RNRCD has hired MSK Engineers to develop a final design for the replacement of Russellville Rd Culvert in Shrewsbury, VT. This culvert is undersized, perched, and failing culvert that crosses Russellville Rd on an unnamed tributary to the Mill River and Otter Creek, adjacent to wetlands. The site is surrounded by a mix of mostly private forested and some rural residential and agricultural lands.

The replacement is being performed in order to restore AOP and geomorphic function of the tributary in the headwaters of the Otter Creek. This culvert is undersized, restricting flow and contributing to roadway overtopping and erosion during high flow events. The undersized culvert limits sediment and wood transport and has altered the proper geomorphic function of the stream, causing increased nutrient inputs from streambanks and improperly managing waterflow from forested lands. The slope of this culvert does not match the stream geomorphically, creating a sharp drop at the outlet. This downstream face is poorly stabilized and has repeatedly required maintenance on the bank armoring after heavy rains. Upsizing this culvert and redesigning the crossing to match the stream’s slope will restore stream geomorphology, improve proper stream sediment transport, and reduce nutrient inputs from streambank and from forested lands by properly managing flows, as well as improving flood resilience, reducing likelihood of future road washout, and restoring aquatic organism passage.

The Russellville Rd culvert replacement project has a preliminary design, developed in 2025 by the engineering firm SLR. This design was funded by USFWS and managed by RNRCD. The final design will be complete in the fall of 2027.