Atkins Neighborhood Conversations – Flood Insurance

 in Community / Flood Management/Resilience / Uncategorized

Residents gathered Monday evening for the latest Atkins Neighborhood Conversation to discuss flood insurance with Mary Block, Deputy Commissioner of Insurance with the Vermont Department of Financial Regulation.

Hosted by the Town of Hardwick in partnership with the Center for an Agricultural Economy (CAE), the evening gave residents an opportunity to ask questions in an informal setting after a community meal. Rather than a formal presentation, the conversation focused on the questions and concerns that people brought with them, including flood insurance coverage, homeowners’ policies, claims following disasters, and preparing before the next flood.

We appreciate Mary taking the time to visit Hardwick and share her knowledge with residents. Insurance can be a complicated topic, and having the opportunity to ask questions directly to someone with her experience was valuable for everyone who attended.

The Atkins Neighborhood Conversations are intended to complement other community outreach efforts by creating opportunities for residents to connect with experts in a relaxed, conversational setting. The series has covered a variety of resilience-related topics this summer, each with its own format and approach.

There is one remaining Atkins Neighborhood Conversation scheduled this season:

Monday, July 27, Update from the Resilience and Adaptation Coordinator (at the Atkins Field Pavilion).

Thank you to everyone who has participated in this year’s conversations and to the Center for an Agricultural Economy for partnering with the Town to make the series possible.