Then and Now: Paulina Lake Dam Removal

The restoration journey at the Paulina Lake Dam site has reached a major milestone. After the first notching on November 24, 2023, the project advanced steadily through each phase of deconstruction. Today, the Paulins Kill flows freely through the former Paulina Lake Dam site, reconnecting habitats that had been fragmented for generations. This achievement represents a successful collaboration led by The Nature Conservancy (TNC) in partnership with Blairstown Township, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Riverlogic–Renova Joint Venture, and Princeton Hydro. The project received funding through grants to support the removal of the Paulina Lake Dam - the Office of Natural Resources Revenue awarded a grant to TNC to fund a substantial portion of the removal through the Paulins Kill and Pequest Watershed Natural Resource Restoration Grant Program. This video captures the on-site progress and documents the first stages of ecological recovery along this 7.6-mile portion of the Paulins Kill River. Bitly