After Tropical Storm Irene in 2011 and again in July 2023, swollen rivers tore through Vermont communities: businesses were neck-deep in water, homes were knocked off their foundations, and sewage treatment plants burst into rivers. Despite the heroic ways our communities showed up for one another after these disasters, our neighbors and shop owners are exhausted. Our communities cannot go through this again. Yet the unfortunate reality is that every climate model predicts Vermont will see more floods and more droughts – impacts absorbed by our rivers and felt by our communities. This is where we make a difference.
In places where people have wholly drained wetlands, built up riverbanks with industrial fill, dammed rivers, and clearcut to the rivers’ edge, we step in to help kickstart nature’s recovery. In some places, this means we plant trees and shrubs along riverbanks, and return year after year to help care for these young forests, giving them every chance to succeed in their good work: rooting deep to hold soils in place, branching out to shade water, and providing homes for a chorus of birds.
In other places, nature needs a bigger kickstart. This is when we bring in the “big yellow trucks.” We wade through the red tape, engineering, designs, and permits, then haul concrete dams out of riverbeds or move truckloads of industrial fill away from riverbanks. When we’re done, water can naturally spill across the land, drop debris, and store water, keeping communities safer during the next big flood.
Piled high with industrial fill, these 12 acres didn't flood during Tropical Storm Irene, instead pushing Whetstone Brook into neighbors' homes and downtown businesses. To fix this problem, we bought these 12-acres, hauled out gravel, and restored the ancient floodplain and wetland.
We are working to remove 4 dams along the Winooski River in and around Montpelier. These projects will lower flood levels, increase water quality, and allow for improved fish passage. Embark on a tour of this project with our Montpelier Dam Tour.
Bookending North Troy recreation fields, the wastewater treatment plant, and a hydro dam, we're working to protect areas along the Missisquoi River. Farmed years ago, the land is reverting back to wetlands – an opportunity to help low-value farmland become high-value wetlands.