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River Basin Planning

From the Governor’s Funders Summit on Lake Champlain
River Basin Planning

River Basin Planning Links

Watershed Coordinators Specific Basins & Planning Activities Basin Planning Process

The river basin planning process will pull together and keep on track many of the complex and interrelated projects prescribed by the Lake Champlain Phosphorus TMDL for each major tributary to Lake Champlain. Watershed plans that have been developed with the public will be used as a guide for reducing phosphorus sources. In order to be successful, we will hire a watershed coordinator for each of the seven major basins draining to Lake Champlain.

The Role of Watershed Coordinators

A complex combination of phosphorus remediation practices must be identified and implemented in each watershed in a coordinated manner. Each Watershed Coordinator is responsible for working with public groups to gain support for a combination of practices as well as with technical personnel to assist in the implementation of watershed restoration projects.

The major role of the Watershed Coordinator is to act as the “Clerk of the Works.” Responsibilities include:

• Serving as point person for the Agency of Natural Resources in identifying and carrying out strategic projects to control phosphorus;
• Acting as an administrative contact to secure and direct funds and technical resources for top-ranked projects that contribute significantly to phosphorus reduction;
• Coordinating the efforts of organizations, individuals and the general public in phosphorus management;
• Assessing progress through water quality monitoring and assessment; and
• Serving as facilitator of public forums to create an inclusive environment where all views are heard.

A successful plan to reduce phosphorus from diffuse non-point sources in a river basin will be based in a management strategy that includes watershed restoration and protection, education and outreach, public participation, water quality monitoring and assessment.

Watershed Restoration and Protection

"Basin plans establish a strategy to improve or restore waters, and to ensure full support of uses."
-- Vermont Water Quality Standards, 2000

Watershed Coordinators will work with various local partners on collaborative, proactive, and voluntary projects to improve water quality.

Figure 1 -- A riparian buffer and streambank planting in progress on the Lamoille River.

The primary purpose of the river basin planning process in Vermont is to develop a systematic and strategic approach toward water quality management in a basin to identify and protect high quality waters and restore those waters which are impaired (do not meet water quality standards). Twenty-six waters are listed as impaired in the seven tributaries to Lake Champlain in Vermont due to phosphorus, nutrient enrichment, and/or sediment pollutants. The river basin planning and implementation process provides a mechanism to restore and protect these waters as well as to reduce phosphorus where waters have not yet become impaired. (Figure 1)

Education and Outreach

Figure 2 -- Watershed Coordinator conducts a physical assessment of the Mill Brook with Danby students.

Watershed Coordinators will engage students from schools and colleges to assist with monitoring and assessments as well as restoration projects that lead to water quality improvement.( Figure 2) Findings from these studies will be presented to the public and have value for increasing awareness of water quality issues in each basin. The press has proven to be an effective means to disseminate information about protecting water quality and we will continue to use the media to keep the public informed about the best means by which phosphorus discharges can be reduced.

Public Participation

“As part of the basin planning process, public participation shall be sought to identify and inventory problems, solutions, high quality waters, existing uses, other water uses and significant resources of high public interest.”
--Vermont Water Quality Standards, 2000

River basin planning must be inclusive in order to maximize public participation and involvement in the local decision-making and action. We will ensure that the river basin planning process is inclusive, balanced and represents the stakeholders in each watershed so that basin plans are developed and managed by the people in each watershed.

Figure 3 -- A public forum held in the Lamoille River Watershed.

We will form Watershed Councils in order to represent a diverse mix of stakeholders from within the watershed. Council members will represent watershed constituents from various backgrounds including farmers, foresters, loggers, business owners, municipal officials, anglers, local watershed organizations, environmental groups, teachers, utility companies, regional planners, and others. Vermont DEC’s Watershed Coordinators and the Watershed Councils will develop the watershed plan and assist in the implementation of watershed restoration projects.

We will hold public forums (Figure 3) throughout each watershed to solicit residents’ concerns and visions regarding water quality issues and how they would solve them. Top forum issues are prioritized and used directly by the Watershed Council and Vermont DEC to develop strategies, secure funds and recruit technical advisors to improve water quality at the local level.

Water Quality Monitoring and Assessment

We will monitor the quality of the water periodically to gauge our success in meeting our goals. Monitoring will enable us to prioritize areas for further protection and restoration projects. In addition to water chemistry, ongoing assessments also provide valuable data regarding geomorphology (river stability), transportation infrastructure (culverts and bridges), and aquatic habitat and biota (riparian corridors).

Collectively, the monitoring and assessment information provides the foundation for the development of river basin restoration projects. Water quality monitoring and assessment is conducted as an ongoing, dynamic process.