Stream Wise

What is Stream Wise?

Are you an angler or birder and curious how to increase habitat along your streamside property? Are you concerned about flooding and wondering how you can better protect your property? Do you have eroding stream banks and uncertain what to do? Perhaps you just want to learn more about your streamside property.

Stream Wise is a free and voluntary program for streamside landowners in the Saranac Watershed to learn about their property along streams with the goal to enhance and protect stream health.

Why is Stream Wise Important?

Healthy streams are home to diverse fish and wildlife, provide vital drinking water, create endless recreation and relaxation opportunities, and protect us against floods. And streams and rivers are impacted by our various land uses that disturb the native vegetation along their shores and pollute the water, putting our water quality and ourselves at risk.

As a Stream Wise landowner an AWI staff member will conduct an onsite assessment of the streamside property and provide you with suggested best practices to achieve your goals while protecting stream health. Qualified properties may also receive up to $150.00 in reimbursable expenses for plants and erosion control materials.

Do you live in the Saranac River Watershed or know someone that does?

AWI will be conducting free onsite Stream Wise Assessments in the Saranac River watershed. This region covers Saranac Lake, Bloomingdale, Vermontville, Redford, Saranac, and the greater Plattsburgh area. If you live in the Chazy watershed, please reach out, as we might be able to assist.

Explore a map of the region by launching the interactive map below.

Get involved!

If you own streamside property in the Saranac Watershed, contact us today and please include ‘Stream Wise’ in the subject line.

Learn more about the Stream Wise project by following the link below.

 FAQs

  • Get in contact with us by emailing an AWI team member at info@adkwatershed.org and put Stream Wise in the subject line. We will follow up with the next steps!

  • Find your property by using this interactive map of the Lake Champlain Basin.

  • AWI will schedule a day and time that works for you to conduct an in-person assessment that may take 2-3 hours depending on the size of your property and access. During the assessment we note types of vegetation, erosion impacts and what may be causing the erosion, access, and other parameters.

  • We can help! Visit the Stream Wise Page for more information on how you can make changes to your property to improve your streamside property and protect clean water.

  • In addition to learning about your streamside property during the in-person assessment, we provide you with a written report on our findings with maps and suggested best practices to improve your streamside property. In some cases, you may be eligible to receive up to $150.00 in reimbursable expenses for plants and erosion control materials. If your property meets Stream Wise criteria you will be awarded a sign to proudly display.

  • Funding for the Stream Wise project is provided by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission (NEIWPCC) in partnership with the Lake Champlain Basin Program.