What's New in the Winooski River Watershed
Urban Conservation
2008 Vermont Rain Garden Contest: This summer, in partnership with UVM Extension Lake Champlain Sea Grant, the Winooski NRCD held the 2008 Vermont Rain Garden Contest. Eighteen gardens were judged as part of the contest, thirteen of which were installed this year. The Winooski NRCD and UVM Extension hope to build upon the interest generated by the Contest through developing a state-wide Rain Garden Registry and holding the 2nd Annual Vermont Rain Garden Contest in 2009. For more information on the 2008 VT Rain Garden Contest, see the article on page 7.
Gully Stabilization Projects in Williston: Substantial progress has been made on two gully stabilization projects in Williston: Williston Hills and Oak Hill. Three log jams were installed at Oak Hill this summer, in partnership with the Town of Williston, VT DEC, and Bear Creek Environmental, LLC. For information on Gully C in Williston Hills, see the article on page 7.
Rain Barrel Painting Projects: This summer and fall students and teachers from Rice Memorial High School in South Burlington, Champlain Valley Union High School in Hinesburg, Centerpoint School in South Burlington, Essex Tech Center, Essex Middle School, and Montpelier High School helped the WRNCD decorate and distribute over 100 rain barrels to local residents. Students painted the barrels and created informational brochures to hand out to barrel recipients.
Watershed Stewardship 
North Branch mentoring site
Winooski Headwaters Community Project: Conservation implementation efforts continued in the Headwaters communities this year. Two large forest riparian buffers were installed in Marshfield, one at the Marshfield Inn and the other at the Town-owned Martin’s Bridge property. Over 100 volunteers came out to plant 800 native trees and shrubs along nearly one mile of the upper Winooski River main stem. Additionally, the Vermont River Conservancy became involved in the project and is developing a Corridor Easement on one of the properties, one of the first of its kind in the state.
Mid Winooski Partnership: A successful water quality monitoring effort unfolded in the North, Stevens and Jail Branches and along the Capital City section of the Winooski River. Twelve locally-frequented swimming holes were sampled for E. Coli and phosphorus levels. U-32, Montpelier and Spaulding High School students and teachers were also involved in the effort, adding school-year chemical analysis and physical and biological data for the sampling sites.
Lower Winooski Partnership: IBM is supporting a local initiative in the Lower Winooski Watershed to implement community outreach and local restoration and protection projects. This summer eight waste water treatment facilities between Waterbury and Lake Champlain were tested for pharmaceutical and personal car product analytes. A rain garden was installed at the IBM complex in Essex to treat stormwater running off a two-acre parking lot. Technical and financial support for an Essex Middle School rain barrel project was also coordinated by efforts of the Lower Winooski Partnership. Thirty-three rain barrels will be distributed in the community in late November.