Lewis Creek Association History

2006 2004 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997   2001 Lewis Creek Association (LCA) is in its 11th year of sponsoring educational community service opportunities for local stewardship and restoration of important natural resources. Member watershed towns include Ferrisburgh, Charlotte, Monkton, Hinesburg, Starksboro, and Bristol.  Conservation activities evolve annually and are influenced by state, regional and local concerns such as water quality, accelerated sedimentation in rivers, stormwater and invasive species management, habitat fragmentation, farm and forestland fragmentation, and basin planning. Citizens from each watershed town meet monthly to creatively address today’s concerns.  In so doing, citizens strengthen local community while restoring important ecological functions in the watershed.   LCA is very grateful for the continued support from the watershed towns that have supported this work since 1990.  The financial contributions from each town enable LCA to receive support from many private donors, foundations, and state and federal sources.  This year, LCA will grow its land conservancy work and will be partnering with others to most effectively meet the needs of our area towns. The LCA Kingfisher newsletter mailed to all watershed residents and members, highlighted watershed planning using ecosystem-based management tools. Town residents stay current with volunteer opportunities and seasonal activities through our well-read local newspapers. The LCA website, www.lewiscreek.org, tells about LCA’s history, how to join, current field projects, how to purchase LCA Tracking Cards, and how to be in touch with LCA partners. LCA newsletters, the “ Student River Monitoring and Citizenship Curriculum”, and LCA tracking forms can be read and printed from the web.   Area high schools and LCA have produced a Vermont standards-based curriculum for student water quality monitoring and citizenship.  The curriculum incorporates Vt. Water Quality Standards while providing opportunities for students to share water quality monitoring results with local community leaders.  New field equipment (primarily kick nets) is available for projects monitoring the biological health of Lewis Creek.  LCA “Animal Tracks of the Northeast” tracking cards are being sold in Vermont shops.  This educational and fun product provides new revenue to support LCA fieldwork and research.  LCA continues to pursue “Planning for Biodiversity” with towns, University of Vermont Spatial Analysis Lab and Center for Rural Studies, Addison County Regional Planning Commission, The Nature Conservancy, and consulting ecologists.  New land cover/land use data is entered into the LCA GIS software program to provide build out visualization scenarios and density analysis of each town’s zoning regulations.  This new tool helps towns to realize best conservation planning and regulatory strategies. Citizen wildlife trackers record wildlife observations, and locations of active travel corridors are shared with landowners and others.  Best conservation measures are considered which may include the purchase of development rights. More than 100 residents attended LCA “tramps and talks” this year to learn more about tracking mammals, birding, “herping” (tracking amphibians and reptiles!), and Vermont butterflies.  Two joint ventures with VT Fish and Wildlife introduced more citizens to valuable state habitat enhancement work in abandoned orchards and the Canada Goose population-monitoring project at Dead Creek.  Lewis Creek’s waters are classified as recreational waters for the public to enjoy. In its ninth year of testing, LCA and Addison County Riverwatch Collaborative monitored the creek by measuring total phosphorus, E. coli, pH, and temperature at eight sites along Lewis Creek.  E.coli levels are slowly coming down while sedimentation is increasing. State groups that assist LCA in prioritizing streambank restoration projects suggest that we address rate of sedimentation in Lewis Creek. LCA representatives are working with VT DEC and FWD to develop a stream stability assessment protocol for Vermont streams. Citizens, scouts, UVM students, school class groups, and Rotary planted 2000 trees to stabilize streambanks in Ferrisburgh, Charlotte, Starksboro, and Hinesburg, while the Vergennes Eagle Scouts introduced an invasive species management plan in Charlotte.  Land conservation activities are occurring in all watershed towns in partnership with towns, land trusts, Vermont Rivers Conservancy and Vermont Land Trust. Important resources being conserved include farmland, fisheries, upland forests, and riparian areas. All of these projects are coordinated and sponsored by LCA thanks to town and citizen contributions.