News from Selected Month

Two more fiery train derailments this month highlight the vulnerability of people, wildlife and waterways from the dramatic increase of crude oil transport by rail. The latest debacle has added pressure to improve rail transportation of flammable liquids.  Read...

On February 20 in Montpelier the House Fish, Wildlife and Water Resources Committee recommended H. 35, the water quality bill by a vote of 7-2. The bill still needs approval from the Agriculture and Ways and Means Committees before heading to the House floor. Meanwhile a companion bill is wending its way through the Senate. Read...

The National Weather Service announced on Monday, February 16, 2015, that Lake Champlain is completely covered in ice. Remarkably, this is the second year in a row that the ice has extended over the entire lake surface (last year it closed February 12).  Read...

Vermont Gas has halted work on a controversial proposal to supply natural gas to International Paper (IP) in Ticonderoga via a pipeline under Lake Champlain.  Read...

It’s snow season. Diligent public works employees spend hours clearing snow and applying salt and sand to roads in order to make daily commutes safer. But eventually, when the snow melts, the sand and salt flows into that river and Lake Champlain. How does it affect water quality? Read...

The importance of agricultural tile drains as a contributor to water quality pollution is gaining more attention. In addition to its other provisions, the water quality bill recently passed by the House Fish, Wildlife and Water Resources Committee indicates some concern about agricultural tile draining.  Read...

The layer of ice now sitting atop Lake Champlain insulates the water from the atmosphere and alters some of the physical phenomena that are sometimes seen around the lake.  Read...

March 16-22 - Fix a Leak Week

More than one trillion gallons of water are lost annually in the U.S. due to easy-to-fix household leaks. Fix them during Fix a Leak Week!

LCC, the US Environmental Protection Agency and other WaterSense partners are promoting a week focused on water conservation. Wasting water wastes energy and money and can contribute <link lcc-at-work water-conservation _blank internal link in current>to lake pollution. Get a jump on the week by reviewing your water bills and seeing how much water you consume, then visit <link lcc-at-work water-conservation _blank internal link in current>LCC's Water Conservation page for <link lcc-at-work water-conservation water-conservation-tips-for-the-home _blank external link in new>additional water saving tips. 

If your faucet drips or your toilet runs it can waste over 10,000 gallons a year -- the amount of water in a typical backyard swimming pool. Finding and fixing leaks around the home can be as simple as check, twist and replace.

·         Check toilets - put a few drops of food coloring into the tank; wait a few minutes and see if the color appears in the bowl before you flush. If it does, there's a leak.

·         Twist on aerators - add new WaterSense labeled faucet aerators and showerheads and tighten pipe and hose connections to save water.

·         Replace leaking fixtures - be sure to choose WaterSense labeled fixtures when building or rennovating. They are independently certified to use 20 percent less water and perform as well or better than standard models.

March 17 - Clean Water Day 

Come learn about water quality legislation pending in the Vermont Legislature and show your support for clean water at the Vermont state capitol in Montpelier. This program runs from 9:30 AM to noon in Room 11 of the Vermont State House. Hear about water quality priorities from Speaker of the House Shap Smith, get briefings on important bills moving through the Legislature, and connect with other citizens who care about clean waterways. Let legislators know you want to see action to protect water by coming to "the people's house" on St. Patrick's Day. Clean Water Day is sponsored by LCC, Vermont Conservation Voters, Vermont Natural Resources Council, Sierra Club Vermont, Toxics Action Center, and Watersheds United Vermont. To RSVP, email lcc@lakechamplaincommittee.org. Read...

Read more about Lake Champlain's threatened and endangered bird species, fishing regulation changes, replica boats, invasive species in the Adirondacks, erosion and more. Read...