MANCHESTER — Residents met with a representative from the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation on Thursday to discuss the future of area watersheds.

DEC Watershed Coordinator Josh Gorman talked about the importance of stopping the spread of Didymo or "rock snot," an invasive species of algae that was recently found in the Batten Kill; he also spoke about the need to allow rivers to flow naturally. Development around rivers or berms that artificially direct rivers can create major problems, Gorman said.

The discussion focused on creating three local watershed councils, made up of volunteers from the community, that would help create a five-year plan for the Walloomsac, Hoosic and Batten Kill watersheds. The three councils would create one plan for the larger basin. There are 17 basins in the state of Vermont, and the DEC plans to have 17 five-year plans by 2010.

The larger goal of the DEC is to make all of Vermont water fishable, swimable and drinkable (with treatment). Gorman said that a major problem with Didymo is that it cannot be controlled once it spreads, but without a large bloom of the algae in the Batten Kill, he said there is still time to stop it from spreading.

The light brown, wool-like substance that was found in the New York last year can be harmful to fish and aquatic insects that depend on the water ways for food. Gorman said that he has been posting signs to remind people how important it is to clean gear before using rivers, streams, lakes and ponds.

At this point, he said that making people aware of the algae through outreach programs and education is the best way to try and stop its spread. It is helpful if people report the location of "rock snot" to the DEC if they find it. Gorman was not optimistic about future algae problems.

"It will not be the last invasive species we'll deal with," he said. "Unfortunately, they'll be more to come."

The five-year plans will assess the current status of the water, look at present and future concerns, recommend solutions to the concerns and locate impaired waters and implement goals. The plans will also look at the problems with floodplains and inhibiting the natural movement of rivers.

Maintaining natural flow

When floodplains or the flat areas that flood during normal high-water events are destroyed by development, the water pressure increases instead during high-water, causing erosion and problems downstream.

Inhibiting a river's natural spiral motion as it goes downstream can also create erosion problems. Rep. Cynthia Browning, D-Arlington, the executive director of the Batten Kill Watershed Alliance, said the public has to be educated to understand that rivers have to move, and should not try to stop them.

She said that a lot of berms, artificial river banks, were built in the 1970s, and that they no longer serve a purpose. If the berms were removed to create natural meandering and floodplains in these areas, it would help pressure problems down the line, where they might affect possible homes and development, according to Browning.

Browning said that if you look down from Hildene you can see the Batten Kill's natural meander, moving in a snake-like motion. She said the river does the same in Sunderland, but then straightens out in Arlington, causing pressure problems.

Gorman and Browning also discussed the possibility of home owners receiving conservation easements and tax incentives if they let the rivers flow naturally toward equilibrium. Since Vermont water is owned by the state, Browning said that this could solve the problem of people worrying about property loss if they let rivers shift or move on their property.

Another option that was discussed by Browning was to let planning commissions know about the dangers of building on floodplains, by putting them in contact with local experts instead of looking at outdated floodplain maps.