Road and gully erosion which need to be addressed to reduce sediment heading directly into Lewis Creek. Photo credit: Jessica Louisos, SLR
A grant from the state Clean Water fund (through the Clean Water Service Provider in the Otter Creek-Lewis Creek basin) allowed Lewis Creek Association (LCA) to hire engineers from SLR Consulting to design a fix for the road leading to Common Ground Center in Starksboro. Once constructed, this fix will decrease the erosion occurring on a section of the privately owned portion of Tatro Road. The gravel roadway has continued to erode during heavy rains over the past few years, dumping sediment and pollutants directly into Lewis Creek, which ultimately flows into Lake Champlain in Ferrisburgh. The project will help to reduce phosphorus, which when it reaches high levels, contributes to harmful algal blooms and fish die-offs in Lake Champlain.
When constructed, the project will improve the road conditions and reduce erosion and the resulting sediment washing into Lewis Creek. The plans include raising and regrading of a portion of the road, the addition of a turnout, and removal of grader berms, which will allow water to sheet off into the adjacent swale. The swales will be reshaped as necessary to hold more water, then stone-lined where they are steep, or grass-lined where not as steep. Current 10-inch and 12-inch culverts will be replaced with 15-inch culverts to better accommodate the increased volume of stormwater due to the increasing intensity of rain storms. These improvements, taken together, will help reduce sediment and other pollutants washing into Lewis Creek, while also minimizing the chances of the road washing out in the future.
LCA’s Kate Kelly and SLR Engineers looking at Lewis Creek with visible road erosion at the Common Ground Center. This erosion will be addressed by the project. Photo credit: Sara Lovitz, LCA
LCA has applied for partial funding for construction from the Clean Water Service Provider in Basin 3, with the remainder of the cost coming from Common Ground Center. Once constructed, this site will become one of LCA’s Ahead of the Storm demonstration projects in the watershed. These projects will help Starksboro citizens and students learn more about their watershed’s water quality needs and fixes. You can learn more about the Ahead of the Storm program here. It is crucial that we all do our part to improve water quality in small ways, in order to improve Lake Champlain’s water quality and beauty, and to protect the animals and plants that live in our rivers and streams.