CAPA

Paran Creek Watershed Project

paran creek dam

The mission of the Paran Creek Watershed Project is to support the village’s long term stewardship of renewable water resources; clean contaminants to improve the aquatic and riverine habitat; establish North Bennington as a model for energy independence; and form a sustainable, long-term watershed management plan by revitalizing existing infrastructure.

The Paran Creek Watershed Project developed out of a fall 2016 CAPA course titled, "The Village Privileges of North Bennington," taught by Susan Sgorbati, director of CAPA, and Bill Scully, entrepreneur, innovator, and owner and developer of several hydroelectric redevelopments in southern Vermont. This project was born after the discovery of PFOA pollution in drinking water in and around North Bennington, which brought to the forefront the need for the Village to engage and address its watershed as a living entity, vital to our survival. In earlier years, one had to obtain a "privilege" in order to access public waterways. That term has since been changed to "license," which has changed perception and devalued the privilege that exists with access to our most precious resource as a species. 

Powered by the success of previous CAPA classes that worked with Green Mountain Power, Efficiency Vermont, and the Village Trustees of North Bennington to convert the street lamps in North Bennington to LEDs, students in the "Village Privileges of North Bennington" class of Fall 2016 are employing their wide range of geographical backgrounds, interests, and academic studies––from physics, architecture, mathematics, and computer science to environmental studies, conflict resolution, design, and visual art––to create a feasibility study as the first step towards achieving the project's mission. The results of the redevelopment of either of the proposed sites will produce clean energy, reduce costs, and limit the carbon footprint.

Paran Creek Watershed Project

December 1, 2016