The Ausable River Association (AsRA) and its partners will lead a $1.1 million effort to increase flood resilience and stream health in the East Branch of the Ausable River.

The East Branch team is expected to use field data, hydrologic and geomorphic models, guidance from the Town government, and input from Jay residents and business owners to develop a comprehensive plan for flood resilience for the East Branch in the Town of Jay.

The plan is expected to be completed by 2019 and include conceptual designs of all identified stream and floodplain projects and a scoring matrix for ranking them.  Two to five of the highest ranking projects will be fully designed, with construction scheduled to start in the summer of 2019. Collection of technical data describing the current state of the river and its floodplain has already begun.

The Ausable’s East Branch runs through the three hamlets of the Town of Jay. Residents rely on the Ausable watershed for drinking water, recreation, and as a driver for their economy. In 2011, Tropical Storm Irene exposed longstanding vulnerabilities in the river’s capacity to move sediment efficiently.

Funds for the project were awarded to the Town after Tropical Storm Irene and are administered by the Governor’s Office of Storm Recovery.  Ecosystem Planning and Restoration of Maryland, Erik Sandblom PC, and Fitzgerald Environmental Associates, both from Vermont, teamed with AsRA in the successful bid for the project. Additional expertise is being provided by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Trout Unlimited, Adirondack Chapter.

Photo of East Branch Ausable River restoration project courtesy Ausable River Association.