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Water Quality in your Neighborhoodand how you can make a difference
Addison County River Watch Collaborative
Little Otter Creek Summary
M U D C R E E K M I D D L E B U RY R I V E R O T
L E M O N FA I R R I V E R L E W I S C R E E K L
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Addison
CountyRiver Watch
Collaborative
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Lewis Creek
Little Otter Creek
Otter Creek
Middlebury River
Lemon Fair
River
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Water Quality
Sampling Sitesin 2007
Streams andLake listed asimpaired or inneed of further assessment
Water QualityMonitoring Sitesby Watershed
New Haven River
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OTTER CREEK originates
south of Addison County in
Mount Tabor, Peru and Dorsetand drains into Lake Champlain
in Ferrisburgh. At 91 miles, it is
the longest stream in the State.
The majority of Addison County’s
rivers and streams drain into
Otter Creek before entering
Lake Champlain. Water quality
monitoring has been conducted
on Otter Creek since 1992.
LEMON FAIR RIVER is 27
miles long, beginning at Johnson
Pond in the town of Orwell. The
Lemon Fair fl ows into Shoreham
and includes 129-acre Richville
Pond, created by the Richville
Dam. From Shoreham it fl ows
through Bridport, Cornwall, andWeybridge, where it enters the
Otter Creek. Water quality moni-
toring has been conducted on
the Lemon Fair River since 2003.
MIDDLEBURY RIVER origi-
nates in Hancock and Ripton and
drains 63 square miles as it fl ows
16 miles to its confl uence with Ot-
ter Creek in Middlebury. From its
headwaters it fl ows west through
downtown Ripton, into EastMiddlebury, takes a sharp detour
into Salisbury, and fl ows into Otter
Creek in southwestern corner of
Middlebury. Water quality moni-
toring has been conducted on the
Middlebury River since 1993.
NEW HAVEN RIVER is 58
miles long and fl ows through thetowns of Lincoln, Bristol, and
New Haven before entering Otter
Creek. The New Haven water-
shed is approximately 113 square
miles. Water quality monitoring
has been conducted on the New
Haven River since 1993.
LITTLE OTTER CREEK drains73 square miles and the creek
is approximately 25 miles in
length. Little Otter Creek begins
in Bristol and fl ows through New
Haven, Monkton, Panton, and
Ferrisburgh before entering Lake
Champlain. Water quality moni-
toring has been conducted on
Little Otter Creek since 1997.
MUD CREEK is a tributary
of the Little Otter Creek. Mud
Creek’s watershed is 9 squaremiles and the creek is ap-
proximately 12 miles long. Mud
Creek begins in Waltham and
fl ows through New Haven until
it reaches the Little Otter Creek
in Ferrisburgh. Water quality
monitoring has been conducted
on Mud Creek since 1997.
LEWIS CREEK - the main stem
is about 33 miles long and fl ows
through Starksboro, Monkton
and Ferrisburgh before entering
Lake Champlain. The 81 square
mile watershed also drains a por-
tion of Bristol, including Bristol
Pond, and a small section of thetown of Huntington. It also fl ows
through the Chittenden County
towns of Hinesburg and Char-
lotte. Water quality monitoring
has been conducted on Lewis
Creek since 1992.
The Addison County River Watch Collaborative (ACRWC) is acitizen organization that samples and monitors surface water quality to inform water quality and stream corridor improvementmeasures in the Addison County region. Today, the collaborativeincludes several distinct watersheds described below.
What is the Addison County River Watch Collaborative?
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How is water quality measured?
Phosphorus Nitrogen
Phosphorus is an essential plant
nutrient, and is generally consid-
ered to be the major nutrient limit-
ing or stimulating the growth of
algae and aquatic plants in Lake
Champlain. By reducing the load
of phosphorus discharged into
Lake Champlain from its tributar-ies, the deterioration of the lake
water quality can be halted.
Nitrogen, like phosphorus, is an
essential plant nutrient, and can
limit or stimulate algal and plant
growth in lakes. Thus, to protect
Lake Champlain, it is important to
limit nitrogen loadings to the lake.
There are four important parameters that defi ne water quality in streams fl owing
into Lake Champlain and its major tributaries
Escherichia coli
Escherichia coli is a generally harmless bac-
terium found normally in the intestinal tractsof warm-blooded animals, but not generally
in the natural environment. Its presence in
the environment is therefore considered an
indication of possible fecal contamination,
and of the possible presence of other bacte-
ria capable of causing an intestinal disease.
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Vermont Water Quality StandardsParameter Unit Standard
Escherichia coli MPN 77/100 ml.
Nitrate mg/l as N 5
Turbidity* NTU 10*Standard for cold water fi sh
- The Federal Clean Water Act
requires states to establish water quality standards.
Vermont established standards in 1999.
• Standards provide measures against which to
assess water quality• Standards are based on requirements for water use,
for both human and aquatic life
• Standards provide a basis for identifying waters
impaired or threatened and in need of improvement
• Standards provide a basis for developing and imple-
menting plans for achieving water quality objectives
State standards also stipulate that total phosphorusloadings in streams shall be limited so that they will
not contribute to the acceleration of eutrophication or
the stimulation of the growth of aquatic biota in a man-
ner that prevents the full support of uses.
The Standard for total phosphorus in Lake Champlain
is 0.014 mg/l (14 µg/l) in the open lake.
Setting Standards
Suspended sediment
Suspended sediment, measured as solids or
turbidity, is important in streams and lakesbecause:
• It limits visibility in water which can be haz-
ardous to swimmers and boaters
• It limits light penetration in surface waters
which limits photosynthesis
• It settles to the bottom of streams and other
water bodies damaging habitat for aquatic
animals and breeding areas for fi sh• Because phosphorus reacts with soil and
sediment, it builds up in soils, especially
where fertilizers have been applied. Runoff
from the land and high stream fl ows causing
bank erosion mobilize sediments and carry
them and their associated phosphorus down-
stream, and eventually into Lake Champlain.
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M O N K T O NM O N K T O N
F E R R I S B U R G HF E R R I S B U R G H
N E W H A V E NN E W H A V E N
B R I S T OB R I S T OP A N T O NP A N T O N
A D D I S O NA D D I S O N
W A L T H A MW A L T H A M
V E R G E N N E SV E R G E N N E S
W E Y B R I D G EW E Y B R I D G E
S T A R K S B O RS T A R K S B O R
7
22A
17
116
22A
LOC11
LOC4.3 LOC7.8
MDC1.2
LOC14.4
M O N K T O NM O N K T O N
F E R R I S B U R G HF E R R I S B U R G H
N E W H A V E NN E W H A V E N
B R I S T OB R I S T OP A N T O NP A N T O N
A D D I S O NA D D I S O N
W A L T H A MW A L T H A M
V E R G E N N E SV E R G E N N E S
W E Y B R I D G EW E Y B R I D G E
S T A R K S B O RS T A R K S B O R
7
22A
17
116
22A
LOC11
LOC4.3 LOC7.8
MDC1.2
LOC14.4
Little Otter
Creek and
Mud Creek
Water Quality
Sample Sites
✱ CurrentSamplingStations
Watershed
Boundary
LOC4.3 LOC7.8
LOC14.4
LOC11
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MDC1.2
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Little Otter Creek –
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What is the quality of its water?Little Otter Creek is listed by the State of Vermont as impaired for aesthetic reasons, aquatic lifesupport, and contact recreation as a result of agricultural runoff and high E. coli counts from itsmouth to river mile 9. It is also listed as impaired for aquatic life support from mile 15.4 to mile16.4as a result of agricultural runoff.
E. coli counts in Little Otter Creek consistently exceed the Vermont State Standard, increasingdownstream to Middlebrook Road (LOC7.8), and then decreasing slightly to Route 7 in Ferrisburgh(LOC4.3). This pattern parallels both turbidity and phosphorus concentrations, and may refl ect a
need for improved farm management practices. Suspended sediment measured as turbidity typically increases downstream in Little Otter Creekto Middlebrook Road (LOC7.8) as a result of erosion and agricultural runoff, exceeding the StateStandard at LOC7.8 and Lime Kiln Road (LOC11). The impacts of erosion and runoff are greatestwhen fl ows are high.
Phosphorus concentrations are high in Little Otter Creek/Mud Creek, refl ecting erosion andagricultural runoff. Phosphorus transported by suspended sediments from erosion and runoff, anddissolved phosphorus from farms in need of improved management, increase downstream during
periods of high fl ow. Nitrogen levels in LittleOtter Creek fall below theVermont Standard for nitrate.Concentrations are highestat LOC14.4, and decreasesteadily to low levels asa result of dilution before
entering Lake Champlain. LOC4.3 LOC7.8 LOC11 LOC14.4
Vermont State Standard = 77/100ml
Escherichia coli Counts
2008
Median Total Phosphorus Concentrations
2008
LOC4.3 LOC7.8 LOC11 LOC14.4
Lake Champlain Standard = 14µg/l
Vermont State Standard = 5.0mgl as N ➡
Median Total Nitrogen Concentrations
1.0
2.0
3.02008
LOC4.3 LOC7.8 LOC11 LOC14.4
Phosphorus Concentrations
2008
Lake Champlain Standard = 14µg/lLOC4.3 LOC7.8 LOC11 LOC14.4
Median Turbidity Values
4
8
12
16
2008
LOC4.3 LOC7.8 LOC11 LOC14.4
Vermont State Standard = 10NTU
>20NTU
MDC1.2 =28.6NTU
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What can we do together to improve and protectthe water quality in our rivers?
Our towns and watershed organizations can develop watershed
plans and involve landowners in protecting our rivers and
Lake Champlain
Our community can inform its citizens about water quality issues
and promote protective policies at the town and state levels
We can promote natural buffers along water bodies and wetlands
We can support bank stabilization and tree planting projects
identifi ed in watershed plans
We can help with fund raising for conservation and
restoration projects
We can volunteer in water quality monitoring programs
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Contacts…
Sheila Schwanefl ugel ACRWC Coordinator 802-877-0054 schwanefl [email protected]
Heidi Willis Otter Creek and Middlebury
River Coordinator 802-352-4327 [email protected]
Pete Diminico New Haven River Coordinator 802-453-3899 [email protected]
Louis DuPont Lewis Creek Coordinator 802-453-5538 [email protected]
Marty Illick Lewis Creek Association 802-425-2002 [email protected]
Craig Miner Little Otter Creek and
Mud Creek Coordinator 802-877-2469 [email protected]
Kathy Morse Lemon Fair River Coordinator 802-545-2859 [email protected]
Kevin Behm ACRPC Assistant Director 802-388-3141 [email protected]
Ethan Swift VTDEC Watershed Coordinator 802-786-2503 [email protected]
For summaries and more detailed information about ACRWC’s other watersheds, or to fi nd out
how you can become involved, please contact us.
ACRWC works with the following individuals and groups–
■Residents and Landowners
■Watershed Towns
■Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation
■Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets
■US Department of Agriculture - NRCS, Farm Service Agency
This report is funded by Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation 2008
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How you can help …
≈ Learn more about water quality in your watershed
≈ Participate in meetings of your selectboard,
planning commission and conservation commission
≈ Join your local watershed organization
≈ Participate in water quality sampling
≈ Participate in tree planting
≈ Donate to your local watershed organization
Addison County River Watch
Collaborative’s information
complements the state’s data
by identifying sources of nutri-ent loading entering the lake.[ ]
Bill Hoadley
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L E M O N FA I R R I V E R L I T T L E O T T E R C
R E E K N E W H A V E N R I V E R L E M O N FAStill have questions?
Information about each watershed with full water quality reportswww.acrpc.org • www.lewiscreek.org
Information about Lake Champlain and water quality in Vermont rivers www.vtwaterquality.org
Information about water issues and the nation’s water resources
www.epa.gov/ebtpages/water.html
Photo © The Nature Conservancy
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