Pare is excited to announce that we have won three 2026 ACEC Rhode Island Awards for Projects With Construction Costs Less Than $10 Million! The first project we want to highlight is the second-place winner, the Kickemuit Dam Removals.

In 2025, the Bristol County Water Authority (BCWA) completed a decade-long initiative to address two aging and obsolete dams at the head of the Kickemuit River in Warren, Rhode Island through removal and salt marsh restoration. BCWA’s primary goal was to address the deteriorating condition of the two dams in a manner that was cost-effective and beneficial to both the surrounding community and environment. Through a comprehensive alternatives analysis, it was determined that removing both dams represented the most practical and economical long-term solution.

This project represents a rare effort to convert a long-standing freshwater impoundment back into a tidal saltwater ecosystem. This transition required extensive environmental and engineering analyses, hydraulic/hydrologic modeling, and coordination with permitting agencies to evaluate changes in water levels, wetlands, habitat conditions, and storm surge impacts.

A big congratulations to our design and permitting teams, as well as BCWA and Save The Bay – Narragansett Bay who all did a fantastic job on these two dam removals!