Trees For Streams "Riparian Buffers"

The Winooski Natural Resources Conservation District (WNRCD) received funding from the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation (VT DEC) Ecosystem Restoration Program (ERP) for its Trees for Streams (TFS)– Spring 2015 program. TFS is a model program developed by the Lamoille County Natural Resources Conservation District (LCNRCD) and has been emulated since 1999 to enhance riparian buffers on private lands throughout Vermont. WNRCD requires landowners who want to participate in the program to contribute to a cost-share and sign a stewardship agreement to tend to and protect the plantings for a minimum of ten years. The US Fish and Wildlife (USFWS) Partners for Fish and Wildlife (Partners) program also provided support through personnel hours, mileage and in most cases, contribute to the cost of the planting materials for the TFS program.

In the spring of 2015, WNRCD planted 5.3 acres of forested riparian buffer on private land in Chittenden and Washington Counties. The 5.3 acres planted will help improve water quality and protect surface waters by reducing the impacts of stressors on streams including channel erosion, invasive species, land erosion, nutrient and sediment loading. The sites that have been planted will also be more resilient to future flooding, once the vegetation matures. The 5.3 acres of riparian buffers were planted at four sites during the spring of 2015 by contractors from the Intervale Conservation Nursery and Habitat Restoration Solutions LLC. The four sites were in Charlotte, Middlesex and Northfield. Each landowner signed a stewardship agreement with WNRCD stating their commitment to maintaining the buffer for a minimum of ten years (until 2025) and allowing WNRCD access over the ten years to evaluate the buffers and to provide assistance as needed. A stewardship plan for the establishment period of the trees was also developed for the first three years following planting and included as part of the landowner agreements.

Each of the sites was planted with consultation with USFWS Partners to develop diverse planting plans that were representative of each area’s natural community and were a match for the soil type of the area. Early successional plants that are most likely to support the relative natural community were chosen for each site.

The first property was planted in mid-May by Habitat Restoration Solutions, LLC. One hundred stems and 25 willow stakes were planted over 0.3 acres or 325 linear feet of an unnamed tributary to Lewis Creek. This site was unusual, as the buffer width was lower than in all other properties, but was clearly a priority as the tributary leads to Lewis Creek. The buffer width varied to very narrow (3 feet) to approximately 15 feet. This was confirmed as a priority site with our watershed coordinator prior to submitting an application for funding for this spring’s plantings. The unnamed tributary has not been evaluated, there is not a geomorphic assessment for the area, but it leads to Lewis Creek and the site has been aggressively treated for the eradication of knotweed in 2014 and the site did not have much vegetation, possibly acting as a contributor to sedimentation into the tributary and ultimately, Lewis Creek. Willow stakes were installed at the water’s edge and Silky Dogwood and Pussy Willow planted on low terraces immediately adjacent to the stream and the lower end of the slopes above the stream. White Ash and White Pine were planted on the upper slopes and at the top of the west bank.

The second property was planted in mid-May by the Intervale Conservation Nursery. Three hundred and ninety two stems were planted over 1 acre or approximately 812 linear feet along the Winooski River. The average buffer width planted is 75 feet. This floodplain is located on high banks above the Winooski River, where annual flooding is not extensive. Box elder and Cottonwood were planted closest to the river, with dogwoods concentrated in the lower-lying areas. Remaining species were mixed behind.

The third property was planted in mid-May by the Intervale Conservation Nursery. Six hundred and five stems were planted over 1.5 acres or approximately 1,493 linear feet along Union Brook, a tributary to the Dog River in Northfield. The average buffer width was 40 feet, with narrower areas at the entrance of Fernandez Road and wider in Zone 1, river bend. In Zone 1, willows and alders were planted on the wet terraces closest to the brook, with Grey Birch and aspen mixed in behind them. In drier Zone 2, pine, Paper Birch and cherries were planted. The start of the buffer was stepped back +/- 15 feet, as the town recently repairs to the bridge over Union Brook on Fernandez Road and constructed a small ramp at the entrance of the property to move equipment to the underside of the bridge. Since the use of the ramp is indefinite, it was decided to avoid planting in this area.

The fourth property was planted in mid-May by the Habitat Restoration Solutions, LLC. One thousand and six stems were planted over 2.5acres or 1,200 linear feet along Lewis Creek and approximately 1,359 linear feet along both sides of the unnamed tributary. The average buffer width planted was 35 feet. Along Lewis Creek (Zone 1), willow was planted on the floodplain benches and immediately above, mixed willow and Box Elder; mixed cherries, ash and pine towards the edge with pines concentrated on the perimeter where it is drier. Along the unnamed tributary (Zone 2), the lowest floodplain benches were not planted because of active erosion. Due to ice scour, planting was stepped back from the banks 10 feet, where willow and Box Elder were concentrated.

Five treatment test plots were established by Katie Kain of the United State Fish and Wildlife Services, to monitor tree survival and growth in thick reed canary grass. Sixty five stems total of Box Elder, Black Willow and Chokecherry were planted in each plot.

The Winooski Natural Resources Conservation District (WNRCD) has signed stewardship agreements from landowners who participated in the 2015 WNRCD Spring Trees for Streams program. The landowners agreed to maintain the buffers by not mowing, cutting down trees, using pesticides or grazing in the buffer area for ten years. WNRCD has agreed to provide stewardship for each of the four properties over time.

Stewardship Activities:

• Survival Monitoring—WNRCD will monitor the health of the trees planted, specifically looking for signs of disease, invasive encroachment and recruitment of the natural plant community. Survival monitoring will be completed at all four planting sites one, three and five years after the plantings.

• Check on tree protection measures—WNRCD will straighten and re-drive loose stakes, check ties and tighten or replace any tree protection items installed one and three years after the plantings are complete. The tree protection devices will be removed five years from the planting date.

• Replacement Plantings—WNRCD will replant any areas with significant losses not attributed to landowner stewardship to bring tree density to desired density with consideration of natural recruitment. If it is apparent that there are sites in need of replacement plantings, these will be completed three and/or five years after the plantings.

• Flooding—If riparian buffer sites flood during a major flood event, WNRCD will visit the site to straighten and reposition plants and replace tree protection materials and stakes if needed. WNRCD will also monitor and record loss estimates for replanting. This stewardship task is situational and dependent upon large weather events.

Throughout the summer of 2015, USFWS Partners and a perennial intern from the University of Vermont (UVM) visited prior Trees for Streams sites in addition to conducting planting projects and different stewardship and maintenance activities. USFWS set up treatment plots (weedwhack, herbicide, control) and gave each planted tree a numbered tag and collected baseline heights of each tree at planting. In early June, USFWS and their intern weedwhacked and sprayed around the trees. The hope is to knock back the surrounding vegetation which appears to be quite competitive (specifically reed canary grass a non-native). Weedwhacking will take place once a month and they will measure heights throughout the summer to determine growth and whether these methods are effective in helping the planting communities to re-establish themselves. USFWS plans to continue this study and maintenance approach into the summer of 2016 to have two growth seasons worth of data to analyze.

The WNRCD thanks our funders and partners for the efforts and support.

For more information on how you can participate in the Trees for Streams program and other Water Quality protection activities, please visit: www.winooskinrcd.org or email: info@winooskinrcd.org

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