Dataset Identification:
Resource Abstract:
- description: (<a href="http://maps.vcgi.vermont.gov/gisdata/metadata/EnvironOther_WBRANCH2003.htm" target="_blank">Link
to Metadata</a>) Because of the well known problems of the river, the West Branch was identified as a restoration implementation
site to be funded as part of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Project Impact Initiative. The Lamoille County
Planning Commission (LCPC) coordinated the project development and construction of the river restoration project on the West
Branch in Stowe, Vermont between 2000 and 2001. This is Phase I of the project. There is significant amount of work planned
for both the West Branch and the main stem of the Little River. The West Branch is a classic example of degraded river system
due to multiple human disturbances. Occurring excessively in the 1980s, gravel mining was just one of these disturbances.
This reduction of sediment over-widened the stream channel, disallowing sufficient sediment transport. As of 2003, the West
Branch (5.8 miles) is listed on the Environmental Protection Agencys (EPA) 303(d) impaired waters list for the pollution listing
of physical habitat changes. There are several causes of instability on the West Branch, including excessive gravel mining,
urban runoff, and floodplain encroachments. All of these have led to the West Branchs active stream channel losing connection
to its floodplain in many locations. The stream has responded to these human induced disturbances by trying to reestablish
a new floodplain at a lower elevation and degrading its bed. The bed degradation has migrated upstream (head cut) and created
additional instability. The head cut has also caused the adjoining tributaries to become unstable, further contributing to
the excess sedimentation of the West Branch. During this valley forming process, additional stream energy has remained in
the channel causing streambanks to oversteepen and the additional bank erosion has lead to a channel bed build up of sediment
(aggradation). This sedimentation process has many adverse impacts on fisheries habitat and water quality. Deep pool areas
have filled in with sediment and fish spawning habitat has become smothered with fine sediment. Creating quality trout habitat
in the West Branch was one of the restoration goals of the project. By re-establishing a stable reach of the river and providing
habitat for all life stages of trout, the project partners hoped to achieve increases of instream cover and greater depth
in pools. In order to assess changes to the project area over a period of time, permanent photographic stations were established
along the river. These photo stations are documented by Michael S. Adams of the Army Corps of Engineers on the site plans.
Pre-restoration photos were taken by Mr. Adams prior to construction in 2001. These photos, titled 'Army Corps of Engineers
Pre-Restoration Photo Inventory (2001) of the West Branch in Stowe, VT' can be found zipped with this dataset. The first
year of photos were taken on September 27, 2002 and the second year photos were taken on September 8, 2003. These restoration
photos are included in the 'Photo inventory of the Post-Monitoring (2002-2003) of the West Branch in Stowe, Vermont'
zipped with this dataset (see Cross Reference for this metadata citation.) Data results for the initial restoration and the
2002 post monitoring project are published in the spatial dataset titled 'Post Monitoring (2002) of the West Branch Natural
Channel Design Restoration Project in Stowe, Vermont' (see Cross Reference for this metadata citation and information
about data download). NOTE that this metadata was generated using the NBII Biological Profile and includes information about
methods in Section 2 that will be lost if imported into a metadata software that doesn't recognize the biological fields
(i.e. ArcCatalog).; abstract: (<a href="http://maps.vcgi.vermont.gov/gisdata/metadata/EnvironOther_WBRANCH2003.htm"
target="_blank">Link to Metadata</a>) Because of the well known problems of the river, the West Branch
was identified as a restoration implementation site to be funded as part of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
Project Impact Initiative. The Lamoille County Planning Commission (LCPC) coordinated the project development and construction
of the river restoration project on the West Branch in Stowe, Vermont between 2000 and 2001. This is Phase I of the project.
There is significant amount of work planned for both the West Branch and the main stem of the Little River. The West Branch
is a classic example of degraded river system due to multiple human disturbances. Occurring excessively in the 1980s, gravel
mining was just one of these disturbances. This reduction of sediment over-widened the stream channel, disallowing sufficient
sediment transport. As of 2003, the West Branch (5.8 miles) is listed on the Environmental Protection Agencys (EPA) 303(d)
impaired waters list for the pollution listing of physical habitat changes. There are several causes of instability on the
West Branch, including excessive gravel mining, urban runoff, and floodplain encroachments. All of these have led to the West
Branchs active stream channel losing connection to its floodplain in many locations. The stream has responded to these human
induced disturbances by trying to reestablish a new floodplain at a lower elevation and degrading its bed. The bed degradation
has migrated upstream (head cut) and created additional instability. The head cut has also caused the adjoining tributaries
to become unstable, further contributing to the excess sedimentation of the West Branch. During this valley forming process,
additional stream energy has remained in the channel causing streambanks to oversteepen and the additional bank erosion has
lead to a channel bed build up of sediment (aggradation). This sedimentation process has many adverse impacts on fisheries
habitat and water quality. Deep pool areas have filled in with sediment and fish spawning habitat has become smothered with
fine sediment. Creating quality trout habitat in the West Branch was one of the restoration goals of the project. By re-establishing
a stable reach of the river and providing habitat for all life stages of trout, the project partners hoped to achieve increases
of instream cover and greater depth in pools. In order to assess changes to the project area over a period of time, permanent
photographic stations were established along the river. These photo stations are documented by Michael S. Adams of the Army
Corps of Engineers on the site plans. Pre-restoration photos were taken by Mr. Adams prior to construction in 2001. These
photos, titled 'Army Corps of Engineers Pre-Restoration Photo Inventory (2001) of the West Branch in Stowe, VT'
can be found zipped with this dataset. The first year of photos were taken on September 27, 2002 and the second year photos
were taken on September 8, 2003. These restoration photos are included in the 'Photo inventory of the Post-Monitoring
(2002-2003) of the West Branch in Stowe, Vermont' zipped with this dataset (see Cross Reference for this metadata citation.)
Data results for the initial restoration and the 2002 post monitoring project are published in the spatial dataset titled
'Post Monitoring (2002) of the West Branch Natural Channel Design Restoration Project in Stowe, Vermont' (see Cross
Reference for this metadata citation and information about data download). NOTE that this metadata was generated using the
NBII Biological Profile and includes information about methods in Section 2 that will be lost if imported into a metadata
software that doesn't recognize the biological fields (i.e. ArcCatalog).
Citation
- Title VT West Branch Natural Channel Post Monitoring 2003.
-
- creation Date
2018-06-07T07:15:36.866061
Resource language:
Processing environment:
Back to top:
Metadata data stamp:
2018-08-06T23:09:50Z
Resource Maintenance Information
- maintenance or update frequency:
- notes: This metadata record was generated by an xslt transformation from a dc metadata record; Transform by Stephen M. Richard, based
on a transform by Damian Ulbricht. Run on 2018-08-06T23:09:50Z
Metadata contact
-
pointOfContact
- organisation Name
CINERGI Metadata catalog
-
- Contact information
-
-
- Address
-
- electronic Mail Address cinergi@sdsc.edu
Metadata language
eng
Metadata character set encoding:
utf8
Metadata standard for this record:
ISO 19139 Geographic Information - Metadata - Implementation Specification
standard version:
2007
Metadata record identifier:
urn:dciso:metadataabout:250c1810-8364-4727-aacd-a55d43fdd7e7
Metadata record format is ISO19139 XML (MD_Metadata)