The District continues its collaborative stream geomorphic assessment work to include a detailed river corridor plan within the Browns River watershed. Funded by three years of grants from the Lake Champlain Basin Program and one year of VT DEC River Management Division Clean and Clear funding, the District has partnered on this project with the VT Department of Environmental Conservation, Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission, U.S. Fish and Wildlife, VT Department of Fish and Wildlife, Lamoille Watershed Association,VT Agency of Agriculture and Natural Resources Conservation Service. The goal is to prioritize land areas that need best management practices applied and design future planning guidelines in order to improve the water quality in the Browns River.

Using the Phase 1 & 2 Stream Geomorphic Assessment protocols we identified existing stream conditions, compared these to historical changes, verified the data collected at the remote sensing level, and eventually identified locations in the watershed where stability and human interaction conflict in order to prioritize reaches for future water quality improvement projects. The in-field Bridge and Culvert Assessment inventoried stream crossings and identified structures contributing to stream instability, sedimentation and impaired fish passage.

Thirteen highly sensitive sections of the Browns River were targeted for further assessment. Currently, the Winooski NRCD and our partners are using the data to work with individual landowners and municipalities to develop river corridor protection and restoration projects. Specific projects underway include: river corridor management planning; discussions with landowners about long-term conservation easements; fluvial erosion hazed mapping for the Town of Underhill; budgeting with the towns in the watershed to prioritize undersized bridge and culvert crossings for removal or replacement; and research into the influence of the Cilley Hill Dam in Jericho on upstream streambank instability

Trees for Streams: Expanded to the Browns River Watershed

Trees and shrubs planted by volunteers along riverbanks in the Browns River watershed this past spring are thriving and promise to grow into healthy, forested buffers along the waterways, a goal of the Trees for Streams program.

Trees for Streams is a voluntary, cost-share program designed for private property owners that have streams or rivers adjoining their land. The program works with these landowners to develop forested riparian buffers through planting trees and shrubs along the stream. For the first time since the program began in 1998, the program expanded beyond Lamoille County to include the impaired Browns River watershed in Chittenden County.

Vegetated banks keep sediment and pollution out of rivers, increase property value, attract wildlife, maintain cooler water temperatures, improve fish habitat and swimming suitability, and enhance the biodiversity and aesthetics of your backyard. Join us in Spring 2007 as an interested landowner or volunteer to help with year-two of the Trees for Streams program.