Hinsdale River Corridor Easement
Hinsdale River Corridor Easement
Name of Project: Hinsdale River Corridor Easement
Location: North Ferrisburgh, VT
River: Lewis Creek
Type of Project: River Corridor Easement
Public Access: By permission of landowner
Date Completed: December 2014
Size: 33.2 acres
Water Frontage: 7,200 feet
Landowner: Clark Hinsdale
Funding Partners: VT Agency of Natural Resources Ecosystem Restoration Grant Program
Property Description: This reach of Lewis Creek includes an actively meandering channel, accessible floodplains capturing sediment and retaining floodwaters, an active beaver colony, and the potential to restore the native “Clayplain Forest” on sections of the property. This reach is well known to anglers and presents the opportunity for significant riparian habitat restoration. Located near the busy Rte. 7 corridor, this project will preserve a significant land area in its natural state.
This project is a prime example of how a River Corridor Easement can protect a wide range of conservation values including aquatic habitat, water quality, and flood resilience.
Project Background: The parcel was identified as a high priority for conservation easement protection in the “Lewis Creek River Corridor Conservation and Management Plan (2010, Lewis Creek Association). The Lewis Creek Association worked with VRC and the property owner to craft a conservation easement that balanced the property owner’s desire for agricultural use of certain floodplain areas with the imperative of Lewis Creek to meander freely and access those critical floodplains during high water events.
