Trees for Streams program proves a success
As the water levels rise throughout the summer storms, there are concerns for protecting one’s property, whether farm land, stream side backyards, or homes built on floodplains from the erosive effects of powerful currents. What once was a slow meandering stream can turn into a turbid flash of a powerful torrent flooding everything in its path and in extreme cases, land that was once there is gone. Working with farmers, and landowners, it is disheartening to hear stories from how much land they have lost over the years. One gentlemen described a time when riding in his tractor he was able to get around to another portion of the field and now it’s seems unconceivable as the river is wide and there’s no chance. There’s another who rode the rapids in a kayak of a wild section of a river, and now the water’s depth is ankle high and certainly one very long portage. As reported in the Vermont History Journal, “Rarely does a year elapse without a flooding event of a significant magnitude being reported in at least one of Vermont’s fourteen counties or perhaps statewide, making this the number-one hazard across the state.”
One relatively simple way to help protect valuable economic and natural resources from flooding events is to maintain and or install vegetated riparian buffers. Vegetated riparian buffers are a width of native or planted trees and shrubs, or grasslands found along rivers, or stream, even lakes, that retain banks from eroding, filters out sediments and pollutants, and provides habitat for riparian species. There are a number of incentive programs in Vermont where farmers and landowners can receive assistance in establishing buffers. One such program growing in popularity is the Trees for Stream Program. Trees for Streams (TFS) is a buffer incentive program that is more flexible with regards to buffer size and is an attractive offer for landowners, since it’s not limited to agricultural producers. TFS is coordinated among the five Natural Resources Conservation Districts (NRCD) in the Lamoille watershed and works with landowners willing to enter a 10-year contract in return for an installed buffer. Landowners pay 20% of material cost and the planting itself is accomplished with volunteer labor. Harvesting within the buffer is not allowed.
Trees for Streams is proving to be a successful program, now in its ninth year it has served over 100 landowners who are willing to commit to an installed riparian buffer on their property. Trees for Streams volunteers successfully revegetated over 9 miles along the Lamoille and Winooski Rivers and their tributaries. This year marked an increase in the number of volunteers and landowners involved in the program. Throughout the watershed, 10 schools and 254 students armed with shovels participated over 1000 hours of work in the Lamoille Watershed Trees for Streams Program. Their efforts can be found in Wolcott, Hardwick, Morrisville, Cambridge, Essex, Westford, and Underhill. While it make take a few seasons to see these newly planted buffers create shade as the red maples, willows, and birch grow tall, their effectiveness to prevent erosion is already apparent as fast growing shrubs have taken root and grew quickly this summer.
Essex Center for Technology students planting a riparian buffer in Underhill as part of the Lamoille River Watershed TFS Program.
Photo contributed
Trees for Streams is made possible by a partnership with many state and local organizations and agencies including the Caledonia County, Orleans County, Franklin County and Winooski Conservation Districts. Funding is generously provided by the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources, Lamoille River Anglers Association, Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets and the Lamoille County Chapter of Rotary International. The NRCD would like to thank our participating schools; Center for Technology at Essex, Colchester High School, Craftsbury Academy, Essex High School, Hazen Union Middle School, Lamoille Union Middle School, Laraway School, Peoples Academy High School, Peoples Academy Middle School, and VYCC at Lamoille Union High School. To find out about the Trees for Streams program, Lamoille River Education and Outreach or to donate time and/or materials please contact Christina Goodwin, 888-9218 extension 13.
