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Lake Education and Action Program

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Castleton River Restoration

Mettowee River Restoration

Poultney River Restoration

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Champlain Valley Restoration Nursery

Mettowee River Restoration

New York River Restoration Site

Rootwads and plantings along the top of the bank provide more fish habitat than riprap alone. A rock vane upstream of this bend helps to deflect water to the opposite bank

This site in New York, downstream from a bridge, has seen continued widening and bank erosion in recent years. Through the Washington County Soil and Water Conservation District, a project implementing various streambank stabilization techniques has been designed to stop the erosion and help revegetate the banks. In this picture you can see rock and log revetments helping to stabilize the bank. After the streambank work was completed, a biodegradable mat was laid over the top of the bank and the site was seeded with grasses. These measures will help prevent erosion until mature vegetation becomes established.

Pawlet, VT — River Restoration Site

River erosion at this site was contributing to increased sediment in the Mettowee river, affecting water quality, as well as causing a substantial loss of valuable land to the agricultural owner. Initial efforts to amend the erosion included installation of a log vane to passively divert the water from the eroded bank, and tree revetments to absorb some of the pressure from high water. Unfortunately it was determined this site was too volatile for these passive measures, and in 2006, rip rap was installed. The erosion was becoming too severe and while rip rap is rarely considered the best option from a rivers management point of view, at times it is best for other reasons. This site will continue to be monitored for change and river movement around the area.

Pawlet, VT — Riparian plantings

In 2006, trees were planted along the banks of the Mettowee River in this open sheep pasture. The Vermont Youth Conservation Corps completed the plantings in a joint effort coordinated by Vermont DEC and the District.

The Mettowee River is listed on the state of Vermont 303(d) list of impaired waters for thermal pollution, meaning that the river temperatures have increased to levels that affect the sustainability of the cold water fishery that exists there. Obviously, shading in particular areas was felt to be an effective method for addressing this problem.

At this site, there was little riparian vegetation for several hundred feet, and the landowner was willing to help. However, the presence of sheep in the field necessitated the use of larger trees, with substantial protection.

A flood in the spring of 2006 brought several large pieces of woody debris down the river, banging into many of these trees, and the protection greatly helped protect them and keep them from otherwise certain loss.

Below is a computer image of what we hope this area will look like in 20 years. Thanks to Steve Pytlik of the Natural Resources Conservation Service for this help.