While we received some reports of low alert cyanobacteria conditions on Lake Champlain and Lake Carmi, the majority of monitors observed generally safe conditions during this second week of the 2021 monitoring season. The cyanobacteria datatracker is populated with lots of green dots again this week. Yay! Read...

Monitoring began this week and will run through early fall. This week’s report covers conditions from Sunday, June 20 through early-afternoon on Friday June 25. The vast majority of reports we’ve received to date indicate generally safe conditions. Yay! Read...

Cyanobacteria blooms: Why do they happen, what are the risks, and what can we do?

Cyanobacteria blooms have received increasing attention in recent years, as a result of

particularly strong blooms in some areas. As research into blooms continues, we learn

more about what things make cyanobacteria blooms more likely, what dangers blooms

can pose to humans and other animals, and what the future might hold.

Read...

They touch the tips of swimmers’ toes, wrap around fish hooks, anchors, and paddles, and form underwater meadows near shorelines—native aquatic plants are ubiquitous in Lake Champlain Basin waterbodies. The roles these aquatic superstars play in lake ecosystems are often undervalued. It is not uncommon to hear native aquatic plants described as “yucky weeds”—let’s dispel this viewpoint! Read...

We have good news to share! Earlier this week--in response to opposition from the Lake Champlain Committee (LCC), the Vermont Natural Resources Council (VNRC), and the public--the Lake Champlain Transportation Company and Vermont Division for Historic Preservation announced they will not sink a retired ferry in Lake Champlain. Read...

Burlington, VT -- Citing opposition from environmental groups and the public, Lake Champlain Transportation Company and Vermont Division for Historic Preservation announced today the withdrawal of its application for a permit to sink the Adirondack, a retired ferry, in Lake Champlain. Instead of being abandoned underwater to create an artificial reef for scuba divers, the vessel will be scrapped. Read...

A virtual public meeting will be help on Tuesday, May 4th from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. to discuss the Lake Champlain Transportation Company's proposal to sink the Ferry Adirondack in Burlington Bay. Please attend the meeting and speak out about why this decision is NOT right for Vermonters or for Lake Champlain. Read...

Out of concern for Lake Champlain’s underwater ecosystems, the Lake Champlain Committee (LCC) and the Vermont Natural Resources Council (VNRC) have appealed a permit issued by the Agency of Natural Resources (ANR) to allow the sinking of a 152-foot-long ferry near the Burlington waterfront. Read...

Happy Earth Day! Click here to read a few ideas for how to celebrate and protect our planet and the special corner we call home from your friends at the Lake Champlain Committee. Read...

Come work for clean water! The Lake Champlain Committee (LCC) seeks a highly-organized, detail-oriented, energetic, enthusiastic, multi-tasking Office Manager to work in a fast-paced team environment with humor, computer and web savvy, and a commitment to LCC’s mission. Database management and QuickBooks experience helpful. Equal Opportunity Employer. Read...

If you’ve paddled, taken a swim, or cast a fishing line in the waterbodies of the Lake Champlain Basin, you’ve likely spent time among one of the most enigmatic and imperiled groups of aquatic animals in our region: native freshwater mussels. They’re quirky—sporting hatchet-like shells and traveling by a single fleshy foot, yet familiar—related to the invasive zebra mussel and edible bivalves such as scallops. Read...

The Global Warming Solutions Act (GWSA) turned Vermont's climate emissions reductions goals into binding requirements and led to the creation of the Vermont Climate Council. The Council is in the early stages of developing a climate action plan to ensure we meet our emissions targets, prioritize our most vulnerable communities, and build a stronger, more resilient economy. Key to that effort is bringing in additional stakeholder perspectives and issues expertise through the Council's Subcommittees (see list below). Read...

Environmental leaders applaud Governor Scott’s commitment to funding increases for Vermont’s people, environment, and

economy. The proposed 2021 budget includes a boost to weatherization funding for low- and moderate-income households;

support for clean energy and transportation options; investments in our public lands; and improvements to our downtowns and village centers. Read...

Each year, the Vermont Clean Water Network hosts a Clean Water Policy Forum focusing on legislative and regulatory issues.

Register to hear Jared Carpenter, LCC's Water Protection Advocate, talk about the latest clean water issues under consideration in the current legislative session, and updates on Clean Water Service Providers and Vermont Agency of Natural Resources budgeting. Read...

We share this message in response to recent violence and disruption to our democracy, both in our nation’s Capitol and across our country: Common Good Vermont unites nonprofits across Vermont to condemn actions of hate, violence, inciting of such actions, and disruptions to our lawful democratic processes. Vermont nonprofits stand united in opposition to the insurrection January 6th, on the U.S. Capitol, and its roots in white supremacy. Read...

The Lake Champlain Committee (LCC) strongly condemns the 1/6/21 attack on the United States Capitol. This assault on our democracy was an act of domestic terrorism. The actions were unpatriotic and unlawful. The stark contrast between how the mob of insurrectionists who vandalized the Capitol were treated and law enforcement response to peaceful Black Lives Matter protests in recent months underscores structural racism in our country. Read...

The Lake Champlain Committee (LCC) has been named a “2020 Top-Rated Nonprofit” by GreatNonprofits, the leading provider of user reviews and ratings of charities and nonprofits. The Top-Rated Nonprofit Award is based on the five-star ratings and reviews that LCC received from volunteers, donors and community members. Read...

In January of 2020, a coalition of 30 business, environmental, low-income, youth, public health, faith, and climate justice organizations including LCC identified the Global Warming Solutions Act (GWSA) as an essential priority for the 2020 Vermont legislative session. Nine months later, in late September 2020, GWSA officially became law after a veto by VT Governor Phil Scott was overridden by both the Vermont House and Senate. The legislation requires Vermont to reduce climate damaging emissions while simultaneously creating jobs, improving resilience, reducing energy burdens for rural and marginalized communities, and using natural systems to capture and store carbon. Read...

The Randy Preston Road Salt Reduction Act, a bipartisan bill that will help to reduce road salt pollution in the Adirondack Park, was signed into law by Governor Cuomo on December 2, 2020. The bill passed both houses of the New York Legislature in July with nearly unanimous support. The Adirondack Park contains more than 11,000 lakes and ponds, and over 30,000 miles of rivers, brooks, and streams. Lake Champlain forms the eastern border of the Park and a significant portion of the New York portion of the Lake Champlain Basin is within Park boundaries. Read...

Lake Champlain is home to 51 known non-native and aquatic invasive species (AIS), from zebra mussels and alewife to water chestnut and Eurasian watermilfoil, but not yet Asian clam. Invasive species are not native to the Lake Champlain Basin and can compete with native species for space and food, clog water intake pipes, and limit recreational activities. Read...

“The importance of water is often overlooked today. To the Abenaki people, water is the web of life that connects all living things together in both past, present and future generations,” states Chief Don Stevens of the Nulhegan Abenaki Tribe in the short film, Nebi: Abenaki Ways of Knowing Water. Read...

The single entity of Lake Champlain contains five distinct segments, each with its own character: the South Lake, the Main Lake, and, east of the islands, Malletts Bay, the Inland Sea, and Missisquoi Bay. Read...

Salt flavors our food and keeps our winter travels safe, but it can have a negative impact on waterways. According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), 20 million metric tons of road salt are spread annually in the U.S.—equivalent to approximately 20 million elephants. Applying less salt to roads and sidewalks can improve the health of the Lake Champlain Basin’s waters. Read...

Atlantic salmon spawning recently came to a close in Lake Champlain. Unlike their cousins in the Pacific Ocean, Atlantic salmon don’t typically die after spawning, but instead migrate back to the lake (or ocean) to feed.

Iridescent, delicious, and culturally significant, Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) are prized in the northeast by anglers and the general public alike. Well-oxygenated, cold, deep, and fairly clear lakes, like Lake Champlain, are its primary habitat. As the seasons transition, so do salmon. In October and November, salmon move from the depths of Lake Champlain to spawn in the streams of the Lake Champlain Basin, such as the Boquet River in New York and the Winooski River in Vermont. Read...

Start the new year on the right foot with a hike in a state park! Both New York and Vermont State Parks are inviting everyone to celebrate the start of 2021 by heading out on the trails. Read...

Winter is a great time to get outdoors and it is especially helpful and healthful during the pandemic. The cold, crisp air is exhilarating and there are no biting insects! Some of the mantras for recreating safely in winter during Covid-19 are: prepare ahead, play local, physically distance from anyone not in your household, and move on after your outing so that others can enjoy the space. Below we share excerpts from guidelines for playing outdoors safely from our friends at the New York Department of Environmental Conservation (NY DEC) and Vermont Forests, Parks and Recreation (VT FPR). Read...

We weren’t sure how many people would turn out to monitor during a pandemic that required wearing a mask at public sites and quarantining for two weeks if traveling across state lines. But turn out they did! More than 160 community members signed up to check conditions at over 150 Lake Champlain and inland waterway locations during the 2020 season. They included returning veterans, first-timers, seasonal and year-round residents, couples, families, students, and friend groups. They took on more rigorous protocols, showed up virtually for training sessions via Zoom, and faithfully filed weekly reports. Read...

We send heartfelt thanks to Angela Shambaugh, our longstanding cyanobacteria monitoring program colleague who retired in October from the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation (VT DEC). Angela has been a key partner in the monitoring program since its inception in 2003. In the early years she assisted in lab analysis, cyanobacteria assessments, water sampling, and community outreach while working at the University of Vermont. Read...

The University of Vermont (UVM) plans to replace its aging research boat with a hybrid electric “model of seaworthy sustainability”. The quiet, low-emission vessel will be able to run on electric power for two hours and be used as a floating classroom and laboratory for lake education and science. Read...

First discovered in the southern part of Lake Champlain in 1993, zebra mussels are now found throughout the lake in shallow water areas. Juvenile and adult zebra mussels attach to any hard surface—including native freshwater mussels, the lake’s most imperiled taxa. The Lake Champlain Committee is working with Michael Lew-Smith of Arrowwood Environmental to document the impacts of the invasive zebra mussels on native mussel populations as a first step in the conservation strategy. Learn more about zebra mussel impacts from Michael and fellow biologist Mark Ferguson (Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department) in this Outdoor Radio episode on Vermont Public Radio (VPR). Read...