The Berlin Pond Watershed Conservation Project

1. The Berlin Pond Watershed Conservation Project Photo Courtesy of the Vermont Land Trust

2. Presentation toThe Montpelier City Councilby the Montpelier Conservation CommissionMarch 23, 2005

3. Watershed: An area of land in which all of the rain that falls in that area flows to a common destination.

5. Berlin Pond Facts • Surface area of pond: 286 acres • Area of watershed: 6,661 acres (10.4 square miles) • Gallons of water impounded: 1.5 billion • Number of residences served by Berlin Pond: Over 2,300 • Number of commercial businesses served by Berlin Pond: 250 • Daily water usage: 1.3 million gallons

6. History of Berlin Pond • 1884 – Montpelier begins using Berlin Pond for water supply & makes first land purchases. • 1903 – State Board of Health creates regulations to protect water quality. • 1953 – Last parcel of land acquired by the City • 2000 –$11.5 million water treatment plant begins operation. • 2001 - Source Protection Plan for Berlin Pond written. • 2002 – Water Conservation Study and Plan written. • 2004 – Heindel and Noyes Water Supply Evaluation

8. Impact of Further Development on Berlin Pond • Sediment • Petroleum products • Salt • Bacteria • Toxic chemical runoff and spills • Nutrients

10. Other Potential MunicipalWater Supplies • Town of Berlin 2003 study considered the Dog & Winooski Rivers, Stevens Branch, & groundwater sources • All were eliminated for reasons such as: • Not economically feasable • Difficult or impossible source protection • Known hazardous sites • Berlin Pond watershed also has potential for high capacity bedrock wells

11. Options for Watershed Protection • Regulation of activities in the watershed • Land acquisition • Conservation easements

12. Regulation of Activities • State Board of Health prohibits swimming, boating & fishing • Source Protection Plan regulates some activities on private land. • Regulations have a history of being unpopular when applied to private land by one community to landowners in another. • Regulations are subject to change by political bodies, and therefore do not provide permanent protection. • Practically, regulations of individual landowner activity are difficult to enforce.

13. Land Acquisition

14. Conservation Easements • A conservation easement is a land deed that transfers some ownership interests from a property owner to another party, typically a land trust. • A conservation easement prohibits or carefully limits future development while allowing for farming, forestry, recreation, educational and other compatible uses to continue. • Land protected by a conservation easement remains in private ownership and can be purchased and sold just like other lands. • However, the easement remains binding for all future owners.

15. Land Ownership in Berlin Pond Watershed

17. Berlin Pond WatershedConservation Project • Montpelier & Berlin have signed resolutions supporting conservation in Berlin Pond watershed. • Conservation Partners: • Vermont Land Trust • Vermont River Conservancy • Berlin Conservation Commission • Friends of Irish Hill • Capital Area Land Trust • Central Vermont Audubon • Trust for Public Land

18. Permanently ConservingMunicipal Land • City has the authority to convey a conservation easement to a third party. • The manner in which the City acquired its properties does not preclude the City from restricting its use through an easement. • Water fund monies were used to acquire the land.

19. Permanently ConservingMunicipal Land • City retains the right to manage its land for water supply purposes. • City will receive public benefit of equal or greater value than the value of the rights conveyed.

20. Recommendations for Protection of Berlin Pond • The City of Montpelier agrees to partner with the Vermont Land Trust and its conservation partners with the common goal of conserving land in the watershed. • The goal of the conservation partners is to conserve an amount of land, to be determined in consultation with the City, to further protect the water supply and the watershed’s ecological resources. • The City of Montpelier agrees to convey a conservation easement to the Vermont Land Trust on City-owned land in the watershed when the goal above is met.

21. Recommendation for Protection of Berlin Pond • The Montpelier City Council, in cooperation with the conservation partners, will establish a steering committee, called the Berlin Pond Steering Committee, to manage this effort. • The agreement will be in effect for 10 years, or until the conservation goal is met.

22. The Berlin Pond Watershed Conservation Project Photo Courtesy of the Vermont Land Trust