Saturday is the 10 year anniversary of Tropical Storm Irene when around 6 inches of rain fell in the Mad River watershed in a matter of hours, causing the river to crest at ~19 feet at the gage in Moretown, a full 10 feet above flood stage. The damage to infrastructure and peoples’ homes and businesses was significant. “After Irene, the community came together to take care of each other,” recalled Katie Sullivan, Friends’ board member and Warren School teacher. “The way people pitched in and helped, however they could, was a true testament to this community’s spirit.” That spirit of community central to the Irene recovery effort continued in the efforts for resiliency over the decade since. “Town board representatives planning and acting together across town lines as part of the Ridge to River initiative, homeowners enhancing their homes and driveways with Storm Smart, Town reps and road crews upgrading culverts and improving roads, Mad River Watch volunteers dedicating time and energy to understand the river,” listed Corrie Miller, Friends’ Director. “Over the last decade, our community has worked hard, learned a lot about the opportunities we have to shape our future, and made great strides together towards resilience.” ​

​On August 8th and 9th Friends of the Mad River’s (FMR) Mad River Watch volunteers visited field sites across the valley in order to monitor water quality and make detailed environmental observations for their fifth field exploration this summer. This article is part of a series highlighting the questions and field work driving volunteers to find answers about the health of the Mad River watershed, as well as the community of supporters that make it possible.

​Mad River Watch Volunteers are part of a community-science based effort, rooted in careful observations, to better understand the ecological health of the whole watershed. The process of gathering observations starts as soon as volunteers arrive at their site. They note the weather conditions and any major changes, like fallen trees or new stream channels.
 
“Taking in the whole picture is a critical first step in any kind of field work,” explains Lisa Koitzsch, Mad River Watch Coordinator. “Focusing too narrowly on chasing data points can lead to overlooking critical information and even add to the risk of an unsafe situation. It’s exciting to see black bears and other wildlife from a distance, but the last thing we want is to stumble into their space unaware.” In addition to her work with Friends, Lisa has also plays a key role as a field researcher studying wolves and moose in Yellowstone and Isle Royale National Parks.
 
Before moving on to take pollutant measurements, volunteers take a series of calibrated photos that will show change over time at each field site.

​Water quality measurements of phosphate and temperature can tell us about conditions of the river directly and serve as indicators of other trends. The local context helps explain why certain data points show up. “When you look at a given field site, you can see the amount of shade the trees provide or take note of how close you are to a road or farm - factors that can influence temperature or the presence of certain pollutants,” explains Friends’ Director, Corrie Miller.
 
“After taking in the big picture, volunteers focus on more detailed observations. Our river and stream corridors are like highways for many kinds of wildlife,” says Koitzsch. “Pawprints or scat can tell us who has been there recently. By looking for signs like these, our volunteers are also learning more about the complexity of the natural world along the Mad River. Mad River Watch 2.0 is really about building a skilled corps of volunteers in conjunction with collecting data on the health of the watershed.” In addition to tracking wildlife and identifying birds, volunteers also take note of the plant life and whether or not it is native, changes to the natural community through the season, impacts of recent weather conditions, as well as signs of human activities like trash or fire pits.
 
The same app that volunteers use for taking water quality data also allows them to record their observations by taking photos, videos, and audio recordings of their field sites. Volunteers also keep field journals to draw sketches and write more detailed descriptions of their findings. “Hand-written notes and observations are still really useful for field work and are not going out of style any time soon,” says Koitzsch.

​While visiting their field sites, many Mad River Watch volunteers find more artistic ways to connect with the river and its tributaries. "Some write poems or reflections on the watershed and others draw field sketches,” explains Friends board member, Kinny Perot. “The sounds, the smells, the sights, and the animals living along and traveling the stream, kids playing in the water, and the cooling dips after working in the garden are all part of the flow of life here in the valley. Reflections like these, as well as a belated celebration of Friends’ 30th anniversary, are what gave rise to Evan Primo’s newest musical composition, My river runs to thee.”
 
Scrag Mountain Music, led by bassist and composer Evan Primo and soprano Mary Bonhag, is hosting celebrated Abenaki singer-songwriter, Brian Blanchette, and the Aeolus Quartet to perform at the Phantom Theater in Warren on Saturday, August 14th and 1pm. The group will host a second performance in Hubbard Park in Montpelier on Sunday, August 15th at 1pm. Tickets are ‘pay-what-you-can’ and can be purchased online at www.scragmountainmusic.org/watershed.

​A volunteer at Shepard Brook noted the impacts of recent weather. “The water level was not noticeably higher even after a brief but torrential rain last night. Some suspended solids on the water, only noticeable in the sampling container, not in the running water. In contrast, the main body of the Mad was so muddy it looked like chocolate milk.”
 
Another volunteer noted their own impact on their field site at Dowsville Brook. “I saw a Gray catbird, crows or ravens, I disturb a Rock pigeon under the bridge each time I visit. As I was getting ready to leave, I flushed two brown/gray waterfowl who quickly took off downstream. Mallards perhaps?”
 
The mother/daughter volunteers at Ward’s Access have paid close attention to the way the river changes with time. “Erosion and deposition continue to change the shape of the beach but in small ways, the rocky beach is getting slightly smaller, with water encroaching, washing away on both East and West ends.”
 
This week saw 16 teams of volunteers visit 19 field sites. Water temperatures ranged from a low of 60.47°F at Rice Brook in Warren on Sunday to a high of 67.5°F at the USGS gage in Moretown on Monday. Over the summer, FMR will compile data and observations and share key findings and highlights in the Valley Reporter and online at friendsofthemadriver.org/madriverwatch.

On July 25 and 26, Friends of the Mad River’s (FMR) Mad River Watch volunteers visited field sites across the valley in order to monitor water quality and make detailed environmental observations for their third field exploration this summer. This article is part of a series highlighting the questions and field work driving volunteers to find answers about the health of the Mad River watershed, as well as the community of supporters that make it possible.

​As part of the reimagined Mad River Watch program, volunteers use a digital handheld probe to record water temperature at their field sites. By distributing field sites up and down the Mad River, as well as in many of the tributaries, differences in temperature provide a baseline for understanding impacts that local topography, land use, and climate change have on the health of the river. Over time, these temperature measurements can be matched with other data sets to provide a fuller picture of changes in the watershed.
 
According to the State of Vermont, in the last fifty years, average air temperature has risen at least 2°F and annual precipitation has increased 7 inches across Vermont. “Tracking temperature and geomorphic changes in our streams, rivers, and lakes is part of understanding climate change at a regional level and the way it may be influencing the plant and animal communities that live here,” explains Friends’ Director Corrie Miller. 

Recent storms in the valley had severe impacts, washing out Butternut Hill Road in Waitsfield, among other smaller washouts, and disrupting driveways across the region. In addition to impacting the amount of sediment and pollutant loading in a given sub-watershed, variations in the amount and intensity of rainfall, as well as in the location where it lands, impact water temperature directly.
 
“Excess surface runoff in the form of stormwater is warmer when it reaches the stream than water that enters the soil and percolates into the waterways more slowly,” says Becky Tharp of Just Water Consulting. “That warmer surface runoff can heat up the rivers, causing changes to water chemistry and habitat suitability.”
 
Like increased sediment and pollutant loads, elevated water temperature can play a big role in limiting the success of aquatic organisms and govern which species can thrive. “The Mad River is home to a number of cold-water fish species including Brook, Rainbow, and Brown Trout. All of these species prefer cold temperatures, between 52°F and 57°F, with even cooler temperatures needed for spawning,” explains angler and Trout Unlimited board member Clark Amadon.
 
Land use and development, like the presence or lack of a riparian buffer, can also have a significant effect on how much sunlight hits the water. When streamside trees are cut down, there are fewer overhanging branches to provide shade, which leads to more sunlight hitting the stream and warming the water. “Riparian Buffers are important for a number of reasons,” explains Friends’ Stewardship Manager, Ira Shadis. “They provide stability to the bank, a filter to slow runoff and capture pollutants, a sponge to absorb flood water, shade for cold-water species like brook trout, habitat for birds and small mammals, and when strung together with larger blocks of forest, offer critical space for organisms to adjust to environmental stressors and the changing climate.”
 
The impact of different kinds of land use do not always show up directly in the temperature data Friends’ volunteers collect. By combining this data with volunteer’s other observations, targeted inquiries and outreach, and other land use analysis, Friends is able to prioritize projects that address the confluence of water quality, flood resilience, and biodiversity in the watershed.  

​Following the recent stormy weather, volunteers saw increased flow and turbidity at their sites. A volunteer at Folsom Brook noted that there was, “evidence of the water being really high at the sampling site. Grass was still bent over from the storm. Maybe 48” above the current water level.” Another volunteer noted the in-stream dynamics near Riverside Park, that the, “water level is high and up over the gravel beach. There is erosion on the upstream gravel island. Water is now flowing through the center of the island.”
 
A volunteer at Shepard Brook took careful notes on the way a nearby tributary and riparian buffer responded to the storm. They noted that, “There is a stream running from the culvert under the driveway that is typically dry. The stream is running through an area of thick vegetation, predominantly ferns, meadow rue, swamp milkweed, jewelweed and other natives on edge of the brook, and bishops weed amongst pine trees closer to the nearby driveway.”
 
This week saw 13 teams of volunteers visit 21 field sites. Water temperatures ranged from a low of 59.2°F at Riverside Park in Warren on Sunday to a high of 64.92°F at the USGS gage in Moretown on Monday. Over the summer, FMR will compile data and observations and share key findings and highlights in the Valley Reporter and online at friendsofthemadriver.org/madriverwatch.