Restoration Projects help to control erosion and stormwater runoff reducing the sediment and phosphorus load that degrade water quality.
Process-Based Restoration
Working with NorthWoods Stewardship Center and Vermont Fish & Wildlife, MWA identified, designed, developed, and permitted two low-tech, process-based restoration projects near the Barton River on the Willoughby Falls Wildlife Management Area. This project focuses on installing and monitoring strategic wood additions and ‘beaver mimicry structures’ in historic agricultural ditches running through the Barton River floodplain. The ditches act to drain valuable wetlands and prevent floodplain reforestation through drying and draining of low-lying areas. We constructed 11 large wood structures in the ditch channels to reduce the drainage capacity of the ditch, raise local water tables, and trap sediment and phosphorus on the floodplain. This project is funded through the Great Lakes Fisheries Commission.
Lake Shorelands Restoration
MWA works with our partners at local lake associations, the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation Lakes & Ponds Division, and the Federation of Vermont Lakes and Ponds to perform much-needed planning, restoration, and management work for shorelands. For years, MWA has been a leader in promoting and facilitating the Lake Wise program for lakeshore properties. We regularly team with partners to provide detailed site plans, designs, and permit applications for lake shoreland restoration projects. When we’re lucky, we even get to help plant trees, build stone steps, and install bioengineering to stabilize shorelines.
We are also the local leader in lake watershed assessment and planning. We’re partnering with the Orleans County Natural Resources Conservation District to develop the Willoughby Lake Watershed Action Plan. This plan focuses on project identification, prioritization, and conceptual design development for water quality projects in three core areas: 1) streams, 2) shorelands, and 3) roadways. MWA is performing field assessments, generating GIS and mapping products, and developing Best Management Practice designs for a multitude of natural resource projects. This project is funded through the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation.
Stream & Wetland Restoration
MWA has the capacity to perform technical analysis and design for stream and wetland restoration projects. Our staff has over a decade of professional experience performing site evaluations, topographic surveys, hydrologic & hydraulic modeling, bioengineering, reforestation planning, GIS analysis, and CAD design for a multitude of projects.
Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department tasked MWA with leading restoration design for a recently acquired Streambank Management Area in Morgan, VT. This land, historically a dairy farm, will undergo stream and wetland restoration actions to improve water quality and restore fish habitat. Work will include barn demolition, culvert removals, streambank stabilization, strategic wood additions, and floodplain reforestation. This project is funded through the Great Lakes Fisheries Commission.