With support from the Lake Champlain Basin Program (LCBP) and the New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission (NEIWPCC), BCCD has received funding to support a portion (30-90% designs) of a culvert replacement design on Purchase Brook in Danby, Vermont. The current culvert is acting as a barrier to Aquatic Organism Passage (AOP), and we are hoping to replace the structure with a bridge in the coming years to ensure connectivity both upstream and down.

Connectivity is important to ensure that aquatic species like Brook trout have access to cool headwaters during the warmest months of summer, to reduce erosion of stream banks, allow the natural movement of rocks and in-stream wood during high waters and reduce downstream flood impacts. The replacement of the culvert will also help to ensure natural amounts of sediment transportation, and improved water quality. Which is important, as Purchase Brook ultimately feeds into South Lake Champlain.

Bennington County Conservation District is working with some wonderful local partners on this project, and this effort wouldn’t be possible without them. They include: The Poultney – Mettowee Natural Resource Conservation District, Town of Danby Vermont, Trout Unlimited, US Forest Service, and US Fish and Wildlife Service… not to mention the project funders LCBP and NEIWPCC.

Please Note: This project has been funded wholly or in part by the United States Environmental Protection Agency under assistance agreement (LC00A00695-0) to NEIWPCC in partnership with the Lake Champlain Basin Program.