In July 2025, the Memphremagog Watershed Association (MWA) broke ground on the Upper Salem Hill Brook Restoration Project in Derby. The project is located off Hinman Settler Road on an unnamed Clyde River tributary referred to as Upper Salem Hill Brook. Much of the brook’s headwaters were altered during historic land conversion, including deforestation, dredging, and channelization. To address historic impacts and protect water quality, MWA designed and implemented restoration actions that reduce erosion, restore the stream’s connectivity to its floodplain, enhance wetlands, improve aquatic organism passage, and boost flood resiliency.

A 1-foot problematic culvert was upsized to a 5-foot pipe, which can now pass the 100-year storm without failure or overtopping. The culvert has sediment retention baffles welded to the inside that work to provide full passage to fish and other aquatic organisms. Just downstream, three beaver dam analogues (BDAs) were installed in the incised and eroded channel. These structures will help slow down water velocities, reduce erosion, trap sediments, and raise the water table to encourage floodplain connection. Continuing downstream, an erosive agricultural ditch that emptied into the brook was stabilized with stone check dams to trap sediment and reverse incision.

Roughly 500 feet of stream was realigned from its ditched path to a newly constructed channel that connects to the historic floodplain wetlands. The channelized section of the brook was plugged and filled in with existing berm spoils and other native backfill from the site. By abandoning the old flow path, the brook can spread out across the wetlands, creating multiple channels that slowly make their way downstream. This will improve habitat complexity, recharge the wetland, and open access to a larger area for flood water storage. Large woody materials were strategically placed along the new channel and floodplain to enhance fish habitat, shade the channel and keep temperatures cool, and reduce erosion. Next spring, three acres of woody riparian buffer will be planted along the brook and across the floodplain to improve bank stability and wildlife habitat.

In total, 1,000 feet of Upper Salem Hill Brook were enhanced, encompassing 3 acres of floodplains and wetlands. This project is estimated to reduce phosphorus loading to the Clyde River by 12 kg of phosphorus annually. Project funding was awarded by the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board (VHCB) in their role as the Memphremagog Clean Water Service Provider (CWSP). MWA wishes to acknowledge Cunningham Logging & Excavation, NorthWoods Stewardship Center, and Redstart for their excellent work and partnership throughout this project. Lastly, MWA owes a big thank you to the landowners for working with us to relocate cattle from sensitive wetland areas and for their dedication to stewarding the ecological health of the land.