BETHEL, VERMONT MIDDLE WHITE RIVER AND THIRD BRANCH WATERSHEDS STREAM GEOMORPHIC ASSESSMENT and RIVER CORRIDOR PLAN 2013-2014 December 24, 2014 Prepared by: Daniel Ruddell, Elisabeth McLane, Courtney Haynes, Hannah Wahlstrom, Shannon Lamb, Staff; and Ben Machin, Principal Redstart Consulting Prepared for: White River Partnership and Vermont Agency of Natural Resources/ Department of Environmental Conservation River Management Program This page purposely left blank TABLE OF CONTENTS 1.0 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ........................................................................................ 1 Stream Geomorphic Assessment and River Corridor Planning ...................................... 1 Assessment summary ...................................................................................................... 3 Project recommendation summary ................................................................................. 5 Municipal initiatives ....................................................................................................... 6 Floodplain and River Corridor Planning and Protection ................................................ 6 Road-Stream Crossing Retrofits and Replacements ....................................................... 6 Drainage and Stormwater Management .......................................................................... 7 Additional priority strategies .......................................................................................... 7 Buffer Establishment and Protection and Integrated Reach-scale Corridor Protection and Restoration Strategies............................................................................................... 7 2.0 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................... 10 2.1 PROJECT OVERVIEW ......................................................................................... 11 3.0 BACKGROUND INFORMATION ........................................................................ 14 3.1 GEOGRAPHIC SETTING ..................................................................................... 14 3.1.1 Watershed description ...................................................................................... 14 3.1.2 Political jurisdictions ....................................................................................... 16 3.1.3 Land use history and current general characteristics ....................................... 16 3.2 GEOLOGIC SETTING .......................................................................................... 24 3.3 GEOMORPHIC SETTING .................................................................................... 29 3.3.1 Location of assessed reaches ........................................................................... 29 3.3.2 Longitudinal profile, alluvial fans, and natural grade controls ........................ 29 3.3.3 Valley and reference stream types ................................................................... 36 3.4 HYDROLOGY ................................................................................................... 40 3.4.1 Bethel area StreamStats ................................................................................... 40 3.4.2 Bethel area flood history .................................................................................. 43 3.5 ECOLOGY ............................................................................................................. 48 3.5.1 Distribution of instream, riparian and wetland habitats ................................... 48 3.5.2 Aquatic life....................................................................................................... 48 3.5.3 Unique plant and animal communities ............................................................ 51 4.0 METHODS ................................................................................................................ 51 4.1 STREAM GEOMORPHIC ASSESSMENT .......................................................... 51 4.2 QUALITY ASSURANCE, QUALITY CONTROL, AND DATA QUALIFICATIONS ..................................................................................................... 52 5.0 RESULTS .................................................................................................................. 54 5.1 DEPARTURE ANALYSIS .................................................................................... 55 5.1.1 Hydrologic regime stressors ................................................................................ 55 5.1.2 Sediment regime stressors................................................................................ 62 5.1.2a Channel slope modifiers ................................................................................. 68 5.1.2b Channel depth modifiers ................................................................................ 70 5.1.2c Boundary condition and riparian modifiers ................................................... 73 5.1.3 Sediment regime departure, constraints to sediment transport, and attenuation assets ......................................................................................................................... 76 5.2 SENSITIVITY ANALYSIS ................................................................................... 87 6.0 PROJECT IDENTIFICATION ............................................................................... 90 6.1 REACH DESCRIPTIONS — PRELIMINARY PROJECT IDENTIFICATION . 90 Third Branch and tributaries ......................................................................................... 90 6.1 Reach M01 – Third Branch mainstem from River St. /Rte. 12/107 in Bethel to Findley Bridge .......................................................................................................... 90 6.1 Reach M02 – Third Branch mainstem from Findley Bridge upstream to east of Gilead Brook Rd. ...................................................................................................... 94 6.1 Reach M03 – Third Branch mainstem from east of Gilead Brook Rd. to Beanville ................................................................................................................... 97 6.1 Reach M01S3.01 – Camp Brook from Third Branch to downstream end of fields at 1523 Camp Brook Road ...................................................................................... 102 6.1 Reach M01S3.02 – Camp Brook from downstream end of fields at 1523 Camp Brook Road to field upstream of Pond Rd. bridge.................................................. 108 6.1 Reach M01S3.03 – Camp Brook from field upstream of Pond Rd. bridge to beaver ponds east of Charlie Wilson Road ............................................................. 114 6.1 Reach T1.01 – Gilead Brook from Third Branch to Gilead Brook Rd. pull-off across from Messier Rd. ......................................................................................... 121 6.1 Reach T1.02 – Gilead Brook from Gilead Brook Rd. pull-out across from Messier Rd. to confluence with tributary by Wright Farm (upstream of Wright Rd. bridge) ..................................................................................................................... 130 6.1 Reach T1.03 – Gilead Brook from confluence with tributary by Wright Farm (upstream of Wright Road bridge) to multiple tributary confluence east of 1892 Little Hollow Road ................................................................................................. 138 6.1 Reach T1.04 – Gilead Brook from multiple tributary confluence east of 1892 Little Hollow Rd to beaver ponds east of 1300 Little Hollow Rd .......................... 142 White River mainstem and tributaries ........................................................................ 145 6.1 Reach R11 – White River mainstem from behind state police barracks and VTrans maintenance garage to confluence of White mainstem and Third Branch (River St Bridge) ..................................................................................................... 145 6.1 Reach R12 – White River from Third Branch at Peavine Park to midstream boulders and right bank bedrock below Toziers Restaurant on Rte. 107 ............... 149 6.1 Reach R13 – White River mainstem from boulders and right bank bedrock below Toziers Restaurant on Rte 107 upstream to mouth of Lilliesville Brook by intersection of Peavine Blvd and Lilliesville Rd. ................................................... 155 6.1 Reach R12-S02.01 – Cleveland Brook from confluence with the White mainstem upstream for 1.34 miles to confluence with a tributary .......................... 161 6.1 Reach T3.01 – Locust Creek from confluence with White to Rte. 12 intersection with Rhoades Hill Rd. ............................................................................................. 167 6.1 Reach T4.01 – Lilliesville Brook from confluence with the White River, near intersection of Lilliesville Brook Rd. and Peavine Blvd/River Rd.., upstream 1.05 miles to Lilliesville Brook Rd. bridge upstream of Whittier Rd............................. 176 6.1 Reach T4.02 – Lilliesville Brook from 1.05 mi. up Lilliesville Brook Rd. (near bridge upstream of Whittier Rd.) to ~ 0.3 miles upstream of the Brink Hill Rd. ... 182 6.1 Reach T4.03 – Lilliesville Brook from ~0.3 miles upstream of the Brink Hill Road bridge to 250 ft. downstream of the 4-corners at Gay Hill, Dartt Hill, Campbell and Lilliesville Brook Roads .................................................................................