Stormwater Impaired Waters

The management of stormwater runoff is a simple concept but a complex problem.  Water runs off from impervious surfaces rather then naturally infiltrating the soil.  The cumulative effect of the increased frequency, volume, and rate of stormwater runoff results in increases in wash-off pollutant loading to streams and destabilization of the stream channels.  ANR recognizes the importance of managing the quantity and quality of stormwater runoff, especially within Vermont’s stormwater impaired waters.

Seventeen of Vermont’s waters are listed as “impaired” primarily due to urban stormwater runoff.  These waters fail to meet the Vermont Water Quality Standards based primarily on biological monitoring data.  These impaired waters are listed on the State of Vermont’s 2006 List of Waters, Part A, prepared pursuant to Section 303(d) of the federal Clean Water Act. 

For maps of the stormwater impaired watersheds click here.

Once a water is listed as impaired, it is scheduled for the development of a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL).  A TMDL is an EPA approved watershed restoration plan that attempts to limit and allocate discharge loads among the various dischargers to impaired waters in order to assure attainment with water quality standards.

Act 140, passed by the General Assembly in 2004, requires that ANR develop a TMDL or water quality remediation plan for each of these waters by January 15, 2010  The Stormwater Management Section in DEC’s Water Quality Division is currently working with EPA and its contractor, Tetra Tech, in developing the modeling that will be used in developing the TMDLs. 

 Stormwater TMDLs

Potash Brook

• Potash Brook TMDL (pdf, 1 MB)
• Potash Brook TMDL Approval letter (pdf, 42 KB)
• Potash Brook TMDL Approval Document (pdf, 1,529 KB )

 

Centennial, Bartlett, Englesby and Morehouse Brooks

Approved September 28, 2007

• Centennial Brook TMDL (pdf, 1,179 KB)
• Bartlett Brook TMDL (pdf, 1,066 KB)
• Englesby Brook TMDL (pdf, 1,097 KB)
• Morehouse Brook TMDL (pdf, 1,058 KB)
• Response to Comments on the four draft TMDLs (pdf, 286 KB)
• EPA Approval Letter (pdf, 44 KB)
• EPA Approval Document (pdf, 1,571 KB)

Allen, Sunderland, Indian and Monroe Brooks

Approved August 21, 2008

• Allen Brook TMDL (pdf, 1,190 KB)
• Sunderland Brook TMDL (pdf, 1,167 KB)
• Indian Brook TMDL (pdf, 1,197 KB)
• Monroe Brook TMDL (pdf, 1,036 KB)
• EPA Approval Letter (pdf, 11 KB)
• EPA Approval Document (pdf, 96 KB)

Updated: September 2008