COLRAIN — The Connecticut River Conservancy and the town of Colrain have been awarded $224,100 from the Barnhardt Manufacturing Co. sulfuric acid spill settlement fund to support removing the Colrain Lower Reservoir Dam as part of efforts to restore the North River.

Rebecca Budd, the Connecticut River Conservancy’s restoration project manager, said removing the dam could have noticeable positive impacts on the river’s health, and additional work along the shoreline could stabilize the habitat and help prevent flooding in the future.

“All dam removals have similar benefits. It improves water quality, improves nutrient transportation and allows for easier fish movements. There’s a lot of benefits,” Budd said. “The east branch of the North River is a rare species core area, meaning the area is a critical habitat for the long-term conservation of vulnerable species.”

In October, the Massachusetts Natural Resource Damages Program and the state Department of Environmental Protection announced that $225,000 of a $1.5 million settlement that the state Attorney General’s Office reached with Barnhart Manufacturing Co. would be put back into the community to restore sections of the North River that were impacted by the 2019 acid spill caused by the now-closed cotton processing plant.

In September 2019, Barnhardt Manufacturing Co. spilled dozens of gallons of sulfuric acid into the North River, killing 270,000 fish, including rare species, and damaging more than 14 acres of protected wetland resource areas and 12 acres of designated habitat for two state-listed rare species: longnose suckers and the Ocellated Darner dragonfly.

When the funding was announced in October, the Colrain Selectboard considered applying to MassDEP on its own for $75,000 for a dam removal feasibility study, and later chose instead to work with the Greenfield-based Connecticut River Conservancy, a clean river and habitat restoration advocacy organization that has led the removal of 24 dams since 2014.

The awarded $224,100 will allow the Connecticut River Conservancy and the town to hire an environmental engineering consultant to design the dam’s removal and stabilizing streambanks adjacent to the Colrain Fire Station.

“We’re happy to support the Connecticut River Conservancy in the efforts to clean up the North River from the effects of the 2019 spill,” said Colrain Town Administrator Diana Parsons. “The funds could only be used for a small amount of projects affecting the habitat of this section of the river, so we’re quite pleased this project was identified and fits the bill.”

The funding was limited to projects that would have a direct, restorative impact on the section of the river that was impacted by the spill, along with nearby tributaries. According to MassDEP, Colrain and the Connecticut River Conservancy represent one of two applicants that sought the full amount of the available funds. MassDEP states the dam removal project was selected as it will restore the ecologically sensitive area.

“For decades, the North River watershed served as a habitat for fish and wildlife, and a recreational resource for fishing, hunting and shellfishing,” MassDEP Commissioner Bonnie Heiple said in a statement. “We are grateful to be working with the Connecticut River Conservancy and the town of Colrain to improve water quality and fish habitat in the North River. By working together, we will restore natural resources in Colrain.”

“It’s a really good project with wildlife habitat and public-facing impacts,” Budd said.

Budd said designing the dam’s removal, which includes planning how to remove it without creating further disruption to the area and planning what the shoreline will look like without the dam, often takes about 18 months.

After design work is completed, the Connecticut River Conservancy and the town of Colrain can then seek grant funding to support the actual removal work.

Reach Madison Schofield at 413-930-4579 or mschofield@recorder.com.