The Connecticut River Conservancy (CRC) recently announce the successful completion of project development work on three proposed stormwater projects in southeastern Vermont, made possible through funding from the Vermont Clean Water Initiative Program administered by Watersheds United Vermont.
According to CRC, this project sought to develop potential stormwater projects in Windham County with the goal of minimizing anthropogenic (caused by humans) nutrient and organic pollution, protecting and restoring riparian habitats, and minimizing flood and fluvial erosion hazards.
The project began in May 2025 and concluded in June 2026, completing a feasibility study and conceptual drawings for a proposed stormwater best management practice in Brattleboro, Rockingham, and Westminster.
The Vermont Department of Conservation (VT DEC) has completed stormwater master plans (SWMP) for each town, which identified a list of dozens of potential projects from which to choose. CRC considered at least four potential projects for each town from their respective SWMPs.
CRC then worked with municipal staff, the Windham Regional Commission, the VT DEC, and private landowners to narrow the list down to the one proposed project in each town that was specifically developed.
Pollution load reduction calculations from the proposals estimate that implementing these three proposed stormwater projects could prevent 28.75 kg of phosphorous, 19.5 kg of nitrogen, and 9.05 tons/18,100 pounds of sediment annually from polluting local surface waters, including the Connecticut River and, by extension, Long Island Sound.
"This project represents a significant step forward for each of these towns to develop stormwater management and treatment practices for the benefit of clean water, healthy habitats, and resilient communities," Charles Soucy, CRC Stormwater Project Manager, said in a news release. "None of this work would be possible without the funding from [various organizations] that put that money into the hands of clean water practitioners to do good work in our local communities."
CRC received a VT DEC Enhancement Project Development Grant of $45,100, to scope at least 4 potential projects and develop a specific, conceptual project proposal for each of the towns of Brattleboro, Rockingham, and Westminster.
The results of this development work are proposals for a constructed gravel wetland at the northwest stormwater outfall into Kettle Pond in Brattleboro, a stormwater gully stabilization and filter strip planting project off Lovell Drive in Rockingham, and a bioinfiltration practice (rain garden) at the Westminster West School in Westminster.
CRC will work with the specific landowners for each project to further refine the proposal designs, secure landowner support for future project phases, and seek funding for further design stage and eventual implementation.
"Project development work like this is how we move from a concept listed in a stormwater plan to the reality for stormwater treatment on the ground," said CRC Watershed Planner Marie Caduto. "Partner organizations like CRC bridge the gap by taking the concept directly with landowners to get buy-in to do the implementation. That leads to cleaner water for everyone."
This Town and Village item was submitted to The Commons.