Containment of a Stream Over Time at Oakledge Park, Burlington VT
Claire Leonard, Department of Geology, University of Vermont, 2005
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Oakledge Park
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Resort from 1929-1961, park since 1971.
Where the bikepath enters the park, a small stream runs from
a culvert under Flynn Avenue, across a small, low-lying wedge
of woods, and into another culvert before flowing into the lake.
Burlington, Vermont, and the location of Oakledge Park
Flynn Avenue and the environs of Oakledge Park
Aerial photographs from 1937 show a small, unnamed stream
running from the railroad tracks to the lake on the north end of
the property.
Question: a stream
is clearly visible in
the 1937 aerial
photograph, but
has largely
vanished by 1999.
What happened to
the stream in the
interim time?
Current stream:
GPS Coordinates: 4924080 N 0641245
Runs ~80 m through woods.
Average width of 2 m, average depth of 20
cm.
Channel constrained mostly by vegetation.
Evidence of other channels across the
floodplain (exposed roots, standing water).
Poorly defined banks. Champlain Sea
sediment.
Discharge: .019 m3/s
Interim
Interim stages
stages of
of development:
development: stream
stream in
in 1962
1962 (above)
(above)
and
and 1988
1988 (below).
(below).
1937 View: relatively undisturbed stream.
1937 View: relatively undisturbed stream.
Mannings n: .058
Stream channel change over time
Marsh (with stream running down middle) runs from railroad tracks to
Marsh
(with stream running down middle) runs from railroad tracks to
Lake
Champlain
Lake Champlain
Deforested, partially industrialized land.
Deforested, partially industrialized land.
No apparent artificial stream containment.
No apparent artificial stream containment.
1999 view with stream channel overlays from three previous photos.
Pond boundaries largely coincide with edges of 1937 marsh.
Channel has meandered all over small floodplain north of Flynn Ave.
Lake shoreline has retreated.
1988 ponds mostly coincident with 1962 pond and current ponds.
Culvert under bikepath constructed post-1962.
The stream has been contained into
ponds and culverts as the area has
been developed. Little of the original
stream remains.
1999
1999 View:
View: stream
stream all
all but
but gone.
gone.
Area
Area between
between railroad
railroad tracks
tracks and
and lake
lake largely
largely developed
developed (mostly
(mostly residential).
residential).
2
Stream
Stream contained
contained in
in three
three ponds,
ponds, with
with a
a combined
combined surface
surface area
area of
of ~
~ 3800
3800 m
m 2..
Small
Small marsh
marsh at
at the
the intersection
intersection of
of Flynn
Flynn Ave.
Ave. and
and Oakbeach
Oakbeach Dr.
Dr.
Only
Only small
small part
part (<100
(<100 m)
m) of
of original
original stream
stream near
near the
the lake
lake undisturbed.
undisturbed.
Sources: Governers Institute of Vermont, 2003. Science and Technology: Oakledge.
http://www.uvm.edu/giv/2003/summer03/summerwebfolder/oakledge/webpages/mainpage.htm
University of Vermont Landscape Change Project/ Governers Institute of Vermont. Oakledge Park History Site.
http://www.uvm.edu/oakledge/
Current stream splits: draining higher elevation pond down Oakbeach Dr. and
northern ponds directly into the marsh.
Marsh at intersection of Oakbeach and Flynn has been present in some form
throughout.
