Vermont Creek
Vermont Creek Restoration Project Completed
By Dan Wisniewski
More than a mile of Vermont Creek, the major tributary to Black Earth Creek, has been restored, with the completion of a project by the Dane County Land and Water Resources Department. Two landowners, Sandra Johnson and Steven and Barbara Parrell, signed conservation easements with our TU chapter to allow the work to be done on their farms. This stretch of Vermont Creek begins about 500 feet south of County Highway KP on the west edge of the Village of Black Earth, and extends upstream about one and a quarter mile. There were serious problems caused by erosion, thick vegetation and channelization and there was no public access.
County Conservationist Pat Sutter said the county utilized a $150,000 DNR grant to pay for the project work which included 10,410 feet of shaping and seeding, 2800 feet of fencing, 62 lunkers, about 15 weirs. Two pairs of "perched" and damaged culverts which had seriously impeded fish passage were replaced by new six foot diameter culverts. Access to the stream will be along the northern edge of the Parrell property.
Staff from the county and the Natural Heritage Land Trust are working with the two landowners on a proposal to convert the SWTU easement into a permanent easement under Dane County's Streambank Easement Program. Our chapter has committed about $17,000, raised from our members and other conservation groups, to help pay for these permanent easements.
Earlier stream restoration projects had been completed on about a mile of Vermont Creek between KP and Highway 14 on Sandra Johnson's property and land owned by Leland and Shirley Danz at the confluence with Black Earth Creek. Other stream improvements have been made on DNR owned land farther upstream. Once the Johnson-Parrell easements are completed, SWTU, Dane County, DNR and the Natural Heritage Land Trust will be working together to secure other easements for additional restoration along Vermont Creek.
