News Archive

The Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation, the Vermont Agency of Agriculture and Food Markets, and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have scheduled a series of public meetings to discuss the Lake Champlain restoration plan (the…

Wish you could look at Lake Champlain every day? Now you can with a purchase of LCC's stunning new photo cards featuring beautiful vistas of our favorite lake! MORE

Know someone who loves the lake? Have a good friend who you play on the water with? Express your caring for the wonderful people in your life and your concern for water quality at the same time by gifting a membership in LCC. MORE

Since 2007, the Lake Champlain Basin Program has funded a boat launch steward program for the lake. The stewards interact with boaters as they are launching or removing their boats. MORE

Yellow floating-heart (Nymphoides peltata) is a non-native, potentially invasive species. It likely got into the lake through the Champlain Canal. The species has been here for many years, growing in shallow quiet bays. MORE

Seaplanes moving from water body to water body can serve as a vector for invasive species movement. To reduce such risks, the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association has developed a video for seaplane owners about how to avoid picking up and…

Earlier this week a Senate panel passed legislation to designate the Upper Missisquoi and Trout Rivers in Vermont as part of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers system. MORE

Tile drains are used extensively by farmers in the Champlain Valley and beyond to increase crop productivity on marginal lands. Drains work by lowering the water table allowing more oxygen to reach crop roots. LCC recently attended a tile drainage…

New York State boating laws require all persons aboard motorboats, canoes, kayaks, rowboats, and sailboats less than 21 feet in length to wear a personal flotation device (PFD) while on New York waters from November 1 to May 1. MORE

Ever wonder what makes brook trout spots so orange? Or sunfish so bright? The color of fish is determined by the arrangement and patterns of chromataphores in their scales. MORE

At midnight on September 30 the federal government shut down when the House of Representatives failed to pass a Continuing Resolution for the budget. Below is a rundown on some of the ways the government shutdown affects the lake. MORE

A revised plan to accelerate phosphorus reductions in the lake to meet water quality standards will be released in the next few months, pending the government shutdown. LCC has been advocating for additional steps and a more aggressive program to…

PC Construction, one of the countries' largest employee-owned construction companies, decided to celebrate its 55th anniversary by giving back to the communities where their employees work, live and play. Employees selected ten non-profits which were…

Transmission Developers, Inc. (TDI) is proposing to build a 1,000 megawatt high voltage direct current energy transmission powerline 335 miles from Quebec to New York City. In our region the power line would sit on the bed of Lake Champlain while…

LCC’s 2013 blue-green algae monitoring season ran for 12 weeks from June 15 to September 6, an increase of two weeks over previous seasons. This year we received a total of 675 reports including 557 from 54 regular monitoring locations that reported…

Foliage season, bird migrations and the serenity of a near empty lake all beckon the fall paddler. It can be a wonderful time to be on the water – if you’re well prepared. The cooler fall temperatures require a wet suit or dry suit. MORE

Have you received mail from LCC lately? If yes, chances are LCC volunteer Susan Keefe’s fingerprints are on it! Susan has been visiting the LCC office regularly during the last few months to help with a variety of mailings and administrative tasks.…

Over sixty volunteers trained by LCC headed lakeside on a weekly basis during the summer to observe water conditions and file online reports. Their data populated the blue-green algae tracking map housed at the Vermont Department of Health. MORE

Autumn is known for its falling leaves, and these can become a significant source of carbon for lake ecosystems. Usually we think of the carbon in lakes as coming from photosynthesis by algae and aquatic plants, but researchers added marked carbon…

While some have touted Champlain’s description as the earliest reference to Champ, the reality is he was describing what is surely one of the strangest fish in our fauna, the longnose gar. MORE

We had a wonderful 50th anniversary celebration at Flat Rock Camp in Willsboro earlier this month. The sun shone, conversation flowed, the food and drink were delicious, and a good time was had by all! LCC founding father Peter Paine reflected on the…

Flushable wipes, tampon applicators, and other personal care items often advertised as "disposable" can wreak havoc at wastewater treatment plants and cause sewage overflows. Read more about the problem and your role n prevention in this news story…

The Lake Champlain Basin Program (LCBP) has released a study examining the effects of lakeshore development on Lake Champlain's shoreline habitat. The study conducted by Fitzgerald Environmental Associates began in 2011 and examined 90 shoreline…

The final fall meeting on shoreline protection will be held Thursday October 3 from 6:00 - 8:00 PM at Contois Auditorium in Burlington. Please attend and and speak out in favor of protecting our waterways! MORE

PC Construction is celebrating its 55th anniversary year by giving $5,500 grants to five non-profit organizations. PC Construction employees chose the top ten contenders and now the public gets choose the winners. MORE

Funding appears to have been secured for the remaining Lake Champlain Basin stream gages that were threatened with closure. Thanks to all of you who made calls or wrote letters emphasizing the importance of our stream gages and the need for on-going,…

Roads have an ecological impact far greater than would be anticipated based on the amount of area they cover. They act as filters for animal movement; allowing only some individuals to cross. They provide conduits for seed dispersal for many…

Strong winds in the lower atmosphere often develop in late autumn along Lake Champlain. These events, called low-level jets, can occur when a high pressure system over the Atlantic Ocean creates southerly winds which become channelized and…

Help keep our waters clean by sweeping or raking leaves away from roadways. Piles of autumn leaves can become part of the stormwater flow into the lake. Rake up any leaves you see collecting on sidewalks, driveways, and roadways near your house. MORE

On Facebook? We are too! 'Like' LCC's Facebook page for engaging content, the latest lake news, and beautiful lake photos. Here's how to like the Lake Champlain Committee on Facebook. MORE

Please join in LCC's 50th birthday party on Saturday, September 14 from 2:00 - 5:00 PM at Flat Rock Camp in Willsboro, New York. We'll reflect on 50 years of lake protection work, honor special volunteers, and look to the future. MORE

No algae blooms reported from 10 LCC monitoring locations. MORE

The International Joint Commission (IJC) delivered recommendations to Canada and the United States in late July regarding a Plan of Study for flooding in the Lake Champlain Richelieu River basin. They called for a $14.3 million dollar boondoggle that…

In early August, WCAX reported that a worker error led to discharge of a half-million gallons of untreated sewage to the Winooski River from the Essex Junction wastewater treatment plant. The incident was one of at least thirty cases of sewage…

The Vermont Legislature has created a Lake Shoreland Protection Commission to provide information about existing and proposed shoreland protection measures and receive public input on ways to improve regulation of shoreland properties. MORE

In mid-August, LCC members Joan and Pete Smith joined Staff Scientist Mike Winslow to harvest the invasive European frog-bit from a bay east of Dead Creek on Missisquoi Bay. Together they brought in approximately 900 plants! MORE

A team of student interns working with NASA has developed a model that interprets data collected from satellites to detect and track algae blooms on Lake Champlain. The three young researchers, Tiffani Orne from Liberty University, Hayley Solak from…

Leeches are related to earthworms. Once you get past the initial revulsion for the animals, you can begin to see a grace and elegance in the orange spotted flattened worms. Both earthworms and leeches are hermaphroditic. Like earthworms they have…

Late summer is the time to see this year’s crop of whirligig beetles, those watermelon seed sized insects that spin and spin on the water surface. The beetles congregate atop tranquil waters around docks or near shore vegetation. The whirligigs that…

Annual memberships and donations fuel LCC's work for clean, accessible water. By joining LCC and giving each year you help protect and restore water quality, safeguard natural habitats, provide access, and educate and engage people in stewarding Lake…