India, Oct. 28 -- Some old structures just refuse to go away. One stood in a river in Colebrook, New Hampshire, for 95 years. According to a January 2025 story from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the complete removal of the Washburn Mill Dam in October 2024 has restored access to nearly 40 miles of excellent brook trout habitat. It's a big deal for a small fish.

Named after its owner, Abraham Washburn, the Washburn Mill Dam was built in 1929 and powered a nearby sawmill on the Mohawk River for more than 40 years. The mill was knocked out of commission by several floods and closed in the 1960s because of weak demand for wood from small-scale operations. The building was torn down in the 1970s, leaving the dam standing for decades. Th...