The week of June 24 was the Lake Champlain Committee's (LCC) second week of receiving blue-green algae monitoring reports by trained volunteers. We've had a terrific response from monitors to date with reports from 52 different sites this week. Thank you to everyone who submitted reports – please keep them coming! Below is a summary of the results along with a reminder of reporting requirements. We welcome observations from additional areas of the lake.

While there were no reports of algae blooms from any LCC monitors by the Wednesday deadline, two monitors provided supplemental reports of possible blooms. One came from Alburgh Dunes State Park (6/27) and the other from Leddy Beach in Burlington (6/27). The Leddy Beach monitor conducted a follow-up visit on Friday morning and the bloom had dissipated. Most sites on the lake are considered generally safe.

The heavy rains forecast for Friday and the weekend may disrupt any blooms for a short time, but they can appear again quickly once the weather improves. Anyone recreating on the lake should be aware of these changing conditions and avoid algae blooms.

The summary of all reports received including those that came in after the Wednesday noon deadline can be found on the interactive map maintained by the Vermont Department of Health (includes New York reports).

A reminder of some reporting procedures:

• If you observe blooms outside of the reporting period, feel free to submit an online report.
• Categorize the bloom intensity based on what you see in the water, not what you see on shore. Note any relevant observations about the shoreline, such as ponds of scummy water or algae dying and decaying on the sand, under “other details”.
• Here are links for guidance on bloom categories and photographing algae blooms.

Thank you for all your help in making the monitoring program a success.

Sincerely,

Mike Winslow, LCC Staff Scientist

LCC's blue-green algae monitoring program is funded by GreenMountain Coffee Roasters, the Lake ChamplainBasin Program, and LCC members. Key program partners include the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation, Vermont Department of Forests, Parks, and Recreation, Vermont Department of Health, New York Department of Environmental Conservation, New York Department of Health, and the Lake Champlain Basin Program.