Hydropower Comes to Otter Creek

Author: Andrea Glaessner

From early settlement until the mid-20th century, the falls that define the picture-perfect postcard image of Middlebury have been utilized for power production. When the Frog Hollow building was a wooling mill, the falls were the source of hydroelectric power to the factory. But today, all that remains of a once vibrant hydropower production system are the rusting sluice gate and the hollow, gaping penstock standing idly in the river.

Peering over the ledge of the Frog Hollow building, watching the water rushing below, Dr. Anders Holm does not exactly resemble the engineering type. Holm is an otolaryngologist by trade, and one is hard-pressed to find the connection between Holm and the hydropower project he has been designing and refining for the past few years. But according to Holm, building a new hydropower turbine and powerhouse at Middlebury Upper Falls is something that must be done.

For Holm, the current condition of the old hydropower system is "just about as bad as it's ever been in terms of wasting this resource." Pointing to the rusty sluice gate, Holm described the original functions of what have now become dilapidated vestiges of the past.

"This is the original sluice gate here. It used to be able to control the flow of the river, but now it has just completely rotten away," said Holm, peering into the water defiantly flowing below. Walking over to the footbridge, Holm explained, gesturing with his hands, how the final project would operate.

The sluice gate would be replaced with a functioning one, and a tube would occupy the gaping hole of a new penstock. The turbine would operate underwater at the lowest point, in order to fully utilize the drop. Holm hopes to build the powerhouse on the land of the Old Stone Mill, which the College purchased last January.

Hence, the cast of characters surrounding the project, less lively than the farmers and factory owners who define the history of the falls in the 18th century, have vital interests at stake. The College, the town and Dr. Holm have a good relationship and mutual understanding about the goals of the project, making decision-making regarding the falls less of a hassle than has been in years past.

According to a senior thesis on the historical uses of Otter Creek's resources, written by Duncan T. Eccleston, "Competition among river users was fierce, and conflict was the rule rather than the exception." Holm, cognizant of the thesis and the historical cast of characters, mentioned an incident in which "a bunch of crazed farmers came in the middle of the night and axed the whole [hydroelectric power system] down." According to Holm, the history of Otter Creek involves "arson, revenge, double-crossing, you name it."

The main actors in the project today are Holm, the College and the Board of Selectmen. According to Holm, an ideal situation would involve the College consuming the vast majority of the power produced by the hydropower project and the town benefiting from annual revenues paid for use of the land as well as the construction of a new park built on the riverbank.

According to Bob Huth, Vice President and Treasurer of the College, the Board of Trustees has recently declared its conditional support for the project. In a phone interview, Huth said, "The College is willing, given financial feasibility, to buy up to 100 percent of output from the town, given that the town is interested in buying 100 percent of the output." Huth explained that distribution and maintenance costs were seen as problematic for the College to directly buy the power from the site.

"The town is an entity that has some capabilities of maintaining the hydroelectric facility," said Huth, "so the strong preference of the College is to be a buyer of all that is available."

But according to John Tenny, Chairman of the Board of Selectman, the town also hopes to consume a significant portion of the power. Tenny explained the dilemma of how to finance a project that does not provide a direct benefit to the taxpayers.

"When you look at gaining support of the town, I think its important to see some direct application of the power to municipal need," said Tenny.

Despite this minor concern, Tenny is extremely optimistic about the project.

"I want everyone to feel that they're participating in this green effort. I think that's good for the community," said Tenny. "It's an exciting concept but we just don't know where it's going to take us."

There are still interests at stake beyond those of the College and the town. Trout fishermen are among the more vocal opponents of the project, although Holm noted that he had recently gained the support of House Representative David Dean, who happens to be head of Trouts Unlimited.

Holm himself is aware of the potential environmental impact any hydropower project may have and claims that "every negative impact has been mitigated as much as possible."

But despite all potential obstacles, a lack of a definitive deadline and numerous questions still on the table for discussion, the implementation of Holm's project seems to be a matter of time and patient deliberation.