Most degradation of the riparian habitat along the Winooski is due to agriculture, and because flood-plains are so fertile it is a prime area for farming.
On interesting things is that farming in Vermont is definitely in a state of change. Large scale agriculture is being replace by smaller scale farms that grow a higher diversity of crops. Because local and organic foods have such a huge market in Vermont, the economy can accommodate this.
To bring the social aspect of things into the picture, I think that the Burlington Intervail is doing great job of combining agriculture with riparian forests along the Winooski. The intervale is also a great example of these changes in agriculture that are taking place in the state.
Although this is all great, the U.S. is by no means experiencing this as a nation and we are still dependent on industrial agriculture. So the Winooski may profit from less large scale ag. but other river systems, notably the Mississippi are hugely degraded by what is not becoming less of a problem in VT.
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