Decades-old berm removed and trees planted on land south of Martin Covered Bridge that flooded in 2024
This summer we worked with partners to remove an 800-foot earthen berm along the Winooski River in Marshfield and plant trees in the area. The restored riverside land will allow the Winooski to expand safely into its surrounding floodplain when water rise. It will thus help reduce flood risk, improve watershed health, and keep phosphorus out of Lake Champlain.
“When heavy rains swell Vermont’s rivers, that extra water needs somewhere to go,” explained VLT’s Ecology & Restoration Program Director Allaire Diamond. “Floodplains hold and absorb flood waters, minimizing damaging impacts downstream. But when artificial barriers like this berm prevent rivers from being able to reach those critical zones, flood damage and water quality are worse.”
Past floods highlighted need for restoration
Located near the Martin Covered Bridge and John Fowler Road, the site is visible from Route 2. The berm — a long, narrow pile of earth — had been in place for many decades, to prevent flooding into the adjacent field during minor flood events.
However, historic floods in 2023 and 2024 hit this section of the river especially hard, highlighting the need for restoration.
2024 flooding covers the now-removed berm. Photo by Marie Maclay.
Partnership effort to restore forest along the river
After prioritizing the riverside area for conservation some years ago, we partnered with the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation to protect nearly 20 acres with a River Corridor Easement in 2021. That means the land along the river is set aside so a band of forest will regrow over time, and the river has space to move.
The berm removal this summer was a collaboration between the landowners, Vermont Fish & Wildlife, engineering consultants Fitzgerald Environmental Associates, construction operators Marshfield Tree Service & Logging, and Friends of the Winooski River.
After the berm was removed, Friends of the Winooski River planted a mix of wetland and floodplain plant seeds in the restoration site to jumpstart growth. They then planted 400 trees and shrubs in the one-acre riverside buffer area, which will grow into a forest.
“This project is a great example of our ongoing collaboration with Vermont Land Trust to bring the strengths of both organizations together for multiple benefits to the community,” said Michele Braun, Executive Director of Friends of the Winooski River. “Flooding will be reduced in a vulnerable area, and sensitive species like brook trout and wood turtle will have improved habitat on land and in the river.”
The berm removal project was funded by Vermont state clean water funds, administered by the Central Vermont Regional Planning Commission.
Header photo: Designer Rodrigue Spinette from Fitzgerald Environmental Associates and Mike Baril from Marshfield Tree Service looking at project plans pre-construction.
