rivers

Who are the DEC Floodplain Managers?

What Do Floodplain Managers Do?

Information for Flood-Damaged Communities

If you have a home or business that has been flooded, please visit (enter link to DEMHS or FEMA page)

Activities in floodplains are regulated through multiple jurisdictions:

• Municipalities regulate flood hazard areas and river corridors through enrollment in the National Flood Insurance Program;
• The State regulates flood hazard areas and river corridors for larger projects requiring an Act 250 land use permit; and
• The State regulates flood hazard areas and river corridors through River Corridor & Floodplain Protection Rule for activities exempt from municipal regulation.

The four Vermont Regional River Scientists are the primary contact people for the physical assessment, restoration and protection of rivers and their corridors.

  The regional scientists provide the following services:

Rivers are in a constant balancing act between the energy they produce and the work that must be done to carry the water, sediment and debris produced in their watersheds.  A change in any one of these factors will cause adjustments of the other variables until the river system comes back into equilibrium (balance).  These changes can be caused by natural events and by human activity.  The impact of which may be seen immediately or for decades after the activity occurred.

River Corridor Planning
River Corridor Protection
River Restoration
Vermont Functioning Floodplains Initiative

Stream Geomorphic Assessment Program
River Corridor Planning, Protection and Restoration
River Scientists

Protection of instream flow is a critical aspect of managing our waters in a sustainable manner. While the benefits of flow regulation – hydroelectric power, flood control, water for numerous purposes – are obvious, the impacts often are not. In Vermont, we have focused much attention on maintaining adequate minimum flows to protect aquatic habitat and stream ecology, but other aspects of flow protection are equally important.

The River Corridor & Floodplain Protection section works with landowners, municipalities, regional planning commissions, NGOs, and agencies of state and federal government to reduce flood risk by protecting and restoring natural and beneficial river and floodplain functions.  For other useful resources in helping your community prepare for flooding, visit the Flood Ready Vermont website.

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