Area above Sugarhouse Lane that may have old bridge abutments removed. Photo credit: Jessica Louisos
Lewis Creek Association (LCA) and landowners have partnered to plan for improvements to water quality and reduced flooding risk in the Hollow Brook area near Lazy Brook Mobile Home Park on Hollow Road in Starksboro. In this area, Hollow Brook comes down off Lincoln Hill and the Hinesburg Town Forest, and would historically have spread out into the lower elevation wetlands. In these “alluvial fan” areas, streams often drop their sediment and move around over time. However, in this particular location, past agricultural practices (straightening/berming along the stream) and development combined to push and constrain the stream into its current location. There was an old bridge crossing the brook near the mobile home park, which has left concrete in and near the brook; this constricts the brook and has caused floodwaters to leave the stream and flood the neighborhood. Upstream, runoff from the roads focused water and sped it up coming down the steep slopes, which has caused some major erosion, and dumped much sediment in the brook. At Sugar House Lane, the double culvert is too small, so has blocked fish passage and increased upstream flooding risk.
Hollow Brook feeds into Lewis Creek in the northwest corner of Starksboro just south of Tyler Bridge Rd in Hinesburg, and Lewis Creek eventually drains into Lake Champlain. Lewis Creek is impaired for E. coli bacteria in stretches; we hope to maintain water quality in Hollow Brook so that it doesn’t contribute to harmful algal blooms and fish die-offs in Lake Champlain. You can learn more about the problem and what landowners can do to improve water quality in a brief 17-minute presentation LCA’s website at https://www.lewiscreek.org/water-quality-videos. These include things like slowing water down, spreading it out, and sinking it in to the ground (“the three S’s” that are central to LCA’s Ahead of the Storm program. You can learn more about the Ahead of the Storm program at www.lewiscreek.org/ahead-of-the-storm.). It is crucial that we all do our part to improve to water quality in small ways, in order to improve Lake Champlain’s water quality and beauty, and to protect the animals and plants that live in our rivers and streams.
Jessica Louisos and Claire Nauman of SLR designed two projects: removal of the old bridge abutments and concrete in the brook (which will help minimize the risk of flooding in the mobile home park in the future) and a new bridge for the Sugarhouse Lane crossing. Lewis Creek Association consulted with the town road crew and Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission to help address the runoff coming from Lincoln Hill Road and causing major erosion. Next steps include obtaining funding for the final design and permitting of the bridge abutment removal and culvert replacement, then hopefully completing those projects! Together, they will help improve water quality, habitat for fish, and flood resiliency. Please reach out to Kate Kelly, 488-5203 or lewiscreekorg@gmail.com with any questions. Funding for this grant came from a VT Department of Environmental Conservation grant to Watersheds United Vermont, with a subgrant to LCA.