WOLCOTT – Jean Ballantyne and Jerry Fox have provided the Lamoille and Wild Branch rivers nearly 17 acres over which to meander, the Vermont Land Trust announced recently. The project will boost flood resilience and wildlife habitat, and was funded by the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC).
photo by Vermont Land Trust
The protected acreage, which includes wetland and farmland at the confluence of the two rivers, lies between the Lamoille River, the old railroad (now the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail), and the Wild Branch. The land was first conserved by Ballantyne’s late uncle, John Reed, in 2006, when he protected the family’s farm spanning over 200 acres.
The new conservation enhances that original protection by establishing a corridor within which the Lamoille and Wild Branch can meander freely and spread into their natural floodplains when waters rise. This will minimize flood impacts there as well as downstream, provide critical habitat for aquatic and other species, and filter water that flows into Lake Champlain.
“While all of Vermont’s rivers are dynamic and move across their corridors, river confluences are even more so because of two different systems coming together,” said VLT’s Ecology & Restoration Program Director, Allaire Diamond. “Where the Lamoille and Wild Branch rivers meet on Jean and Jerry’s land is especially changeable because there’s rock armoring nearby to protect Vermont Route 15 and the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail. The new conservation protections will give the rivers space to move, which is critical for watershed resilience.”
Centuries of human settlement, agricultural use and efforts to control water along the Wild Branch and Lamoille Rivers have contributed to excessive soil loss and damaging floods in these river systems. In recent decades these rivers have not been able to spread into their surrounding areas during high water. Floodplains are important for river health because they help slow flood waters and also provide wildlife habitat. The state has identified this area as a priority for watershed restoration efforts.
Ballantyne and Fox’s property lies on both sides of the Lamoille River. The river corridor easement adds protections for clean water and flood safety on over 2,200 feet of river frontage.
“My family and I have watched the erosion happen over years,” said Ballantyne, whose family has owned most of the land since the 1700s. “We lost 30 feet along the Wild Branch in the last year alone. Also, the Lamoille River has been very dynamic as a part of the farm itself. Conserving the river corridor just makes sense, to mitigate some of the problems that we have along both rivers.”
In addition, Ballantyne and Fox will retire several acres from active farm use to reduce human activity near the stream banks and allow forest to establish. A new 50-foot forested buffer along the rivers will bolster watershed health at this important confluence. The property is enrolled in the federal Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program, which will plant and maintain trees in the buffer to restore forest along the stream banks and connect wildlife habitats.
The project includes special protections for nearly two acres of open and forested wetland, restricting agricultural and forest management activities in that area. Wetland plants help filter water for phosphorus and nitrogen, keeping the water cleaner, and can often withstand floods, allowing the land to absorb more water during spring thaws or heavy storms, and reduce downstream impacts of flooding.
Staci Pomeroy, DEC River Scientist, said: “This River Corridor Easement (RCE) project is exciting to see move forward. This site is at the confluence of the Wild Branch and Lamoille River, making it a very dynamic area where we see river adjustments and important floodplain connections happening. The RCE also includes a floodplain wetland area, providing diversity in habitat and additional functions and benefits to the project. The long-term protection of this area will ensure both the Lamoille and Wild Branch maintain the area needed for long-term water quality and flood resiliency efforts in the community and watershed.”
