Our Programs
The FWC administers several programs to provide farmers and landowners with incentive to implement phosphorus-reducing practices or projects on their property. Information on the requirements and incentives of each program are listed below. Many of the programs require that the landowner be located within the Lake Carmi Watershed. See our watershed map to determine whether or not your property is in the watershed.
Workshops and Forums
 Erosion Workshop, Aug. 17 2009 |
In 2010, the FWC will be conducting a series of shoreline erosion events. We will be participating in the Memorial Day parade on May 31, and will be giving out white spruce saplings to anyone who would like to use trees to curb erosion on their property. There will also be a shoreline erosion forum on June 28th, where lakeshore landowners will be encouraged to join us as we visit some sites on the shores of Lake Carmi that are experiencing serious erosion problems.
Shoreline Erosion & Septic System Surveying
 Survey Volunteer Training, 2009 |
Members of the FWC have conducted surveys of over 50 lakeshore properties to determine the extent of shoreline erosion problems, and the state of repair of septic systems in close proximity to the lake. Information from these surveys allows the FWC to target its efforts to problem areas around the lake. This program also gives the FWC valuable feedback from lakeshore property owners as to what aspects of shoreline erosion or septic system maintenance are affecting them the most, and the extent of public knowledge of these issues.
Rain Gardens
 Rain Garden at the Franklin Historical Society |
Rain Gardens serve to prevent erosion due to runoff from rain events by draining the runoff into a garden, where it is used to water vegetables or flowers. The FWC has installed a Rain Garden at the Franklin Historical Society's log cabin, and plans to install 2 more on lake shore properties this summer. Funding for materials and equipment to construct the Rain Garden is provided by the FWC, as is volunteer labor.
Cover Crop Incentives Program
 Cover Crop near Lake Carmi, Dec. 2009 |
The FWC encourages farmers to implement the practice of cover cropping on their fields. Cover cropping has been shown to reduce soil erosion due to runoff during snow melt in the spring, as the roots of the cover crop stabilize the soil. Cover crops have also been shown to increase soil nutrient content if they are planted regularly over a period of time. This has benefits for both the farmer and the environment, as less fertilizer/manure will need to be applied to the field each year if cover cropping is implemented regularly.
Two types of cover cropping are eligible for funding from the FWC. Farmers may plant winter rye after their corn harvest in the fall, or they may opt to interseed their corn crops with clover when they top-dress their corn crops in the summer. Each form of cover cropping has its advantages and disadvantages. For example, interseeding requires fewer passes over the field, which means less fuel and time used. However, the clover that is used in the interseeding is easily killed if the wrong herbicides are used on the corn crop. Specialized equipment is also required to interseed the clover. It is up to the farmer to choose the cover crop that will best suit their needs. Cover crop information meetings are held annually by the FWC, and farmers who wish to learn more about the advantages and disadvantages of each cover cropping technique are encouraged to attend.
For 2010, the FWC has offered a payment rate of $40 per acre, up to a total of 250 acres. Farmers who wish to plant cover crops on their fields within the Lake Carmi Watershed are typically given funding for all the acres they request, as cover cropping within the watershed is covered by the FWC's 319 grant. Cover cropping for land outside the Lake Carmi watershed is funded depending on the size of the FWC's construction budget.
Nutrient Management Assistance
The FWC has provided several local farmers with assistance in establishing nutrient management plans on their farms. Our program is similar to nutrient management incentive programs that are run by state agencies, in that it provides a decreasing amount of funding each year that a farmer participates in the program. The goal is to give farmers incentive to get started with nutrient management, so that they can see the benefits to their operations and to the environment without as much of an up-front cost.
Drainage Structure Repair
The FWC has repaired eroding and failing ditches and culverts on roads around Lake Carmi. Funding for this work is provided by the FWC’s construction budget, and the work is typically carried out by a combination of contractors and volunteers. In some cases, the FWC has received funding from the Agency of Transportation to have a Vermont Youth Conservation Corps crew carry out the work.
Lake Carmi Tributary Water Sampling
The FWC is responsible for taking water samples from several specific locations along Lake Carmi’s tributaries over the course of each summer, in order to monitor the concentrations of phosphorus that are entering the lake from each tributary. This allows the FWC to locate sources of high phosphorus loading, and also allows us to track our progress in reducing Lake Carmi’s phosphorus load over time.
Septic Pump-Out Cost-Sharing Program
The FWC will contribute $50 toward the cost of pumping out any septic system located within the Lake Carmi Watershed. It is required for the septic system to be located within the watershed. It is not required for the septic system's owner to be a member of the Lake Carmi Camper's Association or the FWC.
