Assessment of the Reestablishment of Riparian Buffers Along Stevens Brook, St. Albans, Vermont

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Assessment of the Reestablishment of Riparian
Buffers Along Stevens Brook, St. Albans, Vermont

• Presented by Students of ENSC 202
• Reuben Baris, Richard Balouskus, Lindsay
  Fletcher,
• Kimberly Parker, and Perry Scofield
• May 6, 2005

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Problem Statement

• Development encroachment on riparian forests
  along Stevens Brook, west of Downtown St. Albans,
  has resulted in increased stream and stream
  corridor degradation
• Impact on water quality
• Increased stream bank erosion
• Increased sediment loading

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Site Description
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Site Description

• Split between agriculture land and urban
  development
• Associated issues
• Lawns
• Crops
• Sediment deposition, bank stability, etc
• Where to go now?

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Background

• Riparian zones are of concern
• Development has decreased effective ecological
  functions
• Long history of farming
• Move toward incentive programs in agriculture
  areas

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Goals

• Identify areas of risk
• Assess the probable impact of the reestablishment
  of riparian buffers
• Predict the effectiveness of these buffers to
  aid
• Reduction of sediment load
• Bank stabilization
• Improvement of water quality
• Make recommendations about the probability of
  reestablishment of riparian buffers

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Objectives

• Identify areas of Stevens Brook that have
  reduced or removed riparian forests
• Assess level of risk of identified areas
• Utilize GIS capabilities
• Assess feasibility and likelihood of
  reestablishment

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Approaches
1. Site Visit

• Agriculture
• Looked to assess areas with buffers in place.

• Urban
• Determined potential for a buffer.
• Looked at two sites with potential.
• Gained perspective from Staci Pomeroy.

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2. GIS
Approaches
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GIS
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Urban Findings
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Urban characteristics

• Roughly 8,000 citizens
• 2.0 square miles
• Highly centralized urbanization in downtown area

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Urban Characteristics

• Highly manipulated through urban reaches
• Flow restrictions and channelization
• Pavement and grass right up to stream
• 9.47 acres of urban land use in 300 ft buffer.
  1375 ft of riverbank.

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Urban Buffer

• 44 of this area is on hydrogroup C soils. 600 ft
  of riverbank.
• This further compounds impervious area issues
• 16 of the urban area is both on C hydrogroup
  soil and occurs on steeper slopes. 219 ft river
  bank
• These are areas of most concern on the stream

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Agriculture Findings
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Agriculture Characteristics

• Over 32,000 acres of agricultural land used
  primarily for dairy production
• Agriculture fields are flush against riverbanks
• Increased loading into Stevens Brook

http//www.water.ncsu.edu/watershedss/info/rcwp/vt
prof.html
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Agricultural Buffer

• 12.55 acres of agricultural land use in 300 ft
  buffer. 1823 ft riverbank
• 61 of this area is on C or D hydrogroup soils
• 42 of the 12.55 acres is on these impervious
  hydrogroup soils and on high slopes. 750 ft
  riverbank

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Agricultural Buffer

• Roots hold soil in place and absorb water
• -help prevent eroding banks and landowners from
  losing valuable agricultural land
• Plant help trap sediments
• -help prevent degrading drinking water, and
  filling of lakes and wetlands
• Needed on farmland due to the harsh impacts
  agricultural practices
• -runoff pesticides, fertilizers, sediment
• Benefits to landowners, the general public, and
  of course the environment

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Agricultural Buffer
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Recommendations

• Urban Buffer
• Focus on hydrogroup C, with highest slopes
• Work with landowners (individually)
• Install 30-40ft buffers where possible
• Agricultural Buffer
• Focus on hydrogroup D, with highest slopes
• Farmer incentive programs
• Education
• Cooperation with Fish and Wildlife Service

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Constraints

• Urban
• Because of development, buffer width is confined
  to pervious areas
• Landowner cooperation
• Some LOVE their lawns
• Agriculture
• Long history of farming
• Economic loss.incentives enough?
• Effectiveness in the eyes of farmers
• education

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Constraints

• Interest of landowners was not gauged
• Spatial analysis and recommendations done on
  coarse scale
• 25mx25m grid size
• 300 ft buffer unrealistic
• Whos responsible?
• Maintenance

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Conclusion

• St. Albans offers two distinct possibilities for
  riparian buffer installation
• Prioritizing reaches at the highest risk for
  stream degradation is step one
• Gauging landowner interest and education must
  follow

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