Strategic Wood Addition Design Project Moving Forward in Montgomery

The Franklin County Natural Resources Conservation District, in partnership with Redstart, and with funding provided from the Northwest Regional Planning Commission acting as the Missisquoi Bay Basin Clean Water Service Provider with funds from Vermont DEC Clean Water Initiative Program (CWIP), is advancing a project for the installation of strategic wood additions across headwater streams on private property in Montgomery and Belvidere, VT.

The design includes installing approximately 60 coarse wood structures across West Hill Brook and nearby tributaries in the Trout River Outlet subbasin. The expected Phosphorus reduction associated with this project is slightly under 5 kg/year; the primary goal of this project is to improve water quality by reducing export of inorganic nutrients and sediments from these headwater tributary areas by reconnecting nearby historic floodplains. At this time, a detailed site assessment has been completed, and the preliminary design work has been completed. Consultation with regulators is ongoing and funding is being secured for implementation.

During implementation, skilled technicians will select locations for wood installation based on the feasibility of felling suitable riparian trees and securing them by hand in the stream. In all locations, the installed wood structures will be designed to withstand peak flows and are expected to retain fine sediments and organic debris in a way that will reduce channel incision over time.

The work follows the technical guidance found in the Vermont Strategic Wood Additions Handbook. At each point of potential floodplain reconnection, 1-3 riparian trees with marginal wildlife/geomorphic value will be directionally felled, cut to length, and manually placed into the streams to create secure, channel-spanning structures. These structures will be large enough, and assembled in such a way, that adjacent floodplains can be connected vertically.

This effort is part of a larger movement across Vermont to add wood back into streams where it has historically been but has been removed for a variety of reasons. These types of projects aim to jumpstart restoration processes that can be self-sustaining over time to improve environmental and water quality outcomes.

Natural wood accumulated in a steep stream in Belvidere, showing impact of slowing water in forested settings.