News by Category

Vermont is becoming warmer and wetter due to climate change. Specifically, the Vermont Climate Assessment 2021 notes that both summer and spring precipitation have increased in the Green Mountain State. The Assessment cautions that “[t]his spring…

Wetlands are vital natural resources that must be protected and restored for Vermont to address the impacts of climate change, protect wildlife habitat, restore, and maintain the quality of our waters, and provide other benefits for people and…

Monday, October 4th 2021

To the Vermont Climate Council,

...Significant parts of the world are literally on fire, and big portions of the rest of the nation are (or were recently) underwater. Vermont itself has recently missed being hit by not one…

The state of Vermont is developing its Climate Action Plan and drafters need your input to produce a forward-thinking guidance document that addresses the climate emergency. Seven events to gain public comments will be held throughout the state…

Atlantic salmon spawning recently came to a close in Lake Champlain. Unlike their cousins in the Pacific Ocean, Atlantic salmon don’t typically die after spawning, but instead migrate back to the lake (or ocean) to feed.

Iridescent, delicious, and…

Winter is a great time to get outdoors and it is especially helpful and healthful during the pandemic. The cold, crisp air is exhilarating and there are no biting insects! Some of the mantras for recreating safely in winter during Covid-19 are:…

We weren’t sure how many people would turn out to monitor during a pandemic that required wearing a mask at public sites and quarantining for two weeks if traveling across state lines. But turn out they did! More than 160 community members signed up…

We send heartfelt thanks to Angela Shambaugh, our longstanding cyanobacteria monitoring program colleague who retired in October from the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation (VT DEC). Angela has been a key partner in the monitoring…

While the cyanobacteria tracker map was dominated by green dots last week, too many red dots evidencing blooms are showing as we head into Labor Day weekend. While good conditions were observed at Lake Champlain’s Malletts Bay, Main Lake South, and…

Monitors filed 151 reports this week from Lake Champlain and inland lake sites. The cyanobacteria tracker map shows lots of green dots this week for generally safe conditions. However, blooms are still present in some areas of Lake Champlain and…

It’s been a tumultuous week with hot weather, intense rains that flushed nutrients and partially treated wastewater to Lake Champlain, and some high winds that knocked out power. In the midst of it all cyanobacteria monitors collectively filed 212…

The Lake Champlain Committee (LCC) and partners received 186 monitor reports last week from August 1 through 4:00 p.m. Friday August 7, 2020. Good conditions were observed in Lake Champlain’s Missisquoi Bay, Malletts Bay and the South Lake while…

The Lake Champlain Committee (LCC) and partners received 154 monitor reports this past week from Saturday July 25 through 1:45 p.m. Friday July 31. Good conditions were observed in Lake Champlain’s Missisquoi Bay, Main Lake North, Malletts Bay and…

We received 183 monitoring reports last week through Lake Champlain Committee (LCC) Cyanobacteria Monitoring Program from Saturday July 18 through mid-afternoon Friday July 24. Due to the high volume of reports and some technical issues we weren’t…

It’s been another busy week for the Lake Champlain Committee (LCC) Cyanobacteria Monitoring Program with 152 reports from Lake Champlain and inland lakes from Sunday July 12 through Friday July 17 at 1:30 pm! Good conditions were observed in Malletts…

Thank you for signing up to receive the Lake Champlain Committee’s (LCC) cyanobacteria monitoring reports! Monitoring will run through the early fall. Each week we’ll send you an update about conditions our monitors are finding around Lake Champlain…

If you’ve paddled, taken a swim, or cast a fishing line in the waterbodies of the Lake Champlain Basin, you’ve likely spent time among one of the most enigmatic groups of aquatic animals in our region: native freshwater mussels. They’re…

Did you miss a “Zoom a Scientist” session? Don't worry! All the webinars are recorded and can be accessed via Youtube! Want to learn more about microplastics, climate change, or aquatic invasive species? Wonder how prepared we are for an oil spill or…

Vermont environmental advocates sent a letter to Governor Phil Scott on 4/6/20 thanking him for his efforts to address the unprecedented COVID-19 emergency, and urging him to uphold environmental and public health protections during the crisis, along…

May is American Wetlands Month! Join us in celebrating our wetland wonders, from swamps and shores to floodplain forests and fens. Check out the LCC Facebook page where we’ve been posting about a different Lake Champlain watershed wetland every week.

A sit spot is an outdoor site where you can go to slow down, soak up what’s around you, and appreciate nature. It is a location in your backyard or close to home—this is not a get-in-your-car activity—where you can observe changes in the natural…

Spring is a great time to recreate—blue skies, vegetation glowing green, woodland flowers bursting forth, birds in flight and song—all call us to get outside! With the recent easing of COVID-19 related restrictions on travel, we are all anxious to go…

Lake sturgeon can be unintentionally caught by anglers during May and June as they head upstream to spawn in the waters where they were born. The stress incurred from being hooked can inhibit their ability to reproduce. Lake sturgeon are a threatened…

Is it a bird? No. A cricket? Close! The shrill chorus of spring peepers is the chime of spring. They are among the smallest and certainly one of the most common species of frog in the Lake Champlain watershed. You can discern a spring peeper up close…

Chartreuse—a luminous yellow-green color—currently punctuates wetlands and wetland edges throughout our region in the form of American false hellebore (Veratrum viride). The herbaceous perennial belongs to the lily family and is typically found in…

Conservation Biologist Steve Faccio of the Vermont Center for Ecostudies (VCE) visits a local vernal pool each week throughout the spring of 2020. In a series of seven short videos taken from April 1 through May 8 he introduces viewers to the…

"From Lake Champlain to the Richelieu River and the St. Lawrence, a panel of Canadian experts explores our connections and common interests in our water. Saving Our Waters is a documentary series covering steps toward keeping our waterways clean; the…

Look no further than the vast system of pipes beneath our feet—sewers—for an alternative to monitoring for viruses like COVID-19 person by person. Wastewater could provide localized data about coronavirus levels and create an early warning system for…

Entomologist Douglas Tallamy is urging Americans “to go native and go natural” and move away from the monoculture of a lawn. He’s an advocate for native plants as a way of preserving North America’s natural ecology. His recommendations for rewilding…

We hope you’re healthy and finding ways to nurture yourself during these challenging times. We are looking forward to diving into the lake to refresh our spirits once temperatures warm and travel restrictions ease. In the meantime, we thought we’d…

At LCC we love science and water—and feel grateful to immerse ourselves in those topics every day. Click here to read the Vox article about the really cool science behind why soap and water is a killer combo in protecting us against Covid-19.

As we all work to address the Covid-19 pandemic, keep in mind that wipes clog pipes, even if they are marketed as “flushable.” Click here to read the New York Times article about backed-up sewer lines in the wake of the coronavirus.

Over the next few weeks, our friends at Lake Champlain Sea Grant are hosting "Zoom a Scientist," an interactive, virtual webinar series focused on watershed and aquatic science. The programs will feature scientists from the University of Vermont…

Deserted dog doo is a nasty addition to the bottom of an innocent passersby’s shoe—and to Lake Champlain. Canine feces left on hard surfaces like a sidewalk or compacted soil can wash into storm drains during any precipitation event. From there, they…

As we physically distance ourselves from each other and try to flatten the curve for Covid-19 infection, getting outside every day will help bring solace and soothe spirits. Click here to read an article on the Seven Days website about three spots…

Know a K through 12 student, teacher or homeschooler in the Lake Champlain Basin? In honor of World Water Day, LCC and Champlain Basin Education Initiative (CBEI) partners are hosting our annual cool contest to celebrate water. It’s a great way for…

LCC seeks boating pictures to enhance our 2020 edition of the Paddlers’ Trail guidebook. If you ventured out on the water with a camera, please consider sharing some photos with us. We are looking for images of human-powered adventures on Lake…

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. More than one trillion gallons of water are lost annually in the U.S. due to easy-to-fix household leaks.

The plastic bag ban in New York State begins Sunday, March 1, 2020! Whether floating on a local waterway or stuck in a tree, plastic bags are a too common sight and blight on the landscape and in the water. Do your part to reduce plastic pollution…

The Lake Champlain Committee (LCC) is no stranger to defending Vermont’s clean water laws. In December 2019, LCC was part of a coalition of environmental organizations that issued a press release on the unlawful emergency exemptions for farm manure…