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The Story of the Alstead Recovery Given

Alstead, New Hampshire (October 22, 2007) - The story of the Alstead recovery was recently told at the Soil and Water Conservation Society’s (SWCS) New Hampshire/Vermont Chapter annual meeting in Alstead.  The tour and presentations were held October 5, 2007 at the Town Hall and participants were able to visit the construction sites where the stream banks of Warren Brook and Cold River have been stabilized over the past year.

“Everyone had certainly heard of the flood and knew of the stabilization work going on,” said Nick Comerci, the SWCS New Hampshire/Vermont Chapter president and Vermont Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) soil conservationist.  “This was a great opportunity for people to see and learn about how the community of Alstead has come together after the flood to restore their town.”

Presenters at the tour reflected how many people came to Alstead’s aid after the devastating 2005 flood that killed four people and damaged homes and businesses.  The morning contained presentations from the Alstead Historical Society, New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services, Horizon Engineering, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), New Hampshire Department of Transportation, and the Town of Alstead.

 “People were amazed by what that much water could do,” Comerci said.  “It really helped people to see the damage as it was immediately after the flood, and the tours in the afternoon showed the great progress that has been done.”

Deborah Weymouth, District Conservationist, is the Emergency Watershed Protection (EWP) program coordinator.  EWP is a Federal Disaster Program established by Congress to relieve imminent threats to life and property caused by declared natural disasters.  EWP is authorized to stabilize and protect what remains after a disaster, not to replace what’s lost or already destroyed.

At the Alstead tour, Weymouth spoke about NRCS’s emergency recovery efforts that encompassed 12 towns in three counties.  Weymouth pointed out that devastated areas were evaluated and qualified as EWP projects by a multi-disciplinary NRCS EWP team.  This effort mobilized within days after the flood as the EWP team walked over 26 miles of river corridors and visited over 159 sites.

NRCS engineers came from in state as well as Ohio, Kansas, and Massachusetts, and created 89 engineering designs.  NRCS engineering staff came from New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine, Illinois, and Pennsylvania, and completed 73 design surveys and conducted engineering inspections at all job sites.

“Every time it rains, Cold River and Warren Brook run chocolate,” said Ed Hansalik, NRCS New Hampshire civil engineer.  “Eventually, leaves and other detritus coming downstream will be deposited allowing for establishment of vegetation, but by "choking" the stone, we’re kick starting nature’s process.

“Choking is a somewhat unique process to partially fill the voids within the placed stone blankets that reinforce the banks with soil capable of sustaining vegetation,” Hansalik explained.  “This action balances the need to resist erosion by ice and water with the objective to address the health of the river ecosystem.”

NRCS funding for exigency (areas that could be severely damaged or destroyed at any moment) work was $484,000.  In October 2006, $8.2 million more was received as requested by the NRCS.  The town of Alstead has received $5.2 million to date, with an additional $1 million of work planned before the project concludes this fall.

Other towns who requested USDA flood recovery assistance received $1.7 million.  This provided assistance primarily focused on removing massive obstructions on stream banks and within stream channels which threatened homes and bridges.  In addition to direct financial assistance, participating towns received, at no cost, NRCS engineering assistance valued at several hundred thousand dollars.

Since 2005, smaller flood events have continued to degrade the Warren Brook and Cold River stream corridors and downstream ecosystem, and have led to numerous landslides.  Through the NRCS EWP program, 63,360 ft. of stream bank has been protected and will save millions of tons of soil and improve water quality and aquatic habitat.

The NRCS EWP team is now installing a massive vegetation project that will create riparian buffers and wildlife corridors.  The establishment of approximately 30,000 native woody plants will vegetate the created flood plains; earthen as well as “choked” stone reinforced banks; and upland areas.  Native trees still on the banks will naturally provide the seed source for large tree establishment.  Invasive species control will also be done during the 12-month period subsequent to the vegetation contract work.

“The people of Alstead were traumatized by the flood,” Hansalik said.  “While no effort can replace what was lost or destroyed, the stabilization work will provide protection during future events.  The restoration of Warren Brook and Cold River really won’t be finished until the banks are re-vegetated and the stream bed adjusts over time through natural processes.”

For more information about the Soil and Water Conservation Society contact Nick Comerci at 802-748-3885 x101 or Nicholas.comerci@vt.usda.gov.

For more information about USDA-NRCS contact your local NRCS field service center or Conservation District. To locate the one nearest you visit New Hampshire NRCS on the web at www.nh.nrcs.usda.gov.

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