Water Quality    Geomorphic & Habitat Assessment    Wildlife  

Water Quality and River Corridor Data Collection

Since 1992, we have trained and coordinated volunteers to take water samples along the creek.  Historically, we have tested for E. coli bacteria and temperature.  In 1997, we began testing for total phosphorus as well.         Testing is conducted during the summer months at eight sites in five watershed towns. Results to date have showed that bacterial counts at most sites on most testing dates were higher than the acceptable state limit.  Citizens throughout the watershed have been notified via newspapers and newsletters about the health risks present at most of the tested sites.

This project serves the purpose of minimizing health risks to the public and raising awareness about the importance of improving water quality. As a result of the tests, landowners are working to improve their land use practices with the goal of reducing E. coli bacteria levels.

About The Watershed Landscape

Lewis Creek’s main stem is about 33 miles long and flows through the Addison County towns of Starksboro, Monkton and Ferrisburgh where it empties into Lake Champlain.  It also flows through the Chittenden County towns of Hinesburg and Charlotte.  This 81-square mile watershed contains some 90 geomorphically defined sub drainages to Lewis Creek and  drains a portion of Bristol, including Bristol Pond, and a small section of the town of Huntington.  The Lewis Creek originates in the wooded hills of Starksboro.  After tumbling out of the hills, it meanders north through fertile farmland for about 5 miles before turning west again in Hinesburg.  After flowing for about six miles through the hay fields, woods and the occasional backyard in Monkton and Charlotte, the Lewis Creek widens its flow through Ferrisburgh farmland near its confluence with Lake Champlain.

Since 1992, the LCA has been testing the waters of Lewis Creek.  Volunteers have collected water samples and had them evaluated for E. coli bacteria for twelve years. Total phosphorus has been monitored for seven years.  Water quality testing over time helps us better understand the condition of the waters and the river corridor that we are working to protect.  The data we derive can highlight the relationship between land use and the stream’s health.

Choosing Sampling Site Locations

In the spring of 2003, while we were planning for the upcoming season, we decided to add a few new sites and skip a year with a few of our historic sites.  After much discussion and advice from LCA technical advisors, we agreed that with 10 years of baseline data, we could afford to shift to an alternate year testing regime with some of our sites and add in new sites that might provide a more detailed understanding of the Lewis Creek.  We dropped sites LCR18.6, LCR7.25 and LCR5.2, and added sites LCR15.6, LCT3 and LCT4.  LCT15.6 is in the midst of the Kelly farm in Starksboro. LCT3 stands for Lewis Creek Tributary #3 or Pond Brook in Monkton (the third major tributary as you come from the mouth upstream).  LCT4 represents the fourth major tributary as you go upstream, or Hollow Brook in Hinesburg. The confluence of Monkton’s Cedar Lake tributary is not monitored at this time. The two monitored tributary sites can help us understand how these streams affect the Lewis Creek.  LCR15.6 will help us understand the effects of stream bank plantings and new pasture fencing on a neighboring farm. Special thanks to Carrie Fenn, Tai Dinnan, Remy Nicolle and Todd Whitaker for help getting samples at LCT3, and to Mitch Kelly of Starksboro for allowing us access at LCR15.6.

Data Review and Water Resource Improvement Measures in Place

The knowledge gained from this water quality sampling, along with geomorphic, impervious surface and natural areas data collection, helps to guide LCA’s watershed planning, education, restoration and conservation activities.  These activities are undertaken in partnership with the Lake Champlain Basin Program; USDA’s Natural Resource Conservation Service; US Fish and Wildlife Service’s Partners for Wildlife Program; VT Department of Environmental Conservation’s Water Quality Division; Vermont, Hinesburg and Charlotte Land Trusts and each watershed town’s Conservation Commission.

Water Quality Sampling         

The E.coli results show that there is still much work to be done both in locating E. coli sources and in improving buffers. Our two worst E.coli readings, on August 6^th, came when the Lewis Creek was at a relatively low flow. E.coli sources may include in-stream beaver activity, agricultural runoff, or possibly a failing septic systems, and warrants further investigation.  Continued monitoring of the Lewis Creek tributaries is recommended.

LCA’s 2004 sampling plan hopes to capture a larger range of conditions in the watershed by monitoring Total Phosphorus in the spring and fall seasons, during much higher flow conditions.  These data can be compared to physical stream reach conditions (see below) and the state’s biomonitoring sites that monitor in-stream biological integrity.

Geomorphic and Habitat Assessments

Stream geomorphic assessments occurred in 2001 and 2002, and will be completed in 2004 by VT Department of Environmental Conservation, South Mountain Research & Consulting, and citizen volunteers who are continuing to develop a reach specific database of Lewis Creek’s geomorphic and habitat conditions.  These data are useful to identify exceptionally high quality reaches that may warrant conservation, unstable reaches where stream bank erosion and poor habitat are particular problems, and reaches that could be “passively” restored (with woody vegetation) to improve habitat quality and connectivity within the watershed.  While the Hinesburg and Starksboro sections of the creek have undergone assessment, the Champlain Valley portion of the main stem and the Pond Brook tributary main stem will be completed in 2004.  These data will be shared with towns to discuss a river management plan that considers the entire river ecosystem. 

Riparian Restoration and Conservation

The 2003 spring planting projects included 70 volunteers who planted 1000 trees and shrubs along the Lewis Creek.  Plant materials for two project sites were funded by US Fish and Wildlife Service, Partners for Wildlife and the Natural Resource Conservation Service who purchased many of the plants from Vermont’s own Intervale Nursery. The Starksboro Cub Scout Troop with families and LCA friends joined the Vergennes Boy Scouts with Eagle Scout Justin Mailloux to plant 200 trees and shrubs within a thirty-foot buffer upstream from Starksboro’s Cota ball fields. LCA also coordinated volunteers from UVM’s School of Natural Resources, Restoration Ecology Class who worked to reestablish a 50-plus foot streamside buffer with 800 stems at the Hauenstein property in Charlotte.  All of these friends of Lewis Creek tallied up more than 500 hours of “working for wildlife” which helped LCA to win the Award of Excellence for Wildlife Conservation from Wayne LaRoche, Vermont’s Commissioner of Fish and Wildlife, who presented the award to the Lewis Creek Association and the Hinesburg Land Trust. The award recognized outstanding contributions in wildlife conservation in four areas: landowner appreciation, wildlife advocacy, wildlife education, and wildlife conservation.

These planting projects have four main objectives:  1.) Stabilize the banks against erosion, 2.)  Help delineate and restore the native stream side buffer, 3.)  Throw shade on the creek to improve the fishery, and 4.)  Improve the stream corridor’s terrestrial habitat and its connectivity to other upland habitat areas.  Finally, wetland and riparian land conservation projects were pursued occurring in Hinesburg and Monkton.

LCA conducts this work with generous funding support from foundations, watershed friends and towns, the Lake Champlain Basin Program, VT Department of Environmental Conservation and VT Department of Fish and Wildlife.  For further information please visit www.lewiscreek.org.

Water Quality Sampling Results 2004- preliminary 

LCA conducts all of its water quality sampling plans through its “sister” organization, the Addison County Riverwatch Collaborative (ACRWC).  

Lewis Creek was sampled on four dates throughout the summer of 2004. (June through August, approximately every two weeks) 

Follow the link for E.coli results for all  ACRWC summer sampling events to date:  http://www.anr.state.vt.us/dec/waterq/cfm/volmon/results.cfm?id=Addison%20County%20RPC 

How to correlate water quality test results with actual location along Lewis Creek (LCR) 

All Sample Locations for Lewis Creek use the following sample identification system. 

LCR – Lewis Creek River

LCT- Lewis Creek Tributary (4 major tribs are recognized by a 1, 2,3, or 4 after LCT, e.g. LCT3

 1 - Cedar Lake (Monkton Pond)

 2 - Winona Lake (Bristol Pond)

 3 -  Hollow Brook

 4 -  Starksboro

Numbers after all letters of each Sample Location ID reflect the stream mile distance from the lake. E.g. LCR3.7 = LC River mile 3.7 which is at the Rte 7 bridge in Ferrisburgh.

LCA Geomorphic and Habitat Assessment Project

Overall, the results of the Phase 1 and limited Phase 2 efforts suggest that Lewis Creek is a relatively stable watershed (maximum impact rating of 14 out of a possible 32).   Seventy-four of the 80 reaches (92%) assessed in Phase 1 had impact ratings below 10.  Instabilities appear to be localized (e.g., in response to channelization to support/sustain agricultural activities or encroachment by roads or animal crossings) rather than system-wide.  

Having said this, it is important to recognize that the amount of data collected so far for the watershed is limited.  Only 12 out of 80 reaches (15%) have been assessed in Phase 2 and only three reaches went to Phase 3. 

Uses for Geomorphic Data 

The geomorphic database (and the stream assessment process itself which yielded this data) is an important resource and tool to support the broader basin planning process.   The various stakeholders involved in watershed management will have different priorities for use of this data – given their missions, charters, goals, needs, available resources, and constraints.   VTDEC/FWD has suggested some specific applications for this database and even an order of priority (p. 9 of the draft Summary Report) which reflects their Agency’s position. 

When considering LCA’s specific priorities for use of this data, a discussion and review of the organization’s goals and objectives took place.  Current LCA goals include:  Increase awareness of the natural world and its connection to the economy and community Protect and improve/restore biological diversity Improve water quality Support sustainable rural community Stabilize traditional land uses (agriculture, forestry, fisheries, municipal

The geomorphic stream assessment process enhances our ability to meet all of these objectives.  It can broaden our understanding of water quality trends and patterns, which will in turn help us to understand the present level of in-stream aquatic biodiversity and support future efforts to restore biodiversity. Results of the geomorphic assessment can be used by the member communities to optimally manage roads and infrastructure in ways which are more cost effective and in concert with natural stream dynamics.  Stream geomorphic assessments can also enhance our ability to optimally manage land uses to sustain desired agricultural, fisheries, and forestry land uses while minimizing sedimentation of Lewis Creek, its tributaries, and Lake Champlain.

  The following section provides some specific examples of how this geomorphic data can be directly applied (#1) in the context of other LCA projects / initiatives.  The extent to which we incorporate this data obviously depends on funding and time available, and on our priorities for management and stewardship of the watershed.  In addition, we can incorporate our experiences of this past Summer and Fall as a natural extension to the ongoing education and outreach (#2) efforts of the organization, and LCA can support ongoing geomorph-related research (#3).  

1) Direct Application / Incorporation of Geomorphic Data in Ongoing LCA Projects 

We can use the Phase 1 and 2 stream assessment results to prioritize reaches for further geomorphic and habitat assessment to support: 

Community planning and zoning 

  Incorporate the geomorph data as a “natural resource” layer in the new build-out analysis program to enhance our understanding of the consequences of various zoning decisions and /or build out scenarios. LCA and towns can then, for example, identify the tax base or other consequences of: 

a.     placing conservation easements on certain geomorphically valuable parcels;

b.     increasing buffers along and near geomorphically sensitive reaches;

c.     adjusting zoning densities, planning standards/mechanisms (e.g., % imperviousness, promoting clustering), and buffers  to minimize hydraulic stresses imparted by development  draining to reaches with incipient geomorphic instability;

d.     conducting geomorphic assessment recommendations for all agriculture, forestry, and fish and wildlife land managements plans before additional public investments are granted and/or land use changes occur. 

Share this new information and survey watershed citizens and town groups to get community feedback, identify community values and needs, and adapt LCA community service projects accordingly.. 

Conservation objectives 

Identify and prioritize reaches to target for future conservation.  LCA and VTDEC/FWD have identified some conservation sites (p. 9 of Summary report), and it is likely that other reaches will fall out of future Phase 2 & 3 efforts.  

Use of the geomorphic data in combination with important wildlife habitat or natural communities data can result in a more comprehensive approach to prioritizing parcels for conservation. The geomorphic data will provide additional technical justification for why a given parcel should be conserved.   This is an opportunity for education and outreach directed to neighboring conservation organizations and the Vermont Rivers Conservancy.

Community infrastructure maintenance

Identify unstable reaches which are impacting infrastructure.  Work with experts and the community to identify restoration options for the stream or alternate construction/ management options for the roads, culverts, bridges that will result in reduced impacts to the stream and reduced long term costs to towns.    While there have been no substantial infrastructure losses due to channel instabilities and planform changes; some road maintenance, culverts, bridges, and insufficient road shoulders are believed to contribute to accelerated aggradation of Lewis Creek. LCA is currently working with NRCS in this area and the geomorphic data can provide meaningful information as LCA and others consider river monitoring plans to support sedimentation reduction strategies.

Water quality monitoring programs 

With regard to its historic phosphorus, E. coli, and temperature monitoring program, LCA will continue compiling the existing data into GIS.  This will facilitate a review of the spatial and temporal trends in water quality.  These trends may correlate with high-impact ratings (identified from Phase 1) or geomorphically unstable reaches (identified in Phase 2), and we can determine if historic sampling locations adequately monitor to meet the specific objectives of LCA.  Specific reaches can be targeted for further study which would likely involve more geomorphic assessments (Phase 2 and 3) and more elaborate water quality monitoring.   These research efforts would be time and resource intensive; therefore, LCA may simply want to identify research needs for further study and then co-sponsor or host the research efforts in partnership with academia and/or private consultants.   

 Examples of evaluations which could be undertaken (depending on the organization’s priorities) include:

• Identify and prioritize reaches which we hypothesize may be contributing phosphorus and sediments due to stream reach instabilities and target these for further study. 

• Look for correlations between temperature and canopy cover / width of riparian zones, etc.

• Overlay the municipal infrastructure layer (e.g., culverts, drainage ditches) on the geomorph impact rating data on the GIS.  (Phase 1 section 5-2, 11/1/01 draft).  This process may highlight specific structures and/or road maintenance practices which have contributed to stream reach instability (e.g., aggradation) which in turn may have led to degradation of water quality and aquatic biodiversity.  Fold in the LCA/NRCS data collected since 1995 to assess where road maintenance and culvert / bridge maintenance practices may have contributed to accelerated aggradation and/or other adjustment processes.  Consider monitoring suspended sediments, % embeddedness, and/or conduct pebble counts upstream and downstream of target reaches to assess current conditions (baseline) and monitor effectiveness of altered road maintenance procedures.  More demonstration projects to assess effectiveness of these Best Management Practices would be timely. 

From these reviews and further study, we could determine and prioritize which restoration and/or management activities should be undertaken to minimize or reverse impacts to water quality. 

2) Education and Outreach 

To help other stakeholders recognize the value of the geomorphic assessments and to identify uses and priorities for collecting additional geomorphic data, LCA could: 

• Bring the geomorphic database and stream assessment process to the attention of town road crews, town and regional planning/ zoning, State and federal agencies, environmental groups, agricultural groups, etc to demonstrate how this data can been collectively useful when identifying and prioritizing water quality improvement plans in Vermont watershed towns.

• Train and assist other stakeholders in conducting further Phase 2 and Phase 3 assessments necessary to meet their particular project objectives.

• Continue to support VTDEC/FWD efforts to update and automate Phase 1, 2, & 3 protocols and build a database of reference reach data to support the development of VT’s Hydraulic Geometry Curves.

• Reach out to other watershed groups to provide training and support as they conduct stream assessments in their watersheds.

• Educate land trusts and conservation organizations to help them understand the greater value of conserving stream reaches with geomorphic significance – such as reference reaches and reaches with high potential for developing instability under development pressure.

Identify important natural communities research (ongoing) in the riparian corridor while considering streambank restoration plans. 

3) Support of Research 

While LCA’s mission is not necessarily to carry out research projects, it will benefit from continuing to sponsor research conducted by other partnering agencies / organizations.  The most feasible way of providing LCA support is by continuing to host demonstration sites in the watershed and sharing GIS (and other) resources and data as they are compiled.   

To the extent that the geomorphic component can be folded into developing grants / projects we should continue to do so. 

LCA can also identify and publicize specific research needs (such as those related to the direct applications listed above) for consideration by partners who would ideally come with their own funding sources or collaborate with LCA to locate and secure grants.   (including UVM, Middlebury College, VT Geological Survey, VT WQD, other State and Federal agencies/departments, private consultants). 

Perhaps LCA’s greatest and best contribution to fluvial geomorphology research in Vermont is related to the further identification and conservation of Lewis Creek reference reaches while working with VTDEC/FWD.

LCA Wildlife Tracking & Sign Report

  Lewis Creek Association (LCA) is interested in your observations of wildlife and special wildlife habitat areas (vernal pools, beech stands, and other key wildlife areas).  We are mapping the region’s important wildlife habitats and vital corridors that connect them.  Your observations are helpful to us.  Please refer to “Tracking and the Art of Seeing”, by Paul Rezendes for how to read animal tracks and sign, and/or order the LCA field tracking cards (see below).  LCA offers winter workshops to learn tracking skills.  Read your local paper for special events about wildlife in the watershed and the Lake Champlain basin.

Preview and print the: LCA Wildlife Tracking & Sign Report