Lewis Creek Association (LCA) and landowners have partnered to plan for improvements to water quality in McCabe’s Brook just south (upstream) of the Vermont Teddy Bear Company/Vermont Day School. McCabe’s Brook has poor water quality. The brook originates near the Charlotte Central School, then passes through Charlotte and east of Earthkeep Farmcommon (formerly Nordic Farm). It is visible as it passes under Route 7 in Shelburne near the Vermont Day School/Teddy Bear Company, then runs west of the School St. neighborhood and passes under Harbor Road between Davis Park and the Arbors. From there, the wastewater treatment facility drains into it, and it parallels the Ti Haul Path before draining into the LaPlatte River just upstream from its mouth in Shelburne Bay. Runoff, stormwater discharges and stream erosion near the Shelburne Village, combined with upstream agricultural runoff and stream erosion, has led to phosphorus (a nutrient) levels in McCabe’s Brook that exceed the state criterion. The Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation and US Environmental Protection Agency have deemed McCabe’s Brook as “impaired” in its downstream stretches by excess nutrients, as it does not adequately support aquatic life (fish and invertebrates). Excess phosphorus can also contribute to harmful cyanobacteria blooms (“blue-green algae”), and fish die-offs.
The project team visits McCabe’s Brook. Photo credit: Kate Kelly
To help address this problem, LCA developed a plan in early 2023 to prioritize a list of water quality improvement projects in the McCabe’s Brook watershed. This area of the brook was identified in that plan, and with funding from our basin’s Clean Water Service Provider (Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission) and Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation, LCA has now completed a concept design to restore habitat and improve water quality in this area. The brook in this area was historically straightened, and is lacking tree cover and natural floodplain connection. The design includes tree and shrub plantings while also controlling invasive species, and lowering the floodplain/adding wood structures to the stream to allow the brook to spill out onto its floodplain (and improve in-stream habitat for animals). The extent of this work is from the Teddy Bear access road to about 0.25 mile upstream (south). LCA now plans to pursue final engineered design plans for this site, and to continue to collaborate with the Vermont Day School and Vermont Teddy Bear Company, as well as private landowners, to make the project a reality.
Possible excavation area west of stream. Photo credit: Jessica Louisos
You can learn more about Lake Champlain’s water quality problem and what landowners can do to improve water quality in a 17-minute presentation LCA’s website at bit.ly/lca-wq-videos. These include things like slowing water down, spreading it out, and sinking it into the ground (“the three S’s” that are central to LCA’s Ahead of the Storm (AOTS) program. Learn more about the AOTS program at bit.ly/lca-aots). It is crucial that we all do our part to improve to water quality in small ways, in order to improve Lake Champlain’s health and beauty, and to protect the animals and plants that live in our rivers and streams.