Flood Resilience
The State of Vermont's Flood Ready website provides information about developing in safer places, protecting the functions of the watersheds that protect us, adapting our critical infrastructure and preparing for emergencies. The Emergency Relief and Assistance Fund (ERAF) provides State funding to match Federal Public Assistance after federally-declared disasters.
Learn about how town and communities can be flood ready from the video below and learn more from the
DEC Flood Training website:
Municipal Roads
Municipal Roads General Permit (MRGP):
The VT Department of Environmental Conservation created the MRGP to achieve significant reductions in stormwater-related erosion from paved and unpaved municipal roads. Municipalities will implement a customized, multi-year plan to stabilize their road drainage system.
The plan will include bringing road drainage systems up to basic maintenance standards, and additional corrective measures to reduce erosion as necessary to meet a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) or other water quality restoration effort. This permit is required by Act 64, the Vermont Clean Water Act, and the Lake Champlain Phase I TMDL.
Municipalities must complete a Road Stormwater Management Plan (RSWMP) by December 31, 2020.
Learn more about MRGP and RSWMP
For more information on the DEC Municipal Roads program and the development of the Municipal Roads General Permit, contact
Jim Ryan by email or at
(802) 490-6140.
Assistance:
Your Regional Planning Commission (RPC) may be able to assist your town with the development of your required RSWMP. Find your RPC
here.
Stormwater Management
Stormwater Management
The Watershed Management Division of DEC is responsible for protecting, maintaining, enhancing and restoring the quality of Vermont's surface water resources. The Division includes three media-specific programs -
Wetlands,
Rivers, and
Lakes - that provide comprehensive management of these resources through science-based management and permitting programs and activities. The Division also administers federally delegated
Stormwater and
Wastewater programs that regulate discharges to surface waters.
The 2017
Vermont Stormwater Management Manual Rule and Design Guidance went into effect on July 1, 2017. All applications must comply with the new manual and use the forms available on the
Application Materials page.
Guidelines for municipal stormwater master planning have been developed to assist Vermont Towns by providing nine examples of successful master plans developed or under development around the state, click here to read through the
Vermont Stormwater Master Planning Guidelines. For more assistance you can access the Master Planning webinar videos below from the Vermont Green Infrastructure Collaborative:
Webinar 1 - What is Stormwater Master Planning?
For more videos click below:
Green Infrastructure
Infrastructure that incorporates both the natural environment and engineered systems to manage stormwater, provide clean water, and conserve ecosystem values and functions.
The Green Infrastructure Roundtable assists the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources in moving green stormwater infrastructure initiatives and strategies forward. Visit their web page to learn more about the Roundtable's Municipal Working Group.
Low Impact Development
VT DEC defines Low Impact Development (LID) as “an innovative land planning and design approach which seeks to maintain a site’s pre-development ecological and hydrological function through the protection, enhancement, or mimicry of natural processes.” There are many reasons to use LID, but stormwater management is a primary one.
Visit their website for LID Principles and the Vermont Low Impact Development Guide for Residential and Small Sites.
VLCT's model LID stormwater bylaw is an important tool local officials have to help reduce the impacts of conventional development practices on water quality.
