Lake Champlain Sea Grant BLUE Stormwater Program expands to Williston, Vermont

By Michelle Lockhart
July 10, 2024

Storm events are increasing in severity in the Lake Champlain basin, which makes stormwater management a top priority in climate change planning. Rain that falls on impervious surfaces, like rooftops and roadways and is unable to infiltrate into the ground is considered 'stormwater' which can impact local waterways. Lake Champlain Sea Grant works with partners across the basin to increase the implementation of green stormwater infrastructure (GSI). GSI practices use nature-based solutions incorporating soil, drainage stone, plants, and other design features to slow, infiltrate, and reduce stormwater pollutants which can improve water quality in rivers and lakes and help create more resilient communities. 

Lake Champlain Sea Grant has led the BLUE program in Burlington, Vermont for the last five years. The program is a partnership with the City of Burlington, Fitzgerald Environmental, Just Water Consulting, and the University of Vermont to encourage GSI like rain gardens, permeable pavers, infiltration trenches, and other best practices on residential properties. Over the past five years, the program has completed over 130 site reviews and distributed more than $11,000 in homeowner rebates from 15 green stormwater infrastructure projects. 

This summer, the program expands to the town of Williston, Vermont. Williston stormwater runoff flows into important Vermont waterways like the Winooski River, which drains into Lake Champlain. Stormwater carrying pollutants like sediment, car oil, fertilizers, and pesticides enters the Winooski River directly or flows into tributaries like Allen Brook and Muddy Brook. Allen Brook, a 10-mile stream in the Town of Williston, is listed on the State of Vermont 303(d) List of Impaired Waters due to high phosphorus levels and pollutants from runoff. 

Residents in Williston frequently struggle with saturated yards, flooding after major rain events, and wet basements. “The Department of Public Works gets a lot of calls from homeowners about drainage issues they’re experiencing on private property,” said Williston’s Stormwater Coordinator, Lisa Cicchetti. “Unfortunately, these issues can be expensive and stressful, and are typically outside of the areas in which Public Works can help. We wanted to partner with the BLUE Program so we can provide more support to residents who want to understand and manage their stormwater runoff.” 

Stormwater management in Williston is uniquely challenging due to prevalent heavy clay soils and a high groundwater table. Groundwater exists as a layer between bedrock and surface soils, constantly flowing and fluctuating like an underground and invisible river. These two elements combined reduce soils’ ability to drain stormwater, leading to pooling and flooding. 

In areas where groundwater is high, it’s especially important to manage stormwater from rain events on-site. Stormwater can be redirected away from house foundations and impervious surfaces such as parking lots and roads, and toward stable vegetated areas that can help slow and spread stormwater. 

To protect Williston’s waterways and help residents prepare for larger and more frequent rain events, the Town of Williston and Lake Champlain Sea Grant’s BLUE Stormwater program provides support to implement stormwater solutions. If you are a Williston homeowner, sign up for a free BLUE assessment today! 

If you are located outside of Williston and would like to learn about stormwater management, check out these stormwater programs and resources: