The NorthWoods Conservation Corps recently partnered with the Passumpsic Valley Land Trust (PVLT) to improve water access and remediate existing points of erosion on the Passumpsic River. Learn more about the project in this write up, courtesy of the PVLT, and learn more about their organization by visiting their website.
New Enhancements at Passumpsic Valley Land Trust’s Confluence Property
Want to launch a canoe or kayak in Lyndon at the confluence of the East and West Branches of the Passumpsic River? Recall that PVLT acquired the former Alfred Smith property along VT Route 114 at its junction with Darling Hill Rd. back in 2013. It includes a long segment of riverbank along the West Branch, some on the mainstem, and a driveway that offers parking at a popular river access site right where the Branches come together. Also recall, this is Smith homestead property where PVLT had the old declining buildings in the flood plain demolished.
This past summer Northwoods Stewardship Center in East Charleston had the opportunity to undertake a couple river access projects aimed at remediating erosion and siltation that could potentially impair water quality. NorthWoods Trails Director and project coordinator Luke O’Brien approached us, hoping that we would be a willing landowner and collaborator sharing an interest in pairing recreation with ecological integrity. A local youth crew from the NorthWoods Conservation Corps installed several timber steps that create a defined path for carrying paddlecraft to the water while avoiding the gullying that might funnel stormwater into the Passumpsic. At the same time, the Northwoods crew also repaired a failed access point at the Lyndon Town School East Branch frontage a couple thousand feet upstream. PVLT is very pleased with the installation of this new amenity at our river frontage, and especially tickled by the tasteful Vermont signature the work crew managed to incorporate into the finished product. Go check it out!
The Confluence parcel covers roughly 22 acres. Heading up Darling Hill Rd. from Route 114 several hundred yards, you’ll find a farm road at the top of the hill that winds into the woods and down to the floodway field along the West Branch. PVLT allows V.A.S.T. and its local affiliate, the Lyndon Snocruisers, to maintain a snowmobile trail through the Confluence property along this woods road. This is another access point for the public. Unfortunately a few less thoughtful members of the public have misused this road as a dumping spot for debris and household trash. Larry Dwyer, a V.A.S.T. trail maintenance volunteer stepped up to arrange for installation of a gate at Darling Hill Rd. to discourage access by trash-bearing and trail-eroding wheeled vehicles. If summer 2016 is any measure, the gate is serving its purpose. It’s positioning allows plenty of space for parking of vehicles along Darling Hill Rd. to take advantage of pedestrian pursuits. Pay a visit sometime.