Natural Resources Planning
Connecticut River Watershed Restoration
Bank Stabilization at the Urgiel Dowstream Site.
Project Overview
The FRCOG recently completed work on Phase III of the Connecticut River Watershed Restoration Project, an ongoing effort to stabilize eroding riverbank in the 22-mile reach of the Connecticut River between the Vernon Dam in Vermont and the Turners Falls Dam in Massachusetts (the Turners Falls Pool). This work was funded by a $270,000 s.319 Nonpoint Source Pollution Competitive Grant awarded to the FRCOG by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection. A “hybrid” design that combined traditional and innovative bioengineering techniques was used to restore 980 linear feet of eroding riverbank. Riprap stone was installed at the base of the bank (a traditional bank armoring technique) and coir bio-logs, native grasses, wildflowers, shrubs, trees, and live willow stakes were used to stabilize and revegetate the rest of the bank (bioengineering techniques). The grant also enabled FRCOG to conduct pre- and post-construction habitat and vegetation monitoring of the site and the sites restored under Phase I and II. FRCOG also provided administrative support to the Franklin Regional Planning Board’s Connecticut River Streambank Erosion Committee, a diverse group of stakeholders that has been involved with the watershed restoration efforts in this reach of the Connecticut River for over a decade.
Current Activities
The FRCOG launched an interactive web site www.restoreconnriver.org to showcase the various bioengineering techniques used during the three phases of this project and provide a forum for sharing “lessons learned” with stakeholders involved in bank stabilization projects. FRCOG prepared a final report for the Phase III project, which contains detailed information about the site, its restoration, and monitoring activities. If you would like a copy of this document please contact Kimberly Noake MacPhee. A project brochure is also available, which highlights the work completed at the Phase III project site.
Future Plans
The FRCOG and our project partners were recently awarded an EPA Targeted Watershed Grant for the portion of the Connecticut River watershed in Massachusetts and southern Vermont that will enable us to continue providing support to the CRSEC and implementing bank stabilization projects in the Turners Falls Pool.
Page Last Updated: March 25, 2008