Storm Smart Videos
A good grade and a few waterbars make a big difference. Learn about ways you can make your driveway Storm Smart.
Your lawn and forest can be a huge asset in managing stormwater. Watch this video to learn how!
When then sun is shining it can be hard to think about rain. But this video can show you a few things you can do to get ready for stormy weather.
Storm Smart FAQ
What is the Storm Smart Program?
The Storm Smart program exists to work with property owners throughout the Mad River Valley to protect our roads and rivers. By finding ways to slow down, spread out, and sink in stormwater on our own land we can avoid costly erosion on town and private roads while protecting aquatic life and a long tradition of swimming in crystal clear water on hot summer days.
Why does getting a Storm Smart Assessment matter?
A Storm Smart Assessment can help identify the cause of issues like driveway erosion and potentially save you money with some simple fixes. The assessment can also help find ways that your property can help the whole watershed by slowing water, capturing sediment, and keeping our swimholes cool and clear. Stormwater impacts everything about life in the Mad River Valley, from tourism to the cost of road repairs. By taking care of the water that lands on your property you can help make the Valley a better place to live.
What is stormwater runoff?
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, “Stormwater runoff is generated from rain and snowmelt events that flow over land or impervious surfaces, such as paved streets, parking lots, and building rooftops, and does not soak into the ground.” Stormwater runoff can also increase or decrease depending on the type of soil and vegetation the rain lands on - deeper roots and more developed soil hold more water!
What is Green Stormwater Infrastructure, or GSI?
The Vermont Green Infrastructure Collaborative defines Green Stormwater Infrastructure (GSI) as, “systems and practices that restore and maintain natural hydrologic processes in order to reduce the volume and water quality impacts of stormwater runoff.” This broad definition can include everything from the rain barrel next to your porch to the stretch of woods along the edge of the stream that runs through your property. If it helps to slow down, spread out, and sink in water then it is probably Green Stormwater Infrastructure.
What are best management practices, or BMPs?
Best Management Practices (BMP) are the steps you can take to install and maintain traditional and green stormwater infrastructure so that it works properly and helps to slow, spread out, and sink in water before it runs downhill. The water is then either infiltrated into the ground, captured for reuse later on, or through evapotranspiration returns to the atmosphere.
Is Storm Smart part of Friends of the Mad River or Ridge to River?
Storm Smart is a program of Friends of The Mad River that is an outcome of some of the work that the Ridge to River taskforce has been doing for the last few years. So, in short, it’s both!
How much does a Storm Smart Assessment cost?
Nothing! Storm Smart Assessments are totally free. The program is funded through grants from the Lake Champlain Basin Program, The Department of Environmental Conservation, and the Robbins-DeBeaumont foundation.
I don’t see any problems on my property. I don’t need a Storm Smart Assessment, right?
That’s great to hear! Chances are there are already some BMPs in place on your property and they are doing their job. Even if your property is doing well, a Storm Smart Assessment could help identify even more ways to keep water on your property.
Won’t keeping water on my property cause me problems like flooding?
The goal of the Storm Smart program is to find ways to keep water on your property in a sustainable manner. In general, water should be directed away from the house, parking area, and driveway and towards stable vegetated areas. GSI, like rain gardens or retention ponds, should be built with an overflow outlet to make sure they can handle big storms. Sinking water into your property can also restore groundwater, which provides benefits like refilling wells and keeping plants healthy during dry stretches.
What about the farms, aren’t they a bigger problem than my home?
The risk of certain pollutants, like phosphorous, making it into Mad River is higher in the case of runoff from agricultural land. However, sediment itself is a pollutant - it carries nutrients like phosphorus, it clogs trout habitat, and makes swimholes cloudy, or "turbid." And, unfortunately, we have a lot of loose sediment in the Mad River Valley! And the total volume of stormwater is an important consideration no matter where you live, but especially here, where we have steep and narrow valleys that fill quickly when it rains. When small streams or culverts become overwhelmed with water that could have been captured and infiltrated uphill, they risk suffering the kind of large, and expensive, damage seen during tropical storm Irene and the smaller storm events since. And, the problems magnify as they move downhill or downstream!
Links to Other Resources
VT Guide to Stormwater Management— A document with great information about managing stormwater at home
http://dec.vermont.gov/sites/dec/files/wsm/erp/docs/2018-06-14%20VT_Guide_to_Stormwater_for_Homeowners.pdf
Agency of Natural Resources Atlas– Free online mapping software to explore the natural resources around your home
http://anrmaps.vermont.gov/websites/anra5/
Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation Stormwater—Information about green stormwater
infrastructure
http://dec.vermont.gov/watershed/cwi/green-infrastructure
The Vermont Rain Garden Manual: Gardening to Absorb the Storm—A guide to building your own rain garden with emphasis on using plants that are native to Vermont
http://winooskinrcd.org/wp-content/uploads/VTRainGardenManual.pdf
Better Backroads Manual—A guide to managing dirt and gravel roads that can be useful if you have a long driveway
http://www.nvtrcd.org/custom-2/2009%20Better%20Backroads%20Manual.pdf
Friends of the Winooski: Preventing Driveway Erosion—Strategies for managing dirt and gravel driveways
https://winooskiriver.org/uploads/files/Driveway_Road%20Maintenance.pdf
Preparing for the Next Flood - A Checklist for Homeowners by Friends of the Mad River
We heard from a 10 year old student named Mariah that she really appreciated this page of resources as she participated in a Virtual Environmental Club. She also recommended this resource: https://www.oberk.com/watercycleglossaryofterms
http://dec.vermont.gov/sites/dec/files/wsm/erp/docs/2018-06-14%20VT_Guide_to_Stormwater_for_Homeowners.pdf
Agency of Natural Resources Atlas– Free online mapping software to explore the natural resources around your home
http://anrmaps.vermont.gov/websites/anra5/
Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation Stormwater—Information about green stormwater
infrastructure
http://dec.vermont.gov/watershed/cwi/green-infrastructure
The Vermont Rain Garden Manual: Gardening to Absorb the Storm—A guide to building your own rain garden with emphasis on using plants that are native to Vermont
http://winooskinrcd.org/wp-content/uploads/VTRainGardenManual.pdf
Better Backroads Manual—A guide to managing dirt and gravel roads that can be useful if you have a long driveway
http://www.nvtrcd.org/custom-2/2009%20Better%20Backroads%20Manual.pdf
Friends of the Winooski: Preventing Driveway Erosion—Strategies for managing dirt and gravel driveways
https://winooskiriver.org/uploads/files/Driveway_Road%20Maintenance.pdf
Preparing for the Next Flood - A Checklist for Homeowners by Friends of the Mad River
We heard from a 10 year old student named Mariah that she really appreciated this page of resources as she participated in a Virtual Environmental Club. She also recommended this resource: https://www.oberk.com/watercycleglossaryofterms
Take the Storm Smart Challenge
Photos: Friends of The Mad River
Videos: Peregrine Productions LLC
Videos: Peregrine Productions LLC