The Vermont Land Trust (VLT) has completed a major restoration effort in the Winooski River watershed, bringing together contractors, engineers and ecological experts to rehabilitate a headwater stream long constrained by undersized culverts and small dams.
Announced in early December, the project focused on an unnamed tributary of the Winooski River that had suffered from erosion, restricted water flow and blocked wildlife movement. By addressing these bottlenecks, the restoration is expected to allow floodwaters to pass more safely while improving water quality, wetlands and wildlife habitat throughout the watershed.
To carry out the work, VLT assembled a multidisciplinary team of ecologists, hydrologic design engineers and restoration specialists. The construction effort, led by Hogan Excavating, replaced two failing culverts with a single, larger steel pipe arch designed to safely accommodate 100-year flood levels. Crews also removed a stone dam that had been impeding natural water movement.
“Though big rivers may draw our attention, much of a watershed consists of small streams high in the headwaters,” said Allaire Diamond, VLT’s ecology and restoration program director, who led the project. “Making sure these headwater streams aren’t constricted helps prevent damaging erosion and water quality issues downstream and maintains habitat for both aquatic and land animals.”
The Winooski River watershed is Vermont’s largest, spanning roughly 1,080 square miles and draining four north-central counties before flowing into Lake Champlain. The river has experienced repeated flooding in recent years following periods of intense rainfall, underscoring the importance of upstream restoration efforts.
“Focusing on restoration in the headwaters that feed it can reduce flood pulses in a cost-effective way,” Diamond said. “And we hope projects like this can help demonstrate how landowners can protect watershed health on their own land.”
The new pipe arch culvert measures 64 inches by 43 inches and is designed with a wide base that will gradually fill with gravel and sediment from upstream, forming a natural streambed. This design improves conditions for amphibians and small fish while allowing floodwaters to move through the crossing without damaging nearby roads or land.
Construction crews began work earlier this fall, first marking wetland boundaries to avoid disturbance. Water was carefully diverted away from the work area during installation, and the stream was reopened once the culvert was in place. VLT staff later removed woody invasive species by hand and replanted the area with native willow stakes and wetland seeds collected on-site.
The timing proved fortuitous, as Vermont’s historic drought broke shortly after construction wrapped up, allowing the stream to return to its restored channel under natural flow conditions.
“For Vermont Land Trust, this project is just the first in a series of restoration efforts in this small corner of the Winooski watershed,” Diamond said, noting plans to remove an earthen dam downstream and pursue additional projects in partnership with neighboring landowners.
The restoration was funded through the Vermont Clean Water Initiative, with design-phase costs administered by the Mount Ascutney Regional Commission and construction funding managed by Watersheds United Vermont. Additional support came from the Intervale Center in Burlington, which donated crew time to remove invasive vegetation.
VLT officials said the project demonstrates how targeted infrastructure upgrades in headwater streams can deliver outsized benefits for flood mitigation, water quality and ecosystem health across an entire watershed.
Originally reported by Vermont Land Trust & Waterbury Roundabout in Construction Equipment Guide.
