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Vermont Wetland Restoration Manual

Presenters:

Laura Lapierre, DEC Wetlands Program Manager

Dori Barton, Arrowwood Environmental

Eric Hagen, Arrowwood Environmental

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Vermont Wetland Restoration Manual

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Benefits of�Wetland�Protection and Restoration

Natural attenuation of stormwater runoff and flood waters
Mitigate erosive forces
Surface and groundwater protection
Habitat for wildlife, migratory birds, fish, and rare, threatened or endangered species
Recreation
Aesthetics

Water Quality

Flood Control

Fish Habitat

Wildlife

Natural Comm-unities

Rare Species Habitat

Education & Research

Recreation

Erosion Control

Aesthetics

Vermont Wetland Restoration Manual

Vermont ’s wetlands are extremely important resources that the Agency of Natural Resources and many other concerned groups are seeking to protect. Wetlands are worthy of protection because of the many valuable and irreplaceable functions they provide, which include: flood control, water quality protection, wildlife habitat, recreation opportunities, economic benefits, and erosion control. Since the degree to which a wetland serves these functions varies, many wetlands are needed to work in combination with each other as part of a complex, integrated system.

One of the most commonly cited functions of wetlands is their ability to maintain and improve the water quality of adjacent streams, rivers, and lakes. Surface runoff often flows through wetlands prior to discharging into waterways. The phosphorus-containing sediment in this runoff is deposited in riparian areas as it flows through wetland vegetation. The associated pollutants can then be absorbed by the vegetation through nutrient uptake

Attenuation of stormwater runoff

Mitigate erosive forces

Surface and groundwater� Protection

Habitat for wildlife, migratory birds, fish, and RTE species

Recreation and Aesthetics

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Wetland Restoration is an �Allowed Use

Activity in a Class I or Class II wetland or its associated buffer zone is prohibited unless it is an allowed use or authorized by a permit.

Allowed Use 6.23: Wetland restoration or stream restoration projects, including dam removals, in accordance with a plan approved by the Secretary.

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Vermont’s Clean Water Service Delivery Act of 2019, Act 76

non-regulatory water quality projects
essential to achieve water quality goals in the Memphremagog and Lake Champlain TMDLs
Establishes interim phosphorus reduction targets

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Acknowledgements

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Chapter 1. Introduction

Laying a foundation of common definitions and expectations

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What is a Wetland?

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Wetland Types

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Chapter 2. Background Assessment and Planning

Project purpose
Site selection
Site assessment
Developing a plan
Submitting a plan

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Project Purpose

Example:

Reduce downstream flood severity and improve habitat connectivity for a broad range of species within town boundaries by reconnecting floodplains and revegetating wetlands and riparian buffers.

Primary and secondary goal (one or two)

Geographic extent

General strategy (can develop later)

Keep it simple

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We start the background assessment and planning chapter with a section dedicated to crafting a project purpose.
If someone already has a location in mind, a project purpose will help them decide which areas to treat and how to treat them.
If they don’t have a site in mind, a project purpose can help narrow down a long list of possibilities into a shortlist of sites with high impact.
We want people to keep this simple.

choose one or two primary goals,
specify the geographic extent of possible project locations, and
describe a general strategy for achieving your primary goals

These components can be updated later, but we want people to try to articulate as much as they can early in the process.
Here’s an example of a project purpose we gave in the manual.

It starts with the primary and secondary goals
The geographic extent
And the general strategy

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Desktop Review

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Desktop Review

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Desktop Review

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Site Assessment

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Site Assessment

Overview

General conditions and project scope
Landowner knowledge

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Site Assessment

Detailed Assessment

Topography
Landscape position
Soils
Hydrology
Vegetation
Wildlife

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Site Assessment

Feasibility Assessment

Is restoration needed?
Target conditions and practices?
Additional Permitting?
Is the project practical?

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Site Assessment Worksheet

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Developing a Restoration Plan

Example Restoration Plan Map – existing conditions and proposed practices

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Developing a Restoration Plan

Choosing the Right Amount of Complexity

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Developing a Restoration Plan

Plan Components

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Developing a Restoration Plan

Submitting a Restoration Plan

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Chapter 3. Wetland Restoration Practices

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Common Elements

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Common Elements

Examples

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Common Elements

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Common Elements

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Common Elements

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Chapter 3. Wetland Restoration Practices

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3.1 Passive Restoration

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3.2 Invasive Species Control & Management

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3.3 Wetland Revegetation and Enhancement

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3.4 Ditch Plugs

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3.5 Fill Drainage Ditches

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3.6 Remove Sediment and Fill

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3.7 Surface Drainage Reroutes

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3.8 Tile Drain Blocks

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3.9 Hummock/Hollow Creation

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3.10 Shallow Depressions/Scrapes

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3.11 Supplemental Practices

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3.11 Supplemental Practices

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3.11 Supplemental Practices

Erosion Control Practices

Seeding and Mulch
Erosion Control Blankets
Wetland Matting
Silt Fence

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3.11 Supplemental Practices

Beaver Dam Analogs & Post-Assisted Log Structures

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3.11 Supplemental Practices

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Chapter 4. Regulatory Considerations

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Chapter 4 highlights regulatory requirements that could impact a restoration project.
Regulatory considerations are difficult to address because they’re complicated, context dependent, and likely to change through time.
The quick guide you see here gives a birds-eye view of the regulatory environment, and then we go into more detail on each component in the rest of the chapter.
What we tried to do is give a snapshot of the likely triggers for additional permitting requirements at the federal, state, and local levels.
We’re expecting non-professionals to work out their permitting with help from either a consultant, or the district wetland ecologist during the review process.
This chapter is trying to help de-mystify the regulatory arena and help people to take on as much or as little complexity as they want.

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Chapter 5. Monitoring, Evaluating Success, & Adaptive Management

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If You Do Nothing Else

NNIS
Nearby Impact
Erosion
Hydrology
Maintenance

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Vermont Rapid Assessment Method for Wetlands (VRAM)

Developed and supported by the Wetlands Program
Overall wetland quality
Standardized, quantifiable, and repeatable
Identify compromised functions and values
Track changes through time

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VRAM Metrics and Restoration Indicators of Success

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Specialized Monitoring Information

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Timelines & Evaluating Success

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Adaptive Management

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Conclusion

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Thank You!!!