(802) 763-7733 info@whiteriverpartnership.org PO Box 705, South Royalton, VT 05068

Irene flooding updates

Irene flooding updates

August 31, 2011

Tropical Storm Irene has caused major damage to public and private property in the White River watershed.

Resources

The Vermont Department of Health has published Post-Irene_soil_cleanup_info.

The CDC has published Guidance on Microbial Contamination in Previously Flooded Outdoor Areas.

Representatives from Vermont communities in counties affected by Tropical Storm Irene are invited to meetings on Friday, September 9 and Saturday, September 10 to learn how to apply for federal reimbursement for flood response and recovery costs for eligible public infrastructure such as debris removal, emergency protective measures, and the repair, replacement, or restoration of disaster-damaged, publicly owned facilities and the facilities of certain Private Non-Profit (PNP) organizations.

The Vermont Department of Health has set up Hazardous Waster Drop-off Locations around the state. Report oil or gas spills to the VT Emergency Hazardous Materials Spill Hotline: 802-241-3888.

The Vermont Department of Health is offering free drinking water test kits for residents with private wells that may have been affected by flooding.

Individuals and businesses that sustained damages from Irene, should register for FEMA assistance. Call 1-800-621-FEMA or visit www.disasterassistance.gov.

Agricultural producers should report farm damages to local USDA Farm Service Agency offices; disaster assistance may be available. In Windsor and and Orange Counties, call 802-295-7942×10. In Rutland County, call 802-775-8034. And in Addison County, call 802-388-6748.

The federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advises that certain foods exposed to flood waters, and perishable foods that are not adequately refrigerated, are adulterated and should not enter the human food supply.

Up to $10 Million is available through VEDA’s Hurricane Irene Assistance Loan Program to assist Vermont businesses and farms in their efforts to recover from direct physical damage caused by flooding related to Hurricane Irene. For more information, call 802-828-5627.

The Agency of Natural Resources has published Guidelines_for_Instream_Work.

FEMA has published Repairing_Your_Flooded_Home for homeowners affected by floods.

For the latest updates from Vermont Emergency Management, visit this link.

WRP news

The WRP will coordinate the following river cleanups this fall to remove debris left behind by flood waters:

  • Saturday, September 17 from 1:30 – 3:30pm in South Royalton. Meet at Vermont Law School’s Debevoise Hall.
  • Friday, September 30 from 8:00 – 12:00pm in Rochester. Meet in the Rochester School parking lot.
  • Saturday, October 1 from 9:00 – 12:00pm in Hartford. Meet in the CCV parking lot in Wilder.

To report a site in need of cleanup, please fill out the Scouting Report on the Connecticut River Watershed Council’s website.

WRP staff are working with technical partners to offer assistance to watershed towns in tracking damages to public property that may be eligible for FEMA disaster assistance funds. Stay tuned for opportunities to help.

WRP staff will be in the office sporadically this week. If you need to contact us, please leave a phone message, which we’ll check twice each day.

Watershed news

Several watershed communities have websites to help coordinate recovery efforts, including Bethel, Braintree, Hartford, Pittsfield, Rochester, Royalton, Sharon, and Stockbridge.

To learn about opportunities to volunteer in the White River watershed and beyond, visit VTResponse.

Several communities have started disaster relief funds to help residents and businesses impacted by flooding:

  • Bethel – Send checks to “Bethel Relief Fund,” c/o Town of Bethel, PO Box 404, Bethel, VT 05032.
  • Pittsfield – Send checks to “Pittsfield Federated Church Hurricane Relief Fund,” PO Box 623, Pittsfield, VT 05762.
  • Rochester – Send checks made out to “Relief for Rochester Vermont,” c/o Town of Rochester, PO Box 238, Rochester, VT 05767.
  • Royalton – Send checks made out to “Operation Revive Royalton,” c/o Town of Royalton, PO Box 680, S. Royalton, VT 05068.
  • Sharon – Send checks made out to “Town of Sharon Irene Fund, ” c/o Town of Sharon, PO Box 250, Sharon, VT 05065.

Crayfish Monitoring Workshop

MWR_Bethel_crayfishCrayfish Monitoring Workshop

July 12, 2011 Vermont state biologists are seeking help to document the presence of two non-native crayfish species in the White River. On Thursday and Friday, July 21 and 22, the WRP and Jennifer Guarino are teaming up to offer a free Crayfish Monitoring Workshop to train interested teachers and community volunteers how to monitor crayfish in the White River and its tributaries. Teachers are invited to attend both days of the workshop, which will cover crayfish ecology, investigation methods, quality control techniques for data collection, and curriculum development. Community volunteers are invited to attend a ½-day session on Thursday afternoon to learn about trapping crayfish and gathering high-quality data.

Non-native crayfish

The rusty crayfish (Orconectes rusticus) is an alien species that has taken up residence in the White River watershed. Besides displacing native crayfish, it can disrupt the river’s ecosystem and destroy fish nurseries. Aquatic biologists are very concerned about the rusty crayfish, yet they know little about its populations and impacts in Vermont. Last summer, we worked with several White River teachers and Jim Kellogg, Vermont state aquatic biologist, to survey crayfish in the White River behind the White River National Fish Hatchery in Bethel. Amazingly, we caught 8 individuals of the species Cambarus robustus, the big water crayfish, a species that had never been seen in Vermont! Is this the latest invasive crayfish to hit our state?!? More monitoring is needed to begin to answer this question.

Workshop details

The free, 2-day Crayfish Monitoring Workshop for teachers will begin at 9 am and end at 4:30 pm each day, and includes indoor and outdoor sessions; the ½-day session for community volunteers begins at 12:30 and ends at 4:30pm on Thursday. Refreshments will be provided. This free workshop is made possible by generous funding from the VT Watershed Grant and Grant-in-Aid programs and the Wellborn Ecology Fund.

For more information

To register and receive more information, please contact Jennifer Guarino at (802) 728-9135 or jguarino556@gmail.com. Space is limited – please contact us soon if you are interested in this opportunity!

Water quality monitoring begins

Water quality monitoring begins

June 07, 2011

Matt_LaMothe

On June 8, the White River Partnership (WRP) will kick-off its 11th season of monitoring water quality at over 20 sites along the White River and its tributaries. Twenty trained volunteers will keep tabs on bacteria, conductivity, temperature, and water clarity at swimming holes and other public access sites around the watershed.

2011 monitoring sites

2011_Water_Quality_sites

About the Program

In 2001, the WRP developed the volunteer-led Water Quality Monitoring Program in response to community concerns that bacteria and other contaminants might be making some waters unsafe for recreation. Because of its close relationship to public health, we make the bacteria results available to the public every other Thursday via email, mail and our website. If you would like to receive the biweekly bacteria results directly, please contact us.

Over the past 7 months, the WRP has worked with The Dartmouth Institute to survey watershed towns about their use of our water quality monitoring data. As a result, the WRP will improve education and outreach about water quality issues so that town officials and community members can make informed decisions that protect public health and the environment.

For more information

To learn more about the WRP’s 2011 water quality monitoring program, visit our Program page.