Moretown, Vermont – Don W. has lived in the Mad River Valley for the past 35 years. He owns a property with river front, which makes for a pleasant place to go swimming in the summer months.
“I’m not a fisherman or anything, but it’s a nice spot!” he said.
When Don saw a neighbor’s Front Porch Forum post about a new free and voluntary Stream Wise assessment opportunity, he figured it was a good program to look into.
The land, located within the Mad River’s 100-year floodplain, used to be primarily pasture and hay fields.
Wanting to learn more about what he could do on his own property to reduce local flooding and extreme weather impacts, Don hosted two Stream Wise walkabouts in the summer of 2023.
Heather Murphy and Shawn White, two local Stream Wise Assessors from the Friends of the Winooski River, Ira Shadis from Friends of the Mad River, and Katie Kain of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service all toured Don’s property.
The team proposed a planting plan for the floodplain in order to grow the buffer zone. The suggested vegetation would extend a minimum of 50 feet from the river’s edge, ensuring the long-term protection of the bank.
Wide river buffers of native plants stabilize banks, prevent downstream erosion, provide temperature and microclimate regulation, and increase the availability of aquatic habitat, among other benefits.
Don shared that “so far, everything is going well. The team from Stream Wise and the additional experts all seem excited about the project. We are as well.”
The planting was completed in 2024 and is helping to restore function to Don’s floodplain.
If you own property with a brook, stream or river and are curious about having a Stream Wise assessment, or if you are ready to volunteer, contact us!