We’ve learned so much about the importance of wetlands throughout American history! Thankfully, a greater awareness about the 50% loss of wetlands nationwide lead to greater conservation efforts to protect the remainder. Since then wetland losses have drastically slowed down and Vermont’s water quality and wildlife have benefited from an increase in wetland restoration efforts. … Continue reading
Ever wonder where the wetlands are in your town? Finding them has just gotten easier. The Agency of Natural Resources Wetland Advisory Layer has been updated within the Missisquoi Basin thanks to funding by the U.S. EPA. The area of palustrine wetlands in the basin mapped on the advisory layer is now 27,836 acres, and … Continue reading
If you were planning a clean water project, would you know who to contact to ensure the project would not harm natural resources, such as lakes, wetlands, and rivers? If your answer is no, we’ve developed a new tool that will provide you with that information. The only data you need to supply is a … Continue reading
The Missisquoi is a gem of Vermont. From its alpine headwaters on Jay Peak to the federally-protected, waterfowl-filled delta on Lake Champlain, the Missisquoi dashes, then saunters through a landscape that is both quintessentially Vermont and uniquely rugged. The Missisquoi, whose name is derived from an Algonquian Abenaki word meaning place of large rocks, is … Continue reading
It was a day of seasonal contrast. The temperature was rocketing past 80 by mid-morning, and the air shimmered as it would in mid-July. The trees were bare and leafless, and the lakes and ponds of Woodbury held a surprise – a near-full cover of ice, albeit rotten and eating away at the edges. … Continue reading
The Belvidere Bog Walk and Paddle Tour, held on Saturday, September 9th, is part of an initiative to support reclassification efforts funded through a 2016 Section 604b Clean Water Act grant through the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC). The purpose of the tour was to provide an outreach opportunity to landowners and community members to … Continue reading
Thursday, May 11, 2017 11:00 AM – Noon National Life Main Building – Winooski Room, M240 Vermont wetlands provide a multitude of functions including wildlife habitat, recreation, and water quality protection. Learn from Julie Follensbee, DEC Wetland Ecologist, about how wetlands can reduce phosphorus and sediment load to Lake Champlain and to identify sites for … Continue reading
After a long, cold, quiet Vermont winter, certain sections of the forest explode with life after spring’s first few warm rains. Sunshine glimmers on open water, and the peeps of spring peepers and bloops of wood frogs echo through the trees. These sights and sounds may indicate that you have found a Vernal Pool – … Continue reading
The net impacts of tile drainage on water quality are not well understood, and the science is sometimes conflicting and often inconclusive. This was the conclusion of a report, submitted by the Agencies of Natural Resources and Agriculture, Food and Markets to the Vermont Legislature on January 31st of this year. The report calls for … Continue reading
With the increase in extreme weather events and rising temperatures taking place across the world and within Vermont, wetlands are even more important now than before. Wetlands area a natural defense against flooding, erosion and mudslides, are a natural filter of pollutants, provide shade to maintain cooler waters in our rivers and lakes, and even … Continue reading
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