Most of us know that too much salt is bad for the human body, but did you know that too much salt is bad for water bodies as well? While salt comes from many different sources, one of the biggest in Vermont is the application of de-icing salts during the winter months. Each winter, thousands … Continue reading
Over many years, the Watershed Management Division has been pleased to engage in a partnership with the Vermont Youth Conservation Corps (VYCC), to clean up sediment and nutrient pollution while educating the next generation of young environmental leaders. Every year, VYCC work crews, under the leadership of experienced and VYCC-trained crew leaders, work with the … Continue reading
This is a good time to find out if your home is in a flood hazard area. Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs) are available for most communities in Vermont. These maps identify areas with more than a 1% chance of flooding each year. Over the period of a thirty year mortgage a home in the … Continue reading
On Nov 5th, the State of Vermont, Department of Environmental Conservation hosted a public forum focused on the future of biosolids/residuals regulation and management in Vermont. The forum drew a full house of attendees, including representatives of regional businesses, municipalities, and government programs, as well as concerned citizens, land owners and agricultural producers. The bulk … Continue reading
This year, the Vermont Watershed Management Division is proud to host the 38th annual conference of the New England Association of Environmental Biologists at the Hilton in Burlington, VT on March 26-28th. The meeting will overlap with “Preparing for What’s Next: Climate Change, Stormwater Management and Ecosystem Impacts,” a Lake Champlain Basin Program and New … Continue reading
Not all wetlands are created equal. Wetlands are perhaps one of the most diverse natural systems in the world. As a result of this diversity, each wetland plays a wide variety of roles in their ecosystem. The Vermont Wetlands Section is charged with protecting the functions and values consistent with the benefits wetlands provide for … Continue reading
Control of water and sediment discharge is required for stream alteration projects in Vermont. Here is a good example of water bypass during a culvert installation for control of water and sediment discharge in Vondell Brook on Cox District Road in Woodstock. The first picture was taken upstream and shows a bypass pipe diverting the … Continue reading
The Green Infrastructure Initiative collaborated with the Center for Neighborhood Technology (CNT) in Chicago to host an hour-long webinar last Thursday focused on what CNT calls ‘The Green Infrastructure Portfolio Standard’ (GIPS). The GIPS is a tool that municipalities can use to cost effectively and gradually scale up green stormwater infrastructure in urban areas. Green … Continue reading
