In 2022, Watersheds United Vermont (WUV) received a Partnership Project Development Block Grant through the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation's (DEC) Clean Water Initiative Program (CWIP). The purpose of the grant was to subgrant funds to organizations across Vermont to develop water quality improvement projects. Through the Project Development Block Grant, WUV awarded 8 subgrant awards totaling around $100,000 to: Friends of the Winooski River, Lewis Creek Association, Vermont River Conservancy, Friends of Northern Lake Champlain, Missisquoi River Basin Association, Franklin Watershed Committee, Memphremagog Watershed Association, and the White River Partnership.

Groups first worked to scope potential projects by reviewing plans focused on stormwater management, river corridor restoration and other restoration efforts. Groups also talked with landowners and others in their watersheds about water quality concerns and potential clean water projects. Once potential projects had been identified, groups worked with landowners, municipalities and other partners to further develop potential clean water projects to move these projects towards design and implementation. Groups used grant funds to develop the following project types: stormwater improvement, riparian buffer plantings, dam and culvert removals, and river and wetland restoration.

The above groups explored a total of 64 projects to determine feasibility and interest. Of those 64 projects, 47 were deemed as feasible and worthwhile to pursue for design and implementation. The remaining projects were considered infeasible due to site constraints, lack of landowner interest or other factors. This project development work has already led to the implementation of riparian buffer planting projects and other project types will be implemented this summer or are awaiting funding for future implementation. This project development work will also set the stage for the implementation of water quality improvement projects in the years to come leading to cleaner water and healthier and more resilient watersheds across Vermont.

Watersheds United Vermont has several open grant rounds for water quality restoration projects statewide. Please see WUV's Block Grant Resources Page for existing grant RFPs and deadlines. 

PRESS RELEASE – December 20, 2022
Contact – Lyn Munno, Watersheds United Vermont
[email protected]

In 2019, Watersheds United Vermont (WUV) received a Project Development and Technical Support Block Grant through the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Clean Water Initiative Program (CWIP) to subgrant funds to watershed groups to develop water quality improvement projects. From 2020 through 2022. WUV subgranted over $180,000 through this grant program to support clean water project development work across the state of Vermont.

These funds were used by watershed groups for getting landowners, municipalities and other partners “on board” with projects to improve water quality and to move projects towards design and implementation. Watershed groups used these funds to develop projects of the following types: stormwater improvement, riparian plantings, dam and culvert removal, river restoration, and wetland restoration.

Through this funding, WUV was able to support the following watershed groups to perform project development activities: White River Partnership, Connecticut River Conservancy, Friends of the Mad River, Friends of the Winooski River, Lewis Creek Association, Missisquoi River Basin Association, Franklin Watershed Committee, and Memphremagog Watershed Association. With this funding, the above watershed groups developed over 50 clean water projects that are now ready for design and implementation. These watershed groups also worked on an additional 200 projects. This project development work will set the stage for the implementation of water quality improvement projects in the years to come leading to clean water and healthy watersheds across Vermont.

WUV Project Development Block Grant - Applications due on January 18, 2022. Completed applications must be submitted through email to Lyn ([email protected]) and Christian ([email protected]). Please feel free to reach out with any questions! Find the application at: https://watershedsunitedvt.org/resources/block-grants

WUV has released the latest RFP under WUV’s Vermont Department of Conservation (DEC) Clean Water Initiative Design and Implementation Block Grant (DIBG).  Funding under the DIBG must be used to support the design or implementation of projects that reduce sediment and nutrient pollution from runoff and soil erosion that discharge into the State’s rivers, streams, lakes, ponds and wetlands. All projects are to be completed before October 1, 2023. WUV has approximately $1,270,000 to allocate to projects over three categories: Stormwater (~$580,000), Stormwater – Three-Acre General Permit under operational stormwater general permit 3-9050 (~$315,000), and Natural Resources: Lake Shoreland, Rivers - Stream/Floodplain restoration, Forestry (~$375,000). 

Watersheds United Vermont (WUV) received a Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) grant to provide one-on-one training to groups throughout the state to improve their water quality monitoring programs. This “train-the-trainer” grant provided groups an opportunity to dive deeper into their water quality monitoring data to better address water quality concerns in their watershed and provide education and outreach to their communities on the health of local rivers and streams.

Thanks to the 2019-2020 Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Woody Buffer Block Grant, Watersheds United Vermont (WUV) has subgranted more than $120,000 to watershed groups over two years to develop and implement riparian buffer plantings in Vermont. Planting riparian buffers along streams and rivers is a key strategy to stabilize streambanks; reduce nutrient, sediment and pollutant runoff; and improve aquatic and riparian habitat. 

Watersheds United Vermont (WUV) is pleased to have had Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Project Development Block Grant to subgrant funds directly to watershed organizations to develop these clean water projects in the state. These subgrants were for watershed groups to explore priority projects to get landowners, municipalities and other partners “on board” with projects to improve water quality and to move projects closer to implementation. Through this grant, WUV awarded $39,500 in eight subgrants to seven watershed organizations.

World Fish Migration Day, October 24, is a one-day global celebration about the importance of free-flowing rivers and migratory fish.

Fish migration is essential for healthy rivers. Migratory fish all over the world depend on free flowing rivers. Today, river barriers like dams, sluices and many other obstacles threaten many fish species’ survival.

Free flowing rivers that allow fish to travel upriver increase fish populations in the river and assure healthy river life.

Learn how Vermont is celebrating at https://vnrc.org/world-fish-migration-day/.

The High Meadows Fund announces their Watershed Resilience Program Initiative Report and Executive Summary. The report highlights lessons learned from High Meadows Fund Partners 2015 to 2019. Read to learn more about how Watershed Groups are taking action to Protect and Build Vermont Communities!