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Active River Area map in Vermont. © Map by Dan Farrell/TNC

This map, created by Dan Farrell of the Vermont Chapter, shows the Active River Area flood zone along Lewis Creek.

GIS: Mapping Active River Areas

The Nature Conservancy has developed a cutting-edge concept to help identify the most important land areas to protect and restore for the purpose of aquatic conservation. The Active River Area (ARA) concept, which includes areas beyond the riverbank as part of a dynamic river system, is being used by the Vermont Chapter to prioritize protection and restoration efforts in two Lake Champlain tributaries.

In 2008, The Nature Conservancy’s eastern region used ARA to develop tools for use in GIS (Geographic Information System) software to identify land areas that are ecologically linked most strongly with rivers. The following year, the Vermont Chapter’s Conservation Ecologist Paul Marangelo and partner organizations used the GIS tools in conjunction with extensive research by the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation (VTDEC) to determine where to focus efforts to protect the aquatic ecosystem of the Lewis Creek and the Poultney River watersheds.

Based on their research, the Conservancy and partners – VTDEC, the Lewis Creek Association and the Poultney-Mettowee Watershed Partnership – created “conservation blueprints” for Lewis Creek and the Poultney. The blueprints are now available to anyone interested in helping to conserve these significant river systems.

Marangelo says GIS is proving to be a helpful tool in conservation. “We are able to protect nature by ensuring the integrity of processes that structure and maintain natural habitats in river systems,” he says.