Improving the Health of the Missisquoi Bay Watershed
The Vermont Agency of Natural Resources' Planning with Partners for Continued Success
Watershed Planning
The 2021 Missisquoi Bay Tactical Basin Plan guides the Agency of Natural Resources and its partners in protecting and restoring the watershed's lakes, wetlands and rivers for recreational opportunities and aquatic habitat among many other uses as described in the Vermont Water Quality Standards.
![](https://cdn.arcgis.com/sharing/rest/content/items/38e334ee159349638f517a106548f744/resources/tOrAg-aYwS_QDlw8r0clm.jpeg?w=20)
As the primary sources of pollution to the Bay are associated with land use activity, much of the Agency's planning is focused on how to best provide resources to the community to improve stewardship practices on their property.
![](https://cdn.arcgis.com/sharing/rest/content/items/38e334ee159349638f517a106548f744/resources/PRNtadR3KsilEBEH2ZLkK.jpeg?w=20)
The Agency recognizes that for a community to adopt new land use practices, successful connections with land managers must be made and the necessary assistance and resources provided. This is most effectively done with the assistance of community-based partners. Rock-lining road side ditches to prevent erosion is one such practice.
![](https://cdn.arcgis.com/sharing/rest/content/items/38e334ee159349638f517a106548f744/resources/1RnNfAD3QNVRNwRyXDWS7.jpeg?w=20)
The tactical basin plan for Lake Champlain's Missisquoi Bay watershed can be found on the Agency's Missisquoi Bay webpage below.
The participation of watershed groups, regional planning commissions, Natural Resource Conservation Districts and other community partners in the Missisquoi in the planning process as well as project implementation ensures success. This story map describes the planning process as well as partners' roles in implementing the plans' strategies. In addition, this story map describes the watershed's health and includes interactive maps used to identify areas for protection and restoration and support strategy development. Use the buttons below to access the plan and to learn more about watershed planning.
Planning in the Missisquoi Bay Watershed
![](https://cdn.arcgis.com/sharing/rest/content/items/38e334ee159349638f517a106548f744/resources/B3NSbFoNNawy8ZRl2Kz1q.jpeg?w=20)
The Missisquoi Bay planning process brought together the Agency and partners to discuss how to facilitate the community's adoption of stewardship practices for a healthier Missisquoi Bay and its contributing waterways.
![](https://cdn.arcgis.com/sharing/rest/content/items/38e334ee159349638f517a106548f744/resources/dfIrMHDna1F3HYfMtu7jX.jpeg?w=20)
The resulting tactical basin plan for the Missisquoi Bay includes strategies that document the outcome of discussions with partners as to how best to direct available technical assistance, and outreach and education. The range of Agency of Natural Resources' assistance across all land use sectors is described in the Vermont Nonpoint Source Management Plan 2021-202 5.
![](https://cdn.arcgis.com/sharing/rest/content/items/38e334ee159349638f517a106548f744/resources/6IK30kyub5aT3Cq3OxG4P.jpeg?w=20)
The implementation of these strategies will result in an increase in Best Management Practice adopted by the community, leading to a reduction of pollutants entering our waterways.
Outcomes ensure that we can continue to enjoy our lakes, wetlands and rivers and that these surface waters.
Watershed Description
The Missisquoi Bay watershed extends from the eastern slopes of the Jay Range to Lake Champlain's Missisquoi Bay. The three largest rivers in the basin, the Missisquoi, the Pike and the Rock, loop north into Quebec and then back into Vermont. The map below identifies the other tributaries as well as towns within the watershed.
![](https://cdn.arcgis.com/sharing/rest/content/items/38e334ee159349638f517a106548f744/resources/tNlcMzhjuLcj9HMrmFH5s.png?w=20)
Tributaries to the Missisquoi Bay and towns in the watershed
Land use and Land cover: challenges and attributes
Heathy rivers, streams, ponds, lakes and wetlands are supported where the community adopts practices to reduce erosion and other pollutant runoff or supports natural resource protection. Protecting a natural resource like forested land cover on its own will protect surface waters by allowing for the slowing and infiltration of runoff to avoid pollutant loading through erosion.
beaver wetland in forested landscape
The predominantly forested areas in the watershed are associated with Trout River and upper Missisquoi River, while the Rock River and lower Missisquoi have higher percentages of agricultural and developed land. A lower percentage of forested cover often corresponds with degraded surface waters identified in the degraded surface water map (see Map Section). In contrast, surface waters that meet criteria for more pristine watershed tend to be located in areas where forest makes up a higher percentage of the landscape.
Landuse and cover in the Missisquoi Bay Watershed
Summary of 2021 Missisquoi Bay Tactical Basin Plan Strategies
The above table is a summary of the 2021 Tactical Basin Plan strategies by land use or land cover. Found in Chapter 5 of the plan, the Implementation Table identifies priority areas for protection or restoration and includes information about available resources to implement the strategies. The outcome supports land managers in adopting land and water resource stewardship practices that contribute to a healthy watershed.
Role of Partners
Progress
Land Stewardship in the Watershed: Landowner, Partners and Projects
Examples of projects completed by watershed partners to address pollutants across all land uses follow. Other clean water projects are identified in the Vermont Clean Water Project Explorer .
![](https://cdn.arcgis.com/sharing/rest/content/items/38e334ee159349638f517a106548f744/resources/KhdkFubkKJ_3HVCzfCYIl.png?w=200)
Monitoring to understand success of new practices
An aeration system installed in Lake Carmi in 2019 will reduce input of of legacy phosphorus from lake bottom sediments. UVM, FWC and DEC will all help to collect data to document level of success of this new practice in the watershed
![](https://cdn.arcgis.com/sharing/rest/content/items/38e334ee159349638f517a106548f744/resources/40N1C4SUkEl-aivfvEGDl.jpeg?w=200)
Restoring Wetland
One acre wetland was created in a field too wet for productive cultivation by VLT, MRBA, DEC in 2019
![](https://cdn.arcgis.com/sharing/rest/content/items/38e334ee159349638f517a106548f744/resources/t6ZOOPuPjbVJuI4-U2FJg.jpeg?w=200)
Restoring Pike River Tributary and Floodplain
An eroding ditched stream is restored with floodplain on a Berkshire farm, see before and after pictures above. See the write up in DEC's Blog FLOW - Franklin Natural Resource Conservation District with ANR and AAFM funding
![](https://cdn.arcgis.com/sharing/rest/content/items/38e334ee159349638f517a106548f744/resources/631AzNPP41StxWTEBo9ND.jpeg?w=200)
Prioritizing Private and State Park Roads for Stormwater Management
Working with community and landowners to increase adoption of private road management practices to reduce stormwater runoff into Lake Carmi. Assessment will be followed by road fixes in partnership with landowners and local contractors. 2020-2021 by NRPC and FNLC with LCBP funding
![](https://cdn.arcgis.com/sharing/rest/content/items/38e334ee159349638f517a106548f744/resources/As7zA0ewuYUrmvUfb7qMP.jpeg?w=200)
Mapping and Managing Japanese Knotweed Along the Upper Missisquoi
Controlling invasives like Japanese Knotweed allows for reforestation of streambanks (picture by . 2020 - MRBA, Montgomery Rec Dept. and Enosburgh Conservation Commission with LCBP funding
![](https://cdn.arcgis.com/sharing/rest/content/items/38e334ee159349638f517a106548f744/resources/dhCZ50XDAjUoPzpoGCmhn.png?w=200)
Adding Woody Vegetation to Stream Channels
Willow whips were buried in layers along a regraded stream bank to reduce erosion and increase shrubs to enhance habitat. 2020 - UMATR
![](https://cdn.arcgis.com/sharing/rest/content/items/38e334ee159349638f517a106548f744/resources/_gotqooN7m9mC1y8AlUVQ.png?w=200)
Restoring floodplain and the Brownway river walk
In 2003, floodplain and upland forest restoration began on 27.5 acres of bottom land with Missisquoi River frontage. Natural hydrology was restored and 9,000 trees planted with support from the landowner, Abraham Brown, and Enosburg community, MRBA, VLT and USFWS among others.
Meeting Clean Water Goals
Although the plan addresses all pollutants and physical alterations that result in degraded surface waters, a focus of the planning process is phosphorus reduction to meet the Lake Champlain Phosphorus TMDL as well as the Lake Carmi Phosphorus TMDL. TMDLs and their associated implementation plans are supported by the tactical basin plans. Learn about TMDLs below.
Clean Water Commitment: What is the TMDL?
Phosphorus reduction goals for Lake Champlain
The phosphorus reduction goals for each Vermont basin, including the Missisquoi Bay watershed (basin 6) are included on Page 2 of the Power BI below. The Agency has estimated how the basin's required TMDL load reduction targets could be divided among the land use sectors based on their phosphorus loading estimates. The Agency has also estimated phosphorus load reductions targets needed by subbasin (HUC12). For example, Hungerford Brook watershed, with significant crop land, could provide opportunities for phosphorus reduction off agricultural land. This information is used to identify the most cost-effective actions for pound of phosphorus reduced.
Learn more about sources of phosphorus loading to Lake Champlain from the Missisquoi Bay watershed (Basin 6) in the following online report
Power BI Report
Minimal riparian buffer between managed landscape and Marsh Brook
Learn about agricultural sources and the best practices to reduce pollutant loading
Phosphorus reduction in the Agricultural sector has been calculated by land use and BMPs adopted between 2016 and 2020 within each subbasin. See the interactive Power BI map showing this information here (Picture: OCNRCD)
Example of information found in the Power BI map - Approximately 7,895 kg of agricultural phosphorus were estimated to have been reduced in 2020 by agricultural BMP implementation in the basin
Keeping Track of Progress
The Agency compiles data on all projects completed in the basin, including crediting phosphorus removed. Annually, the progress is reported in the Vermont Clean Water Initiative Performance Reports for the state as well as each basin.
The Health of the Watershed
The Tactical Basin Planning process directs work towards areas in need of protection or restoration. These areas are identified based on the Agency's collected chemical, biological and physical data and analyses. The Vermont Water Quality Standards provide the criteria for establishing the desired conditions of a surface water. Assessing surface water conditions includes reviewing any new data collected by the Agency and partners as well as collecting community insights to identify any changing conditions of waterways and opportunities for protection and restoration.
The results of the monitoring and assessment (description provided through the above button) include a list of degraded surface waters that become a priority for restoration strategies. In addition, results identify surface waters that are considered closer to a pristine conditions than most waters. These waters can become candidates for protection through reclassification and designations. These very high quality waters are also the focus for strategies that protect or enhance existing forest cover in their watersheds as well as contributing streams and wetlands.
Maps
During the planning process, the following maps were used to better understand the health of the watershed as well as identify opportunities to protect, restore. Explore the watershed using these maps.
Opportunities for Protection
These waters may be priorities for protection. Monitoring and assessment identifies these surface water as having the higher quality of surface waters or habitat necessary to meet higher reclassification or designation criteria
Opportunities for Restoration and Remediation
Impaired and Altered Waters. See Chapter 2 in the Missisquoi Tactical Basin Plan for additional information
Additional information collected on lakes is used to develop the Lake Score Card. Protection strategies will be directed to areas where shoreline and watersheds are in good conditions. Restoration strategies are appropriate for
River geomorphic assessments and river corridor plans identify stream segments that are in disequilibrium with stream system, and the later includes projects that assist in moving the stream systems towards equilibrium. The segments in poor and fair conditions identified on this map identify those areas that may be most in need of restoration practices.
Opportunities for additional collection of monitoring and assessment data - see Tables 15 and 16 in the plan. Some of those opportunities are identified in both areas where land use is heaviest to identify additional restoration needs, as well as where forest is predominant, to identify additional protection needs.
Where should monitoring and assessment focus be in next five years? Streams with the highest percentage of active landuse, including agricultural and developed land would be a priority