What's New?
The final, approved Otter Creek Tactical Basin Plan was published in December of 2019 and is available through this link. The plan covers portions of Bennington, Rutland, and Addison counties and all surface waters within the Otter Creek, Little Otter Creek, and Lewis Creek watersheds. The plan provides an assessment of the health of the basin and identifies 55 water quality strategies across the following sectors: agriculture, developed lands—stormwater and roads, wastewater treatment facilities, and restoration of forest lands, lakes, rivers, and wetlands. The plan also includes information about how landowners, watershed organizations, and communities can access funding and technical assistance to help protect and restore water resources.
Three public comment meetings will be held in October to gather feedback on the plan presented by the VT Department of Environmental Conservation in partnership with the Addison County Regional Planning Commission (RPC), the Rutland RPC, the Otter Creek Natural Resource Conservation District (NRCD), and the Rutland NRCD.
The public is encouraged to attend the meetings, hear a presentation, and offer comments and suggestions. Meetings will take place in the evening in the following locations:
- October 9th -- Addison County Regional Planning Commission, 14 Seminary St, Middlebury, VT, 05753, 7-8pm;
- October 15th -- Rutland Regional Planning Commission, The Opera House, 67 Merchants Row, Rutland, VT, 05702, 7-8pm;
- October 22nd -- Brandon Town Hall, 1 Conant Square, Brandon, VT, 05733, 5:30-7pm.
If you are unable to attend a meeting, an interactive Story Map providing a summary of the plan will be available on-line at the Basin 3 tactical basin planning here.
Copies of the draft plan may be obtained on October 7th, 2019, on-line: https://dec.vermont.gov/sites/dec/files/wsm/mapp/docs/TacticalBasinPlan_B3_DRAFT_2019-10-01.pdf
To download the Municipal Protections Spreadsheet, please click the following link: https://dec.vermont.gov/sites/dec/files/wsm/mapp/docs/Municipal_Protections_table_2019.xlsx
Links to Activities and Water Quality Improvement Initiatives Underway in the Otter Creek Basin:
- Addison County Regional Planning Commission
- Addison County RiverWatch Collaborative
- Lake Dunmore/ Fern Lake Association
- Lewis Creek Association
- Moosalamoo Association
- Champlain Valley Farmers Coalition
- Otter Creek Natural Resource Conservation District
- Pittsford National Fish Hatchery
- Rutland Regional Planning Commission
- Rutland Natural Resource Conservation District – Upper Otter Creek Watershed Planning
Basin Specific Reports
- The effect of the 2002 Lewis Creek 3-Trifluoromethyl-4-Nitrolphenol (TFM) treatment on two insect larvae Hexagenia limbata, and Phylocentropus sp in Lower Lewis Creek, Ferrisburg, VT
- A Long-term Evaluation of the Effects of TFM on Non-target Fish and Macroinvertebrates In Lewis Creek, Vermont
- Observations of several mussel species made during the 3-Trifluoromethyl-4-Nitrolphenol (TFM) treatment of Lewis Creek, Vermont, October 22, 2002
- Biological and Aquatic Life Use Attainment Assessment of Moon Brook