Before (left) and after (right) pasture and hay planting near Otter Creek. Completed in 2025, this project reduces erosion, captures runoff, and supports the farm’s grazing goals.
Vermont Business Magazine The Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has released the Vermont Clean Water Initiative 2025 Performance Report. It highlights progress through public investments to improve and protect water quality. By investing over $755 million in clean water projects in the past 10 years (on average, $75 million per year), the State has cut pollution going into Vermont’s waters and achieved over 1/3rd of the pollution reductions needed to achieve Lake Champlain’s cleanup goals.
“With dedicated state funding, Vermont has made great strides in improving water quality over the past decade, enhancing the health of our rivers, lakes, and wetlands," said Natural Resources Secretary Julie Moore. "These investments help reduce polluted runoff, support farmers in implementing conservation practices, improve water infrastructure, and mitigate climate risks and increase the resilience of road networks. This report showcases our success and guides us on how to continue the work needed to fully realize Vermont's clean water goals.”
State funding, technical assistance, and regulatory programs have helped:
- Carry out pollution prevention practices on 644,335 acres of agricultural fields and pastures,
- Replace and right-size 1,236 municipal road drainage and stream culverts,
- Construct, upgrade, or refurbish over 233 wastewater collection and treatment systems,
- Reduce and treat storm runoff from over 4,527 acres of pavement and other hard surfaces through stormwater practices,
- Conserve and / or restore 3,087 acres of floodplain and wetland areas,
- Reconnect 649 miles of streams to restore flow and allow for fish passage, and
- Conserve and / or restore over 1,631 acres of land alongside rivers and lakes.
Since the passage of Vermont’s Clean Water Act in 2015, Vermont has created and expanded regulations and funding programs to drive implementation of clean water projects.
The report details statewide investments in clean water and associated outcomes. It also highlights progress to reduce phosphorus pollution in Lakes Champlain and Memphremagog. Excess phosphorus can cause toxic cyanobacteria blooms that impact recreation and aquatic life. To restore and protect water quality, it is key to reduce phosphorus entering waterways.
Best available data shows that clean water projects have kept about 163,186 pounds of phosphorus out of Lake Champlain in the past year. This is 35% of the total annual reduction needed to restore the lake’s water quality. For Lake Memphremagog, projects mitigated about 8,223 pounds of phosphorus from entering waterways last year, or 25% of the total annual reduction needed.
The Kikitta Ahki-Whetstone Brook Conservation project in Brattleboro restored and permanently protected 12 acres along Whetstone Brook. Completed in 2024, this project improved flood resilience and water quality, and provides new community access to a revitalized riverfront park. Photo Credit: Vermont River Conservancy.
Check out the Vermont Clean Water Initiative 2025 Performance Report to learn more. Explore investments, results, and phosphorus data in the online Clean Water Interactive Dashboard.
The Department of Environmental Conservation is responsible for protecting Vermont's natural resources and safeguarding human health for the benefit of this and future generations. Visit dec.vermont.gov and follow the Department of Environmental Conservation on Facebook and Instagram.
Vermont Agency of Natural Resources, Montpelier, Website.
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