Pollution in Lake
Champlain is a hot topic in the news these days, and many are aware of local
and statewide efforts to improve our waterways. However, despite increased
attention paid to water quality issues, many people lack an understanding of
watershed dynamics, including how water flows from one area to another.
While watersheds can
extend beyond political boundaries like town lines, the 6,900-acre Allen Brook
watershed is almost entirely within Williston. In an effort to shed some light
on basic watershed concepts as well as the unique attributes of the Allen Brook
watershed, the Town of Williston Planning Department and Conservation
Commission recently developed and installed a new wayside interpretive exhibit.
The exhibit consists of six interpretive signs in the Williston Community Park
and along the Allen Brook Nature Trail. The signs highlight the natural and
recreational benefits the Allen Brook provides, raise awareness of how
development and stormwater disposal adversely affect the stream, and identify
simple, effective actions that can be taken to protect the watershed.
The exhibit was
funded in part by a Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife Watershed Grant. Technical
and design assistance was provided by the Lake Champlain Basin Program (LCBP) through
the Champlain Valley National Heritage Partnership wayside exhibit program.
LCBP has partnered with more than a dozen groups, including local towns,
not-for-profits, State parks, and Federal agencies, to develop wayside exhibits
telling the unique local stories of the Lake Champlain region. Now the Allen
Brook is one of those stories.
Check out the new
exhibit at the Williston Community Park and along the Allen Brook Nature Trail,
or view a “virtual tour” at http://arcg.is/meuCP . To learn more about water quality and how
you can help, visit the Lake Champlain Basin Program’s website at www.LCBP.org.
