Lewis Creek Association

 Hello, and welcome to our new website.

I am happy to report that this site is the new "communications central" location for a partnership network of people who are promoting sustainable living in Vermont. And in place of the old and gorgeous "hard copy" Lewis Creek newsletter, "The Kingfisher", we invite you to visit this website to catch up on our collective projects, thoughts for the day and news in our watershed communities.

During this website transition time, we stocked the library shelves with maps and reports, and are now looking for your input on how to best improve this website and our communications with each other.
 
During the past 20 years, we have been learning about Vermont history and how to live in the Champlain Valley in ways that show an understanding of the land's capacity to support its inhabitants over time.  Thanks to generous volunteers, grantors and donors, we found fabulous experts who have helped us study the land and waters of this region. Now we want to work with you and the community to promote businesses and neighborhoods that regard the exquisite natural systems of the Champlain Valley.

On this website, you will see that Lewis Creek Association has been working, in particular, with the friends of LaPlatte Watershed Partnership and the Addison County Riverwatch Collaborative. The materials of all three groups are located here, including stream and water quality data results, stormwater issues, erosion locations and nutrient loading from local neighborhoods to streams entering Lake Champlain, and undersized bridge and culvert information that can inform proper stream stability and fish passage improvement plans. There are so many things we can each being doing now to "clean up the lake" and our back yards.

Please give a call if you are interested in participating or would like to visit to discuss a river corridor protection project. You can start by looking in the library for the new "Lewis Creek Corridor Plan" (SMRC, March 2010). It explains stream conditions for each river section and lists best management options that can be afforded with help from state or federal funding sources.

And look at the European Frogbit Project in the library. We have finished up the second year of invasive plant removal field work in Town Farm Bay, just south of Point Bay Marina in Charlotte (Google -  Point Bay Marina, East Thompson's Point Rd, Charlotte 05445), and are gearing up for year three with help from volunteers and our towns. Check the library! This ongoing project has been funded by many sources including Vermont Agency of Natural Resources, Shelburne Town, The Kelsey Trust, Lake Champlain Basin Program, US Fish and Wildlife Service and Lewis Creek Association. To you lake lovers, we need your help now! Please do give a call.



All the best,

Marty Illick
LCA Director