What's New in the Winooski River Watershed (Continued)
Agriculture
Basin Planning on the Winooski River: The Winooski Watershed Coordinator position, vacant since April 2007, was filled in early 2008. The new Watershed Coordinator has restarted the basin planning process in the upper Winooski Watershed (i.e. Bolton Falls upstream), meeting with town conservation commissions and planning commissions to boost interest and participation in the basin planning process as well as revisiting issues and objectives that were developed at the first round of public meetings in 2007. Everyone is encouraged to participate in this process which includes a speaker series, identifying and working on water related projects, and on-going discussions of the goals and strategies that form the foundation of the Basin Plan. For further information and to learn the latest status of this process, please call Ryan McCall at 802241-1006 or Karen Bates at 802-879-2339.
Winooski Watershed Cover Cropping: Annually tilled crop fields attract the attention of community members in fall when covered in a green winter rye cover crop. Additionally, this soil cover aids farmers in reducing wind and water erosion and capturing nitrogen, which is released into the soil in spring when incorporated as a green manure. Over 544 acres in the Winooski Watershed were cover cropped this fall through a Conservation District program as well as the VT Agency of Agriculture Farm Agronomic Practices program. Keep a look out for these green fields before snowfall and again when it melts in early spring and thank your farmers for doing their part to protect water quality in the Winooski Watershed.
Horse Workshop: Keep an eye out for a spring workshop in Westford on Managing Manure and Pastureland on Small Horse Farms. As agriculture diversifies in Vermont, we are seeing more backyard operations with a few horses, pigs, sheep and poultry. To better reach out to the agricultural community, we are beginning a workshop series focused on small-diversified operations and their role as stewards of our soil and water resources. If you are interested in more information about this workshop series or would like to attend, please contact either Abbey Willard at 802-828-4493 x110 or our Chittenden County Agricultural Resource Specialist Pam Stefanek at 802-388-6747 x26.
Outreach & Education
Lower Winooski Partnership: The IBM complex and employees have been the target audience for many conservation outreach and implementation efforts over the past six months. Lunchtime Brown Bag talks have provided information about rain gardens, healthy green lawns, backyard forestry practices and waste water treatment facility monitoring results to interested IBMers. An interpretative sign can be found adjacent to the Complex’s rain garden– denoting planted species and functional value to this aesthetically pleasing stormwater treatment option. In addition, a tour of the IBM rain garden will showcase to other facility managers the environmental value of in-situ stormwater control and the educational benefits of business participation in Best Management Practices.
Farrell Park Interpretive Sign: In November 2007 an Advanced Wetland Stormwater Filter (AWSF), designed by EcoSolutions, was installed at Farrell Park in South Burlington. The goal of the AWSF is to treat stormwater runoff in the impaired Potash Brook Watershed. In the summer of 2008 the Winooski NRCD and the City of South Burlington installed an educational sign at the site. The sign was developed and designed as part of the Lake Champlain Basin Program’s Wayside Exhibit Program.
Vermont Rain Garden Manual: The Vermont Rain Garden Manual: Gardening to Absorb the Storm and rain garden plant list are now available. For details on how to download or purchase a manual, see Page 1.