2024 Fall Cleanup at Site of Former Paulina Dam

The 2024 Fall Paulins Kill Watershed Cleanup was held at the site of the Paulina Dam restoration project in Blairstown/Hardwick on Nov. 23 rd . Volunteers were greeted by The Nature Conservancy River Specialist Michelle Di Blasio and the Foodshed Alliance’s Paulins Kill Watershed Community team. Summary of the history, restoration, and benefits of the removal project were discussed as participants removed the discarded waste once hidden under the waters of the former Paulina Lake. Tires, mufflers, chairs and an assortment of other refuse was piled along the Paulins Kill Valley Trail for a scheduled removal and transport by Kittatinny Valley State Park maintenance crew. “The bulk of large garbage items likely were removed with the hundreds of truckloads of sediment so it was a bit surprising to find this large amount of additional waste items remaining”, speculated Paulins Kill Watershed Coordinator, Christine Dunbar. Each participant took home a Paulina Dam educational handout which can be obtained and downloaded on here or PaulinsKillWatershed.org.