LCC October 2012 E-News

Predicting Blue-green Algae Blooms

Wouldn’t it be nice to know at the beginning of the summer how bad blue-green algae blooms were going to be on Lake Champlain? Well, researchers from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Center for Coastal Sciences (NCCOS) believe they have developed a model that can make such predictions for Lake Erie. In 2012 they issued their first seasonal harmful algae bloom forecast, predicting mild blooms during the summer.

Lake Erie is famous in the annals of water quality for its deplorable condition during the 1970s. The Cuyahoga River in Cleveland caught on fire in 1969. This event spurred Time Magazine to declare, “Lake Erie is in danger of dying by suffocation.” However, the lake rebounded. Significant improvements occurred following the banning of phosphates in laundry detergent and the passage of the Clean Water Act in 1972 which forced factories and industrial polluters to clean up their acts. The amount of phosphorus coming into Lake Erie was halved between the 1970s and the 1980s. Read more about predicting blue-green algae blooms.

Law Island Reclamation

Law Island is an 8.5 acre island close to the breakwater in Malletts Bay. A site on the Lake Champlain Paddlers’ Trail, it provides a secluded setting in a high traffic area of Lake Champlain with outstanding views of the lake and several islands. For years, five dilapidated buildings contaminated with lead and asbestos and several junk cars have marred its beauty and posed environmental and liability concerns.

The abandoned buildings and junk have now been removed and the island cleaned up thanks to collaborative efforts of LCC, the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks, and Recreation, the Town of Colchester, the Lake Champlain Basin Program and others. LCC partnered with town and state officials to map out a plan, wrote seed grants to initiate project work, secured funding for the project assessment and historic review, and lobbied for the additional $100,000 necessary to complete the reclamation. Special thanks to the Alcoa Foundation for preliminary grant support and to Senator Patrick Leahy for arranging for the final funding necessary to finish the job. Stay tuned for a picnic at the site in 2013! Click here to view more photos of the Law Island Reclamation.

Lake Champlain in the Energy Grid

Two recent proposals have shown that Lake Champlain is likely to be in the center of our region’s future energy transmission network. One project proposes to lay a power line at the bottom of Lake Champlain to transmit energy from large hydro-electric dams in northern Quebec to power-hungry consumers in the New York City region. The second project would connect the Ticonderoga Paper Mill to a proposed natural gas pipeline being extended from northern Vermont ultimately to Rutland. With neither project is it entirely clear whether the risks to Lake Champlain outweigh the benefits.

The American lifestyle extravagantly consumes energy. We have come to expect the lights to go on at all times, the microwave to be there for dinner, and instant access to the internet from anywhere. Americans use more than twice as much energy per capita as do Europeans. The New York Times recently reported on the vast amounts of energy needed just to store data so that it is available for retrieval at any time. As more people shift to saving data in the cloud, the energy demands at data storage centers increase. Read more about Lake Champlain in the Energy Grid.

Want to Check the Health of a Waterway? There’s an App for that.

Earlier this month the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) launched a new app and website to help people find information on the condition of thousands of lakes, rivers and streams across the United States from their smart phone, tablet or desktop computer. Available at http://www.epa.gov/mywaterway, the How’s My Waterway app and website uses GPS technology or a user-entered zip code or city name to provide information about the quality of local water bodies.

The release of the app and website helps mark the 40th anniversary of the Clean Water Act, which Congress enacted on October 18, 1972, giving citizens a special role in caring for the nation’s water resources. Forty years later, EPA is providing citizens with a technology-based tool to expand that stewardship. Read more about the EPA's How's My Waterway app.

Fun and Fossils at LCC’s 49th!

Members and friends gathered at “The Barnhouse” in historic Isle La Motte earlier this month for LCC’s 49th Annual Meeting. Attendees learned about current work, got a status report on lake health, conversed with other lake lovers, ate great food, and toured or paddled the area.

If you missed the event, you can learn more about the area here and read about the state of the lake online. Sincere thanks to our hosts Selby and Maureen Turner, guest speaker Bill Howland, and volunteers Alan Booth, Marty Dale, Megan and Greg Epler Wood, Linda Fitch, Gary Kjelleren, Sylvia Knight, Andy and Rich Kenney, Lola Johnson, Sandy Montgomery, Sharon Murray, Anya Rose, Ben Rose, Jean Rook, Carol Thompson, Molly Turner, Mary Van Vleck, and Chuck and Missy Woessner. Read more about LCC's 49th Annual Meeting.

Eat, Drink, Be Merry on the International Wine Trail

A new international wine trail was unveiled at Snow Farm Vineyards in South Hero, Vermont in late September. Linking many wineries extending from Middlebury, Vermont, to Plattsburgh, New York and to Dunham, Québec, the Champlain Valley International Wine Trail will provide information to casual travelers and wine aficionados alike.

Winemakers in the Champlain Valley cultivate hearty northern grapes that yield distinct, award-winning wines. The craft of winemaking is growing every year, due in part to the region’s unique climate and soils. There are more than three dozen vineyards and wineries on the Wine Trail, so whether you’re looking for a dry white, a full-bodied red or a lush dessert wine, stop by a local winery and taste the terroir! Click here for a map of the trail and click on the grapes to learn more about each vineyard. Read more about the Champlain Valley Wine Trail.

Nature Note: Lake Levels

Strong winds out of the north during Hurricane Sandy led to a decrease in lake level at Rouses Point and an increase at Whitehall as waters were pushed south. The difference amounted to about four inches. Following the storm, the lake leveled out again. The effect was less extreme than what was seen during Tropical Storm Irene when nearly a foot of water was displaced.

Lake levels remain low. On October 24 Lake Champlain climbed above 95.0 feet for the first time since July 21. October is typically the month when lake levels are lowest, averaging only 95.26 feet, so we are still well below average. While low levels this summer never quite reached the record lows of 1941 and 1949, it has been many years since so much lakeshore land was exposed. The lowest lake level for this year was 94.0 feet on September 5th, the lowest since January of 2002.

Thank You Donors!

Members are the lifeblood of LCC. Annual membership helps fund our work to protect and restore water quality, safeguard natural habitats, provide access, and educate and engage people in stewarding this beautiful waterbody. Our deep thanks to LCC members who renewed their membership or joined during July through September 2012. Wondering about your own membership status? Contact us at lcc@ lakechamplaincommittee.org and we’ll let you know when you last gave.

Moving? Changing Email Addresses?

If you’ve changed your address recently, please send us an email so we can update your files and ensure you receive news on lake issues and LCC’s work. Email is our primary form of communication with members. Mailing electronically saves time and resources and reinforces the stewardship ethic of our mission. We don’t give away or sell email addresses.

To ensure you receive email from LCC, please add lcc@lakechamplaincommittee.org and the domain enews.lakechamplaincommittee.org to your safe/allowed list and address book. Thanks!

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Lake Champlain Committee Board of Directors

Gary Kjelleren - Chair (South Hero, VT), Sharon Murray - Treasurer (Bolton, VT), Alan Booth (Plattsburgh, NY), Sandy Montgomery (Montreal, QC), Ann Ruzow Holland (Willsboro, NY), Mary Van Vleck (Charlotte, VT), Chuck Woessner (Grand Isle, VT).

Lake Champlain Advisory Council

Megan Epler Wood (Burlington, VT), Steven Kellogg (Essex, NY), Peter S. Paine, Jr. (Willsboro, NY), Mary Watzin (NC).

Lake Champlain Committee Staff

Lori Fisher, Executive Director

Jessica Rossi, Office Manager

Mike Winslow, Staff Scientist