GEI was contracted to assist the State of Vermont with design and construction oversight of four bioengineering projects on Lake Iroquois (Williston), Lake Bomoseen (Castleton), Island Pond (Brighton), and Raponda Lake (Wilmington).

These projects represent some of the first bioengineered shoreline restoration projects in the State of Vermont, and the bioengineered lifts were the first installed in the state. To design the projects, GEI worked with engineers from the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources and Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation. Projects were installed on both public and private shorelines, including:

• Stabilization of an eroding shoreline at Island Pond State Park in Brighton, which included bioengineered lifts, coir logs, and native plants.
• Stabilization of approximately 300 feet of shoreline along Cedar Mountain Road on Lake Bomoseen, where erosion was threatening the integrity of the road. A bioengineered lift system was installed along with native plants to stabilize the shoreline.
• Stabilization of 100 feet of shoreline on Lake Iroquois to minimize erosion at a state boat launch site. The site was stabilized using coir logs and native plantings.
• Stabilization of 215 feet of shoreline along Raponda Lake in Wilmington using bioengineered lifts and native plantings.

Following design, GEI staff worked with volunteers, local contractors, and local public utility departments to construct the four projects. This provided an opportunity to teach and train local citizens about the benefits and techniques of natural shoreline stabilization while building capacity for local resources to implement future projects.