Muddy Brook vs. Alder Brook

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Muddy Brook vs. Alder Brook

• Stream Geomorphic Assessment

Joe Kelly, Alison Selle, Sarah Stein, Kristin
Williams
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Project Description

• Chose Alder Brook as attainment stream
• Similar watershed characteristics
• Similar land use history
• Paired outlet, middle, and upstream reaches
• Evaluate stream condition within the stream and
  between paired reaches

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Site Description

• Muddy Brook

Alder Brook
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Reach 3

• Alder Brook
• Spring fed
• Unconfined land
• Relatively undeveloped
• Narrow grass/shrub buffer on right bank,
  forested on left bank

• Muddy
• Starts at Shelburne Pond
• Unconfined land
• Relatively undeveloped
• Agriculture on adjacent land
• Wetlands
• Grass/shrub buffer, one forested area

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Reach 2

• Muddy Brook
• Wide riparian buffer, dense shrub area, also
  forest area
• High beaver activity
• Relatively high residential development in
  watershed

• Alder Brook
• Some beaver activity
• Pasture land and some residential development
• Grass/shrub buffer

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Reach 1

• Muddy Brook
• Enters into Allen Brook
• Relatively high urban development in watershed
• Agriculture on adjacent land
• Grass buffer, with forested area near airport

• Alder Brook
• Enters into Winooski River
• Agriculture on adjacent land
• Route 117 culvert, highly trafficked
• Grass buffer near road, shrub/forested buffer
  upstream

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Methods

• Study of site through orthophotos and Terrain
  Navigator
• Windshield survey for both streams conducted
• Further on site field surveys conducted for both
  streams
• Data compiled into the ACCESS database
• Conversations with Dr. Breck Bowden
• Data compiled and resulting graphs analyzed

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Phase 1 ResultsStream Condition
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Adjustment Processes
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Land Use Impacts
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In-stream Modification
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Floodplain Modification
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Windshield Survey
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RGA and RHA Results
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RGA/RHA Comparison
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Rapid Habitat Assessment Scores
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Conclusions

• Alder Brook scored as Good for Phase 1, RGA
  and RHA
• Muddy Brook scored as Fair for Phase 1, RGA
  and RHA
• High correlation between RGA and RHA
• Reach-to-reach comparisons showed varying
  conditions
• - Both impacted by urban and agricultural
  development in the lower reach, though Alder
  actually scored lower
• Impairment in Muddy Brook could be partially
  caused by development adjacent to
  reaches not included in the study
• Flow alteration is likely occurring in the
  middle and lower reach of Muddy Brook as well as
  the lower reach of Alder Brook

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Recommendations for Improvement

• Larger riparian buffers with higher quality
  vegetation
• Storm water management practices
• Zoning regulations
• Enforcement of BMPs agriculture, golf course,
  residential areas

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Limitations to the Study

• Need more clearly defined buffer vegetation
  categories
• Utility of Phase 1 windshield survey needed to
  complete remote sensing
• Historic range of variability
• - Muddy Brook originates from Shelburne Pond,
• Alder Brook originates from a spring
• Applicability of Protocol with different
  original reference conditions
• - Observations suggested that Alder would not
  support healthy benthic
  macroinvertebrates

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Thank You!
Source http//www.anr.state.vt.us/dec/waterq/rive
rs/docs/assessmenthandbooks/rv_apxbphase1-2databas
einstr.pdf
We would like to acknowledge Dr. Breck Bowden,
Alex Hackman, Carl Cappelletti, Bill Gill, Mike
Kline
Questions?