RUTLAND—Last month, the Agency of Natural Resources (ANR) released the newly approved tactical basin plans for the Battenkill, Walloomsac, and Hoosic rivers and their tributaries, referred to as Basin 01.
The basin plan will protect, maintain, and improve surface waters by managing the activities that result in surface water stressors, and address the pollutants associated with them. These actions strategically target specific surface waters in those sub-basins where their implementation would achieve the greatest benefit to water quality and aquatic habitat as well as being the most cost-effective, according to the Agency of Natural Resources.
In general, the Battenkill, Walloomsac, and Hoosic rivers are targeted for protection and restoration strategies, while various tributaries are targeted for additional water quality and aquatic habitat monitoring and assessment work. This and all tactical basin plans benefit from a concrete implementation table, or work plan. For this tactical basin plan, ongoing efforts to build flood resiliency will be a featured priority among priority actions related to ongoing restoration efforts due to Tropical Storm Irene.
These projects will be undertaken by partnering with regional agencies, organizations and municipalities.
Jim Henderson, environmental program manager for the Bennington County Regional Commission, emphasizes that “the tactical basin plans for the Battenkill, Walloomsac and Hoosic rivers will become a critical component of all water quality related restoration and protection projects for the next five years.”
For more information on Basin 01, visit www.watershedmanagement.vt.govwqdhome.htm.
