MARSHFIELD – An 800-foot earthen berm along the Winooski River has been removed and trees planted in the area, according to the Vermont Land Trust (VLT). The restored riverside land will allow the Winooski to expand into its surrounding floodplain, thus reducing flood risk, improving watershed health, and keeping phosphorus out of Lake Champlain.
photo by Vermont Land Trust
“When heavy rains swell Vermont’s rivers, that extra water needs somewhere to go,” explained VLT’s Ecology & Restoration Program Director Allaire Diamond. “Floodplains hold and absorb flood waters, minimizing damaging impacts downstream. But when artificial barriers like this berm prevent rivers from being able to reach those critical zones, flood damage and water quality are worse.”
Located near the Martin Covered Bridge and John Fowler Road, the site is visible from Route 2. The berm, a long, narrow pile of earth, had been in place for many decades, to prevent flooding into the adjacent field during minor flood events.
photo by Marie Maclay
However, historic floods in 2023 and 2024 hit this section of the river especially hard, highlighting the need for restoration.
After prioritizing the riverside area for conservation some years ago, VLT partnered with the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation and protected nearly 20 acres with a River Corridor Easement in 2021. The land along the river is now permanently set aside so a band of forest will regrow over time, and the river has space to move.
photo by Vermont Land Trust
The berm removal this summer was a collaboration between the landowners, Vermont Fish and Wildlife, engineering consultants Fitzgerald Environmental Associates, construction operators Marshfield Tree Service and Logging, and Friends of the Winooski River.
After the berm was removed, Friends of the Winooski River planted a mix of wetland and floodplain plant seeds in the restoration site to jump-start growth. They then planted 400 trees and shrubs in the one-acre riverside buffer area, which will grow into a forest.
