Vermont Stream Geomorphic Assessment (VSGA)

Type of Method: 
Phases 1 through 3
Feature Image: 
Image of Vermont Rapid Stream Assessment Manual

Vermont has one of the most comprehensive river and watershed management protocols in the country. River assessment tools are available to the public on the state Agency for Natural Resources, and are based on the fact that streams and rivers are adjusting to channel, flood plain, or watershed changes imposed in years past by human activity.

Designed for watershed planning, characterization of habitat, and erosion and flood hazards based on Schumm (1977), Rosgen (1994; 1996) and Montgomery and Buffington (1997) methods.  Stream classification combined with a channel evolution model help produce a rating of the stream's susceptibility to disturbance. The key parameters are erodibility of channel banks, sediment and flow regime characteristics, confinement, and degree of departure from reference conditions. Like the WARSSS method, this has three phases.  Phase I is based on remote-sensing and windshield surveys.  Phase II includes qualitative field measurements, while phase III requires quantitative surveying to inform restoration projects.

Resources on this page include educational materials, fluvial geomorphological assessment protocols, stream relationship curves for Vermont, GIS tools and examples.

http://www.vtwaterquality.org/rivers/htm/rv_geoassess.htm

Method Summary

References: 

Kline, M., C. Alexander, S. Pomeroy, S. Jaquith, G. Springston, B. Cahoon, and L. Becker, 2004. Vermont Stream Geomorphic Assessment Appendix E: River Corridor Delineation Process. Prepared for the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources, Waterbury,VT.