WOODBURY – The Winooski Natural Resources Conservation District (NRCD) is preparing a Lake Watershed Action Plan for the Sabin Pond watershed area, which includes Woodbury Lake, Greenwood Lake and Valley Lake. The state of Vermont selected the district to measure the area’s water quality and erosion levels on roads, wetlands, streams and lakefront properties in order to find a source of poor water quality.
The project’s funding lasts two years, and they began in May. They hope to complete most of the field research this summer. The district also works in a range of other areas including stormwater management, agriculture, dam removals and tree plantings.
“And all of this that we’re doing is free to the town and to the citizens, and it’s also non-regulatory, so we’re not coming around to find people. We’re just trying to look for potential issues that might be reducing water quality,” said district manager Daniel Koenemann.
The research group is made up of four people. An average day, says Koenemann, includes looking at maps to identify problem areas and working with town citizens, select boards and conservation commissions. They then conduct field research along shorelines to identify erosion.
A portion of the project includes Lake Wise assessments, in which the team conducts free water quality tests on lakefront properties. If readers have a property in the Sabin Pond watershed, or have questions about the project, the district encourages inquiries about this project or their others. For a Lake Wise assessment use the following link: https://tinyurl.com/4jsus2jc.
