clean and clear

wetlands

Wetlands are among the most productive ecosystems in the world, comparable to rain forests and coral reefs. An immense variety of species of microbes, plants, insects, amphibians, reptiles, birds, fish, and mammals can be part of a wetland ecosystem.

In Vermont, wetlands are defined as those areas of the state that are inundated by surface or ground water with a frequency sufficient to support plants and animals that depend on saturated or seasonally saturated soil conditions for growth and reproduction. Only 220,000 acres, or 4% of the land area in the state, have been identified as wetland.  It has been estimated that since colonial times Vermont has lost more than 35% of its wetland acreage.

Vermont ’s wetlands are extremely important resources that the Agency of Natural Resources and many other concerned groups are seeking to protect. Wetlands are worthy of protection because of the many valuable and irreplaceable functions they provide, which include: flood control, water quality protection, wildlife habitat, recreation opportunities, economic benefits, and erosion control. Since the degree to which a wetland serves these functions varies, many wetlands are needed to work in combination with each other as part of a complex, integrated system.

One of the most commonly cited functions of wetlands is their ability to maintain and improve the water quality of adjacent streams, rivers, and lakes. Surface runoff often flows through wetlands prior to discharging into waterways. The phosphorus-containing sediment in this runoff is deposited in riparian areas as it flows through wetland vegetation. The associated pollutants can then be absorbed by the vegetation through nutrient uptake.

As part of the Clean and Clear Action Plan, wetlands in Vermont will be preserved and restored through the Wetlands Protection and Restoration Program (WPRP) to improve water quality in Lake Champlain. Click here to learn more about the problem of phosphorus loading in Lake Champlain.

WETLAND RESTORATION PROJECT EXAMPLES

Lake Champlain Basin Wetlands Restoration Plan

The State of Vermont is in the process of preparing a Lake Champlain Basin Wetland Restoration Plan.  When complete, this plan will identify impaired wetlands within the Vermont portion of the Lake Champlain Basin and prioritize these wetlands for restoration. This information will provide the basis for a watershed-wide wetland restoration implementation plan for guiding future wetland restoration and protection activities.

In 2005 an $80,000 contract was awarded to a team of consultants coordinated by Pioneer Environmental, LLC to prepare this study.  Fieldwork for the study is underway and will be completed during the fall of 2006.  A draft plan will be ready for public review by the spring of 2007.  The final plan should be completed by the summer of 2007.

The Bissonette Farm Wetland Restoration Site

The Vermont Agency of Natural Resources has formed a partnership with the Hinesburg Land Trust, in cooperation with the Trust for Public Land and the Vermont Land Trust, to help conserve a 631-acre property in Hinesburg.  The Agency has committed $120,000 for this project. This funding will be used to acquire an easement or otherwise permanently protect the designated wetland restoration area contained in a 216-acre portion of this property through ownership by a public agency or qualified non-profit organization. The Agency’s commitment of funding is considered to be critical to the project as it is being used to leverage other funding sources for wetland restoration and land conservation. 

Known as the Bissonette Farm, this property is located along the LaPlatte River in Hinesburg.  It contains 2.1 miles of the main stem of the LaPlatte River, including its headwaters, and at least 3.2 miles of its tributaries.  The property is also located within a groundwater protection area.  There are multiple conservation priorities for this property including riparian wetland restoration, protection of the majority of land adjoining the main river channel and its tributaries, protection of prime soils located in the sub-watershed, and protection of a rich mosaic of forested uplands that provide habitat for a diversity of species.

Draining, ditching, and straightening operations occurred on the river, which flows through part of the property, as riparian wetland areas along the floodplain were converted to farmland. The Hinesburg Land Trust is proposing to protect the corridors of the mainstem and tributaries to allow for natural meandering and floodplain development by restoring the natural hydrology of approximately 120 acres of land along the river in the northern portion of the site.  Based on a review of soils mapping, this area likely contained an expansive area of riparian wetlands before its conversion to farmland. 

The wetland hydrology will be restored through ditch plugs, ditch filling, and/or other techniques.   The restored wetlands will then act as receiving areas for floodwater.  Dense vegetation will be allowed to grow and these areas will be taken out of agricultural production.  Eventually the wetland areas will become wooded and will also act as a buffer to the river.  The newly vegetated areas will trap sediments and nutrients in the floodwaters, and the wetland vegetation will also absorb some of the nutrients.  The restored riparian wetland area will reduce phosphorus loading into the river, which ultimately flows into Lake Champlain.

Due to its large size, the restoration project will take several years to come to fruition.  In 2006, the Trust for Public Land signed an option agreement to acquire the Bissonette Farm in stages over a period of two years. 

Benjamin-Wing Wetland Restoration Site

The Benjamin-Wing wetland restoration site in Benson is a model of cooperation between willing landowners, the state, and conservation groups.   Clean and Clear is providing $39,000 in funding to The Nature Conservancy (TNC) which recently purchased a 65-acre parcel of agricultural (the Benjamin tract) property which borders the Hubbardton River in the Lake Champlain Basin.  TNC worked with the neighboring farmer (John Wing) to swap of a portion of the property, securing 50 acres of low utility, wet agricultural land adjacent to the river.  This low utility land will be retired from agriculture and will be restored to wet clayplain forest which is a significant natural community in Vermont.  The restoration of this formerly farmed site will eliminate an active source of phosphorus loading to surface waters.   Since the farmer was able to trade low utility wet land for usable dry land for agricultural grazing, all parties benefit from the transaction.

This project was a win-win for the farmer and for conservation of water quality and other natural resources.  The farmer was able to trade for good, usable dry land for agricultural purposes while at the same time removing poorer quality land from his ownership.  The Conservancy retained a significant portion of the original land for restoration of wetland and clayplain forest that also provides a critical buffer to the Hubbardton River, mitigating agricultural inputs of phosphorous.

The Clean and Clear funding will help cover the costs of acquisition of the land, and will provide seed money for planning and monitoring the restoration, and for purchasing restoration materials.  A grant agreement with The Nature Conservancy is being finalized, and a separate conservation agreement is being developed which will be recorded in the town land records to protect the state's interest in this property.