Public Invited to Comment on Water Quality Plans for the Connecticut River

Montpelier, Vt. – The Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) invites the public to comment on the tactical basin plan in the Connecticut River watershed of the Deerfield River. DEC completed the plan in collaboration with the Windham County Natural Resources Conservation District, regional planners, local nonprofits, town officials, and public stakeholders. This plan has been developed to protect and restore the rivers, lakes, and wetlands in these watersheds.

“Tactical Basin Plans serve as a strategic guidebook to address water quality challenges for the next five years, so we strongly encourage public feedback to ensure the plans meet the diversity of local needs,” said DEC Commissioner Jason Batchelder. “The importance of these plans has become even more critical as we prepare for the more frequent extreme rainfall and flooding events we have seen in recent years.”

The Tactical Basin Plans identify actions and priority strategies that will:

• Protect or improve water quality,
• Restore aquatic habitats,
• Improve flood resiliency, and
• Prevent future pollution through cost-effective projects, including floodplain restorations, dam removals, and conservation.

“Tactical Basin Plans help our communities plan on a watershed scale,” said Margo Ghia, Natural Resources Planner for the Windham Regional Commission. “Being able to look at a region and see water quality issues in a larger context gives us an opportunity to manage a problem from its root and not just take care of the symptoms.”

DEC will hold hybrid meetings with virtual and in-person options in each watershed:

Deerfield River:

October 15, 2024 – 4:30 PM

• In-Person: Brooks Memorial Library, 224 Main St., Brattleboro, VT 05301
• Virtual Access: Register in advance for this meeting.

October 17, 2024 – 6:00 PM

• In-Person: Wilmington Town Office, 2 East Main St., Wilmington, VT 05363
• Virtual Access: Register in advance for this meeting.

Members of the public can submit comments on the draft plan from October 1, 2024, to October 31, 2024, by mail or email to:

• Deerfield River: Marie Caduto, Marie.Caduto@Vermont.gov, VT DEC, 100 Mineral Street, Suite 303, Springfield, VT 05156.

To find the public meeting details, draft plans, and visual and map-based plan summaries (known as Story Maps), visit the DEC’s Watershed Planning Program’s website.