The Whiteside property boasts nearly a mile of frontage on the North Branch, and is highly visible along Route 12, where it straddles the Worcester-Middlesex town line. Funding for the purchase of 69 acres of land, with a river corridor easement protecting an additional 18 acres, came from the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board, Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation, and donations from more than 70 local residents.

Following the hike Steve Libby and Mark McEathron led a meeting for VRC discussing the process that they will use as they begin to write their management plan for the property. The plan will seek to balance habitat protection and public access, under the necessity of allowing natural river processes and corridor changes to occur over time. The prior owner of the property, Anna Whiteside, retained ownership of approximately twenty acres at the south end of this larger parcel, although almost all of it is covered by the conservation easement. During the conversation it was noted that the Army Corp of Engineers had channeled the river in the 1930s in an attempt to straighten it, and as a result, large berms were left which are still visible today. Also discussed was whether to do active or passive stabilization or restoration, and that the North Branch Corridor study would be used.

Recreational access for kayaks, canoes, swimmers and walkers were also discussed. There is a problem with parking next to Route 12. The discussion was followed by a pot luck dinner and the promise of additional input into the management plan.

Historically, the Mad River watershed experienced widespread agricultural development. Today, agriculture continues to be a significant and valued component of the landscape and community. As is the case in many areas statewide and nationally, along with the agricultural development came alterations and resulting impacts to the riparian zone, including the removal of the riparian vegetation along great expanses of the river and major channel alteration (straightening, berming). While the landscape has changed, there are still many large stretches of the river that lack a healthy, vegetated riparian buffer. The lack of a forested buffer has resulted in many problems including reduced bank stability, habitat degradation, elevated in-stream temperatures, and deleterious impact to the cold-water fishery.

Japanese Knotweed Poses Problems for Establishing Stream Buffers

In recent decades, invasive Japanese knotweed has colonized vast stretches of the banks of the Mad River, especially in areas where the riparian canopy has been removed. Knotweed takes advantage of sunny areas, thus is much more prevalent in open stretches of the river. In these areas it excludes all other plants—the large stands create a virtual wall of knotweed. Unfortunately, knotweed does not provide the same wildlife habitat benefits and water quality benefits as native plants. In areas where no knotweed is present, re-establishing a woody riparian buffer can be a passive process: when landowners stop mowing a riparian area, woody vegetation will eventually return as ecological succession commences. In areas where knotweed is present, this natural succession process simply cannot happen; new trees are not able to establish themselves. In these areas, knotweed must be managed in order to establish trees.

A Plan to Restore a Riparian Canopy Along the Mad River

With funding from a Department of Environmental Conservation Watershed grant and technical assistance from The Nature Conservancy, FMR plans to establish a riparian buffer in a knotweed infested area on town land in Waitsfield. Herbicides will not be used. Instead, FMR plans to plant a mix of 8-foot tall trees throughout the entire area, and use mechanical cutting to manage knotweed for 3 years after the trees are planted. By the third year post-planting, the trees will be tall enough to out-compete the knotweed for sun. As the trees mature, the riparian canopy will be restored in this area.

Some groups use herbicides to deter knotweed before planting trees. However, this solution is not permanent and may times the knotweed needs to be treated by subsequent pesticide applications. Also, considering the amount of knotweed in the Mad River watershed, management with herbicides would require the use of large amounts of chemicals—residents and conservationists have expressed concern about this. An alternative technique for knotweed management is desired, and hopefully this project will demonstrate a viable method.

Currently the North Branch drains approximately 78 square miles of watershed. It is considered largely undeveloped and thus poses good opportunities for river corridor restoration. As the Johnson Company report concludes, the goal “is to find the areas within the watershed where a balance can be reached between human investments where development has occurred and the health and well-being of the river system.”

Ninety-two possible projects are proposed in the report of varying significance. Worcester has sixty-five that are rated from low to high priority. Of these the report has fifteen high priority areas on the main stem, three on Worcester Brook, two on Minister Brook and one on Hancock Brook.

The 70 acre Green Crow property was purchased in 2007 by the Vermont River Conservancy through grants and fundraising. This property on the Worcester-Elmore Town line is now under the supervision of the Vermont Department of Forests and Parks.

Late in 2007 the Vermont River Conservancy negotiated the sale of a 1.7 acre parcel on Hancock Brook that is now owned by the town and will remain in its natural state.

Several riparian tree and brush plantings have taken place in Worcester in the last year. Three of these have been on the main stem and one on Worcester Brook with the design being to stabilize the river banks where an “incised reach” is noted. A number of Worcester residents have participated in these projects.

Just this month, with the assistance of the state flood management team, a meeting was held at the Town Hall for property owners whose property was identified as within the 100 year flood plain to explain flood insurance, development constraints, and protective measures.

The 2009-10 Legislature passed House Bill 763 “River Corridor Protection.” This bill requires the state to help cities and towns adopt local river corridor protection regulations in order to keep our rivers and streams clean, stable and insulated from flood damage. We don’t yet know how this will affect Worcester.

The Vermont River Conservancy is presently raising funds to acquire an especially important 83 acre parcel on the North Branch of the Winooski River that supports and abundance of wildlife. VRC is also looking upstream to conserve many swimming holes, waterfalls, white water kayak runs and pristine riparian woodlands further up in the watershed. All support is welcome. To find out more, look up VRC at www.vermontriverconservancy.org or call us at 802-229-0820.

The North Branch is an incredible natural resource but it is subject to abuse unless measures are taken to protect it. If you would like more information about protection and restoration, feel free to contact:

The Vermont River Conservancy
29 Main Street, Suite 11, Montpelier, VT 05602
Email: vrc@vermontriverconservancy.org
Website: http://www.vermontriverconservancy.org/

Ann Smith, Executive Director, Friends of the Winooski River
PO Box 777, Montpelier VT 05601
Phone: 866-683-7197 (Tollfree)
website: www.winooskiriver.org/

Data on the impacts to both the physical and habitat conditions of the stream were collected during the Phase 2 Assessment including but not limited to buffers, erosion, bank armoring, straightening, road encroachment, channel dimensions, and depositional features. Bridge and culvert data were collected by BCE to identify structures that have the potential to fail because of channel adjustments, are having a geomorphic impact on the stream, or are impeding aquatic organism passage.

This year’s spring planting in Calais is repairing some of the damage found during the corridor assessment work that was done last summer.