Vermont Water Quality Division

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Description

Provide cross-training of Division field staff from Monitoring, Assessment and Planning, River Management, Wetlands, and Stormwater to provide consistent interpretations and prescriptions for land erosion. Field staff should have a common understanding of the roles and responsibilities of each program, and be equipped to provide a common message that is consistent with goals and objectives of this Strategy. In this way, a higher level of on-the-ground education and outreach and more consistent management intervention will be achieved.

The science suggests otherwise. Vermont studies show that the current conservative standard of protection is readily exceeded due to natural E. coli sources, even in the most pristine forested watersheds. These studies indicate that the Vermont criterion does not reflect the same risk level as the criteria recommended in the above mentioned epidemiological studies. DEC is presently working with the Department of Health and the Water Resources Panel to develop an E. coli -based water quality criterion that is reflective of real pollution impacts. In order to assess waters for support of contact recreation using E. coli monitoring data, DEC considers at least five reliable and quality assured sample results over a swimming season and gathered across a range of weather/flow conditions to be the minimum practical number of samples necessary.

A combination of federal and state funds are currently used to provide technical support and cost share funding in the development of alternative manure management. Additional capital is needed to develop new technologies and to make these systems cost effective.

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