The Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation has a plan for taking care of the White River and its tributaries, and it is now asking for public input before finalizing and implementing it.
A series of meetings in Rochester, Sharon and Bethel has been scheduled over the nexttwo weeks to discuss the Draft White River Basin Tactical Water Quality Management Plan.
The White River is significant for being one of the last free-flowing rivers in Vermont. The White River Tactical Basin Plan was developed with the purpose of improving both water quality and aquatic habitats, and presents the recommendations of State and Federal resource agencies, watershed partner organizations, planning commissions, municipalities, and individual citizens.
The plan outlines the state’s priorities and the specific steps recommended to restore and protect the basin’s surface waters.
The central component of this Tactical Basin Plan is an implementation table, which breaks actions intended to protect, maintain, enhance, and restore surface waters in the basin into geographical segments. Some of the highest priority stressors in the White River Basin include encroachments, channel erosion, invasive species, land erosion, pathogens, thermal stress, acidity, and flow alteration.
The plan calls first for restoration and protective actions in the Upper White, Mid-White, Tweed River and portions of the Third Branch sub-basins. The First and Second Branches, and remaining portions of the Third Branch will be targeted for additional water quality and aquatic habitat monitoring and assessment work.
Public hearings on the plan will be held:
- May 30 at the U.S. Forest Service Conference Room, 99 Ranger Road, Rochester.
- June 4 at the Sharon Town Offices at 69 Route 132 .
- June 6 at the Bethel Town Offices at 134 South Main Street.
The public comment period runs until June 14 and comments received will be addressed in a responsiveness summary.
