As temperatures cool and hues of orange, yellow and red color the hillsides, we hope you are enjoying autumn’s beauty. Although blooms are less likely as air and water temperatures drop and frost warnings are in effect, cyanobacteria can still persist or pop up. While there were plenty of reports of clear water this week, blooms continued to show up in Lake Champlain and an inland waterway. Read...
Unseasonably warm weekend weather triggered a spate of 17 bloom reports on 9/21 and 9/22. More blooms followed during the week, with some monitors reporting their first blooms of 2019. With temperatures predicted to rise into the 70s on Saturday, we anticipate some blooms will continue to persist for a while and that cyanobacteria may pop up in new locations. Read...
Today marks the global climate strike followed by a week of events to highlight the urgency of climate action. Water is a primary medium through which we feel the effects of climate change. Declining water quality is another consequence of a warming planet. As air temperatures rise, so too do water temperatures. Read...
Mixed conditions were reported again this week on Lake Champlain in Missisquoi Bay, St. Albans Bay, and the Inland Sea, and also at Lake Carmi. The floating mats of the benthic cyanobacteria Oscillatoria sp. that we showed you pictures of last week were still present at Black Bridge in St. Albans Bay on 9/10/19, but to a lesser extent. Monitors also observed mixed conditions in the Main Lake North section of Lake Champlain. Read...
Kids are back at school, seasonal staff are leaving beach and park areas, and there’s a hint of fall in the air this first week of September. However, cyanobacteria can still flourish even when autumn colors begin to show on the hillsides which is why the Lake Champlain Committee Cyanobacteria Monitoring Program continues through the end of October. Read...
It was another busy week for <link about-lcc>Lake Champlain Committee (LCC) monitors with alert level conditions reported from Lake Champlain’s Missisquoi Bay, St. Albans Bay, Inland Sea, Main Lake North, Main Lake South, and South Lake. Cyanobacteria was also reported at Colchester Pond, Lake Carmi, Lake Memphremagog, Nichols Pond, and Shelburne Pond. Bulwagga Bay Beach in Moriah NY was closed on Sunday August 25 due to a bloom but has since re-opened. Read...
We hope you’ve been enjoying the cooler temperatures and lower humidity this week. Here are results from our tenth week of the Lake Champlain Committee (LCC) cyanobacteria monitoring program. You’ll find resources and links to help you identify, report and avoid cyanobacteria. We’ve also included pictures of some of the conditions observed this week along with photos of a stick test you can use to help you differentiate cyanobacteria from non-toxin producing green algae. Please continue to share these resources with others to help educate people on water issues.
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Alert level conditions were reported from several Lake Champlain locations and inland lakes this week including Lake Champlain’s inland sea, St. Albans and Missisquoi Bays and at Indian Brook Reservoir, Lake Carmi and Shelburne Pond. Scattered storms are predicted for the weekend before a rise in temperatures next week so pease be on the lookout for blooms and avoid contact with anything that looks suspicious. Read...
While there were many reports of generally safe conditions this week several sections of Lake Champlain as well as some inland waterways continue to be plagued by mixed conditions. Read LCC's latest report on cyanobacteria conditions for the week of 8/4/19. Read...
Lake Champlain Committee Monitors filed 177 reports this week! Blooms appeared in four Lake Champlain regions: Missisquoi Bay, St. Albans Bay, Inland Sea, and Main Lake Central. There were also bloom conditions at Lake Carmi and Shelburne Pond. Warm weather is predicted for this weekend. Please be on the lookout for blooms and avoid contact with anything that looks suspicious.
Over 216 reports were filed this week from Lake Champlain and inland waterways. Blooms were observed in all regions of Lake Champlain, except Malletts Bay and South Lake; Lake Carmi also had reports of cyanobacteria. Sun and heat are in the forecast for Saturday—be on the lookout for blooms!
Lake Champlain Committee monitors filed over 196 reports this week for Lake Champlain and inland waterways. While there were plenty of reports of clear water, blooms proliferated in parts of Missisquoi Bay, St. Albans Bay, the Inland Sea, Main Lake Central and Main Lake South. Shelburne Pond and Lake Carmi also had reports of cyanobacteria. Several beaches were closed in both New York and Vermont.
We saw a lot of volatility in conditions this week on Lake Champlain. Heavy rains flushed things out in some areas and in others provided additional nutrients to fuel cyanobacteria growth. Blooms showed up along the New York shoreline, in St. Albans Bay, Missisquoi Bay and along the Burlington and South Burlington shorelines and at Vermont inland waterways of Bald Hill Pond and Shelburne Pond. We also received word that two dogs recently died due to ingesting cyanobacteria from a private pond in Vermont. Please remind dog owners to be vigilant about protecting their pets and keep them away from water with cyanobacteria.
We had over 150 water quality observations from Lake Champlain and inland waterway monitors this week! Most were of good conditions but cyanobacteria was reported from Lake Champlain sites in Malletts Bay, St. Albans Bay and Missisquoi Bay. You’ll find further information and links below about cyanobacteria and how to recognize and report it. We’ve also included a photo of a mystery phenomena we are trying to identify (stay tuned for results next week) and a picture of the invasive fishhook waterflea. Populations of this aggressive, predatory zooplankton have increased dramatically since they were first discovered in Lake Champlain last September.
We had reports from 135 different sites this week with low alert sitings of cyanobacteria from Lake Champlain’s Missisquoi Bay, St. Albans Bay and Knapp Pond in Cavendish, VT. High alert bloom conditions persisted at Outer Malletts Bay on June 26 and 27 and improved to low alert conditions on Friday. Happily, most other monitors reported good conditions.
Happy start of summer! Cyanobacteria monitoring got underway earlier this week, toxin testing and phytoplankton analysis at selected shoreline locations on Lake Champlain will get underway next week as well. We are excited to have such a great crew of citizen scientists assessing water conditions! Low alert conditions were observed on the eastern side of Missisquoi Bay and some cyanobacteria was seen in the water at Niquette Bay State Park this week. All other areas of Lake Champlain along with inland Vermont lakes reported good conditions. Read...
Help assess Lake Champlain water conditions around the lake. Complete our cyanobacteria monitor interest form if you're interested in monitoring or want to attend a training session to learn more about the lake. Feel free to share this invite with other lake lovers.
According to a report released by the Rhodium Group, a private climate-research firm, carbon dioxide emissions in the U.S. increased by roughly 3.4% in 2018 – this after three years of decline. The report points to a particularly cold winter and economic growth as the main contributors. While this appears to pit climate change reductions against economic growth, it’s entirely possible to lower emissions while improving the economy. Climate change is a leading contributor to many expensive environmental issues, including increased cyanobacteria blooms, stormwater runoff, and other water quality concerns.
Deep thanks to all our cyanobacteria monitors for their diligent work during the 2018 season. Many began assessing site conditions in mid-June and filed their final report 19 weeks later in mid-October. LCC monitors and our partners at the Vermont and New York Departments of Health and Environmental Conservation gathered data from nearly 150 sites in the Lake Champlain watershed and filed more than 1,800 reports about water conditions.
The 2018 cyanobacteria monitoring season has come to a close! Read the final report of 2018 to see the season statistics, learn about recent lake phenomena and find ways to stay involved until next year! Thank you to everyone who helped make this another successful monitoring season!
Despite cooler, windy weather, blooms still showed up in parts of Lake Champlain and Lake Memphremagog during the week. While cooler temperatures may cause blooms to dissipate, the same weather can stimulate blooms in other lakes.
Blooms showed up in the Inland Sea, Main Lake Central, St. Albans Bay and Missisquoi Bay sections of Lake Champlain and several inland lakes this week. Cooler, windy weather blew into the region late in the week providing a welcome change in temperature.
Blooms showed up in many sections of Lake Champlain and at inland lakes as well, keeping monitors busy. Sincere thanks for the diligent reporting and a special shout out to interested citizens who took the time to do some online training about cyanobacteria and report in about conditions observed. We greatly appreciate your efforts!
Monitors reported generally safe conditions from most Lake Champlain and inland waterways during the past week, however blooms were observed in St. Albans Bay, the Inland Sea and Missisquoi Bay and on several smaller waterways. While many people think of cyanobacteria blooms as a summer phenomenon, they can also persist in the fall. In fact, this weekend’s cooler temperatures may trigger turn over in some of our smaller lakes and ponds.
It’s been another busy week of monitoring with 121 reports filed for Lake Champlain and inland lake locations. While good conditions persisted at most locations, blooms did show up on some inland lakes and on all sections of Lake Champlain except for the South Lake. Please be mindful that conditions can change rapidly.
From July 18 to August 16, a stretch of 29 days, the daily high temperature in Burlington, Vermont never fell below 80 degrees F. The streak eclipsed the previous record for consecutive days over 80 by four days. Keep in mind, the streak of hot days began AFTER temperatures climbed into the 90s for six straight days earlier in July. During that heat streak the region set another record, the highest ever daily low temperature of 80 degrees.
“This report helps the public to interpret information about the Lake using the best scientific data available. Lake managers use this information to develop and assess strategies for improving water quality in Lake Champlain,” said Dr. Eric Howe, LCBP Director. “In the 2018 report, we provide updated information on the many issues facing Lake Champlain.”
Hats off to the great group of dedicated cyanobacteria monitoring volunteers who are reporting on water quality from over 100 Lake Champlain shoreline locations and inland lakes. LCC has trained nearly 300 individuals this season to identify cyanobacteria, including state and municipal recreational staff and water treatment system operators.
Stay up to date on water conditions on Lake Champlain and inland lakes with LCC’s weekly cyanobacteria reports. The report compiles and summarizes data collected from over 100 LCC monitoring sites in New York, Vermont and Quebec. It also includes helpful information on how to recognize and report cyanobacteria and actions to take to reduce bloom frequency.
Clear water was generally reported this week from most sections of Lake Champlain, with the exception of several alert level conditions observed by monitors in northern sections of the lake like the Inland Sea, St. Albans Bay and Missisquoi Bay. Conditions have been changing daily at some locations, so please keep a watchful eye and use the links and resources in this email to learn <link lcc-at-work algae-in-lake>ways to recognize and <link get-involved volunteers cyanobacteriamonitors cyanobacteria-monitor-reporting-form>report on cyanobacteria. Read...
lcc@lakechamplaincommittee.org • Tel: (802) 658-1414
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