Residential Stormwater Management in Vermont

In the Lake Champlain basin, residents, and visitors alike care about the health of Lake Champlain and its future. The lake is the drinking water source for 24% of the basin’s population and a very popular recreation destination for boating, fishing, and swimming. You can learn about the health of the lake in a  2021 State of the Lake Report . One issue that impacts clean water in Lake Champlain is stormwater runoff. 

Stormwater runoff comes from rain falling on impervious surfaces like paved driveways and parking lots and roof tops, where the water cannot immediately infiltrate into the ground. Water moves quickly over these areas and along the way collects pollutants like sediment, car oil, fertilizers, and pesticides. Ultimately, the runoff carries these pollutants into nearby streams and lakes, which impacts recreation and wildlife.  

Stormwater runoff from developed areas in the Lake Champlain basin is one of the contributing sources to increasing cyanobacteria blooms, also known as blue-green algae. Cyanobacteria blooms are a cloudy, greenish film seen at the shallowest points of a lake.

Blooms are caused by the presence of excess nutrients, like phosphorus, in warm, calm waters. Some species of bacteria can release toxins into the water, which can cause neurological impacts, liver damage, or skin and respiratory issues if humans or pets come in close contact.  If a cyanobacteria bloom is detected at a beach in the summer, the beach will be closed for a few days until conditions improve.

 Learn more about cyanobacteria!  

The greater Burlington area’s economy relies on lake-related tourism like boating, fishing, and swimming. This tourism brings in over  $300 million to the state each year , creates jobs, and maintains property values. Thus,  beach closures and poor water quality impact the economy .

In addition to water quality impacts in downstream waterbodies, developed lands and other land use changes greatly alter where and how quickly water flows. An increase in water volume flowing into streams and rivers causes erosion and flooding. Impacts on infrastructure, such as roads, bridges, and structures can be damaging, especially during large storm events.

Lawns with short, green grass are often considered aesthetically appealing. However, short grass usually has less developed root systems compared to other native plantings and thus cannot retain water well. Consider managing a stormwater-friendly lawn by raising the blade on your lawn mower to at least 3-inches or leaving some unused areas of your lawn to grow to meadow. Fertilizer and pesticides often ends up in stormwater runoff polluting our waterways as excess amounts do not get fully utilized by the grass itself.  Learn more  about ways to create healthier, stormwater-friendly lawns.

 Best lawn management practices for stormwater 

Driveways and other Impervious Surfaces

Paved driveways and rooftops are impervious surfaces which prevent the infiltration of stormwater into soil, causing it to quickly runoff and carry any surface pollutants into water bodies. Unpaved driveways are prone to erosion, which can lead to sediment buildup in lakes and streams.

In our waterways this creates cloudy water that inhibits aquatic plant photosynthesis and irritates fish gills. By transitioning to pervious pavers or reducing impervious driveway area, we can reduce stormwater runoff.

 Learn how to maintain your driveway for stormwater 

The City of Burlington is one of about 70 municipalities across New England that manage a combined sewer system, which conveys both sewage and stormwater to wastewater treatment plants. While this system works well to treat water in dry to moderate weather conditions, it can reach capacity during large storm events, allowing untreated or partially treated wastewater to overflow into nearby bodies of water.

This event, known as a Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO), introduces nutrients, pathogens, metals, and other pollutants into streams that can ultimately be carried into Lake Champlain. Population growth and more intense rain events due to climate change have increased the frequency of CSO events.

 Learn more about Combined Sewer Overflows (CSOs) 

There are many ways residents can help prevent stormwater runoff from leaving their property. These solutions range from affordable, easy switches to larger investments. These technologies and techniques will work slow, spread, and soak the stormwater into the ground to prevent it from running off the property untreated and eventually into nearby waterways.

There are actions that you can take to help protect local waters from pollutants and cyanobacteria blooms! Through the BLUE BTV Stormwater Program, Lake Champlain Sea Grant offers free home stormwater assessments to residents of Burlington, Vermont. Through a site visit, evaluators identify simple changes and suggest constructed projects that help reduce the amount of rainwater and snowmelt that flows to nearby waterways.

Explore the  Burlington subwatersheds map  to see where stormwater runoff goes if it leaves your property.

During a free BLUE site visit, one of our evaluators will come to your property to conduct an external evaluation with you. They will examine and discuss where water goes on the property when it rains and any issues that runoff may cause, such as soil erosion, basement flooding, and puddling. They will consider how infrastructure, personal habits, and land management and use, such as accumulation of animal waste or motor oil or use of fertilizer and pesticides, can impact what pollutants and nutrients drain to the lake.

Residents then decide which changes to implement that best match their goals and budget. For more detailed information, see  BLUE BTV design standards . The BLUE team will assist participants with design, test the soil infiltration rate, and provide construction oversight for engineered practices.

“I took advantage of this opportunity and am very glad I did,” wrote a BLUE participant on Front Porch Forum. “Highly recommend… an excellent way for us to protect our lake [and] take personal responsibility and action specific to each property.”

The BLUE program has operated in the Lake Champlain basin since prior to 2010, when it was first created by Lake Champlain International and most recently managed by Salix Solutions. The program was developed over several years with input from environmental, public policy, and nonprofit sectors—from water resources and ecology experts to real estate, financial, and regulatory professionals— which shaped BLUE into a quantifiable, measurable, and trackable stormwater mitigation and certification program, earning patents in 2011 and 2012.  Learn more about the BLUE program’s 10+ year history and development. 

In 2022, the program was transferred to the University of Vermont where it is currently led by a team from Lake Champlain Sea Grant, Fitzgerald Environmental Associates, Just Water Consulting, and supported by the City of Burlington.

Qualifying projects can receive a rebate of up to $1000 from the City of Burlington!

See how you can make changes on your property by signing up for your  free BLUE assessment  today!

“It’s all about the kinds of decisions we make as individuals that become collective actions and solutions,” said Julianna Dixon, previous BLUE Program Manager. “I envision BLUE developing volunteer programs in which community members help neighbors install green stormwater infrastructure such as rain gardens.”

To learn more, check out these resources!

 BLUE Stormwater Program 

 Rain Garden Manual (LCSG website) 

 VT Guide to Stormwater Management for Homeowners and Small Businesses