Engineer Participates in Hands-On Stormwater Management Course
In the photo, taken by Jessica Louisos, Branden, right, observes participants during the field day as they shovel and rake the bioretention surface course, 3/8-inch pea stone, before final grading and planting.
Water Resources Engineer Branden Martin, PE, was part of a team that led a three-part course in early May, 2026, focused on teaching a broad group of individuals better and more responsible ways to manage stormwater.
“Resilient Sites: Managing Stormwater on Residential Sites” brought together watershed stewards, homeowners, property managers, landscape architects, and landscapers at Yestermorrow Design/Build School in Waitsfield, Vermont, to explore stormwater management with a focus on water quality, stormwater reuse, and erosion mitigation. Funding for the course was provided by the Lake Champlain Basin Program.
Branden provided instruction on stormwater Best Management Practices (BMPs), BMP sizing and design, stormwater permitting (including times when permits may be required), and construction materials, means, and methods. In addition to lectures, the curriculum included an in-person field day where Kolbey Haupt, of Hilltop Construction, completed installation of a working bioretention basin, which will serve as a demonstration project and provide treatment for existing and future impervious surfaces on Yestermorrow’s campus.
He was joined by Winooski Natural Resources Conservation District's (WNRCD) District Manager Daniel Koenemann, Lake Champlain Sea Grant and Department of Environmental Conservation Green Infrastructure Collaborative Coordinator Jillian Sarazen and SLR Consulting Principal Water Resources Engineer Jessica Louisos, PE. Huge thanks to WNRCD, Lake Champlain Sea Grant, Yestermorrow, SLR, and Hilltop Construction for their support!