LONDONDERRY-The Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has released a new river corridor plan for the Upper West River.
The DEC will hold an informational meeting on the plan Wednesday, Sept 3, at 6:30 p.m. at the Londonderry Town Office, 100 Old School St., South Londonderry.
Prepared by Fitzgerald Environmental Associates LLC, the plan focuses on the West River and tributaries upstream of the Townshend dam. It provides an in-depth analysis of the river channel's stability and assesses the natural and human impacts causing changes to the river system.
"The river corridor plan gives DEC and local communities the information they need to understand what is happening in the watershed," said DEC Commissioner Jason Batchelder in a news release. "It also outlines how to improve our river and lake systems, making them healthier and more flood-resilient."
The plan offers 60 recommendations for on-the-ground projects to help improve habitat, restore floodplains, conserve river and wetland corridors, and reduce stormwater runoff from impervious surfaces like rooftops, roads, and parking lots.
The projects also pinpoint where work will help mitigate flooding and protect downstream communities.
"The Upper West River and its tributaries have caused a lot of infrastructure damage in the past several years," said Margo Ghia, natural resources and energy planner at the Windham Regional Commission who also serves as a commissioner on the Connecticut River Advisory Committee. "The restoration and mitigation projects identified in the River Corridor Plan, once completed, will help reduce future impacts of river flooding."
The plan and meeting information can be found on the DEC Watershed Planning Program website under Basin 11 at bit.ly/825-basin11.
This Town and Village item was submitted to The Commons.