News by Category

One of LCC’s top legislative priorities in Montpelier this year has been the passage of a lakeshore protection bill. Currently, any shoreline zoning is left to local communities but only 20% of towns have taken advantage of such opportunities,…

On March 27 Cumberland Bay was officially removed from the list of New York’s toxic Superfund sites. De-listing represents the culmination of work undertaken over a decade ago, spearheaded by LCC. The original listing came about because of an…

How much effort should society spend in preparing for rare events? The answer surely depends on the scope of the event, its rarity, and damage or costs associated with preparations. So, with these criteria in mind let’s examine potential responses to…

The Vermont Agency of Natural Resources has approved the Missisquoi Bay Basin water quality management plan. The Missisquoi watershed begins with mountain streams and gorges on the flanks of the Green Mountains and includes the pastoral meanderings…

On warm wet evenings from mid-March through April you can often find salamanders and woodland frogs creeping over the still cold ground. They travel from the woods where they hibernated to vernal pools and swamps where they will breed. In prime…

Earlier this month, LCC Executive Director Lori Fisher teamed up on Capitol Hill with water advocates from across the country. In meetings with policy makers and legislative staff, she and water partners from Galveston Bay to Long Island Sound…

We're at work on the 2013 edition of the Trail guide and other Trail promotional materials. If you have pictures and stories from your 2012 water outings that you haven't shared yet, we'd love to see and hear them. MORE

Join LCC on April Stools Day! This is a springtime citizen effort to remove dog doo from our sidewalks and recreation paths. Pet poop contains bacteria and excess nutrients that are bad for our health and waterways. Dog doo left on hard surfaces…

Give some TLC to your body and the lake on Wednesday April 3 at O'Briens AVEDA Institute. A $20 donation at the door gets you four spa services with all the money going to LCC programs to protect water quality, safeguard natural habitats, promote…

Area Aveda salons will be co-hosting a cut-a-thon on Earth Day at O'Brien's Aveda Institute in South Burlington. The event is part of a global round the clock cut-a-thon to raise money and awareness for water protection and set a Guinness World…

LCC is partnering with EPA’s WaterSense Program to promote water conservation. Save water, energy and money by finding and fixing leaks at your home and workplace as part of national Fix a Leak Week, March 18 – 24. MORE

Following the record-setting lake flooding of spring 2011 the International Joint Commission (IJC) appointed a Workgroup to recommend studies of measures to mitigate flooding and the impacts of flooding in the Richelieu River and Lake Champlain…

The State of Vermont is considering legislation that would increase protection of lake shorelines. The Lake Champlain Committee supports this effort and has identified it as one of our top priorities for action coming out of the Agency of Natural…

2013 marks LCC's 50th anniversary of working for clean water. In celebration of this special anniversary, longtime LCC member Cliff Landesman has offered a challenge to help us build LCC's Legacy Fund, our working endowment. The endowment generates…

Join Senator Bernie Sanders, Bill McKibben, LCC and Vermont and national leaders from 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM on Saturday March 16 at Montpelier High School for informative workshops about what climate change means for Vermont and what we can do about it.…

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 to lake pollution. Get a jump on the week by reviewing your water…

Here's early notice that our annual gathering will be held Saturday, September 14, 2013 at Flat Rock Camp in Willsboro, New York. Further details will follow as we get closer to the date but please mark your calendars and plan to join us in…

Lake Champlain Committee Staff Scientist Mike Winslow was recently appointed to chair the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) for the Lake Champlain Basin Program (LCBP). The TAC is composed of professionals from academia, state and federal agencies,…

March marks a turning point in the annual cycle of the lake. As the sun creeps higher into the sky the lake begins to absorb more heat energy than it releases to the cold winter air. The exact time of switch in any given year depends on the frigidity…

Something about a wooded lakeshore invites exploration. Poking along in a canoe beneath the low-hung boughs of a cedar or birch tree you never know what you might find. Aesthetic draw is only one of the many benefits that natural shorelines offer.…

Why is ice so hard and slippery? What are pressure ridges and how do they form? Can we expect lake effect snow this month? Can fish get the flu? How do the lake’s turtles survive the winter? Find the answers to these and many more questions in Lake…

We are looking for several items in good condition to help our office and field programs hum along more smoothly. Please contact LCC Office Manger Jessica Rossi if you can provide any of the following. MORE

The New York DEC is considering changes to its large farm rule (CAFO – concentrated animal feeding operation) so that it no longer applies to farms with between 200 and 299 cows. MORE

LCC is part of a 32-member coalition of environmental groups, angler associations, and businesses who have signed a resolution urging public officials and elected leaders to make greater investments in protecting and restoring our waterways and water…

The Vermont DEC has released the final version of a report on funding needs for clean water in Vermont. The legislature requested the report in Act 138 of the 2012 session. DEC estimates it will cost $156 million per year in order to achieve the…

On Wednesday January 30th renowned climate change activist Bill McKibben spoke from the well of the Vermont statehouse in Montpelier to rally legislators to the urgency of preventing further climate change. McKibben came at the invitation of House…

On December 27, two New York State Public Service Commission (PSC) administrative law judges gave preliminary approval to a proposed project to lay a high voltage cable on the bottom of Lake Champlain in order to deliver electricity from…

Five people fell through three-inch thick ice in West Addison, Vermont earlier this month. Luckily they were all pulled to safety. The chart below provides some guidance on necessary ice thickness for various activities but there is no such thing as…

While winter’s cold drives many birds away from our region, it also brings different species here. A day spent walking along the shores of Lake Champlain may reward you with rafts of hardy ducks at the edge of the ice. MORE

Water conservation is something we may think about during the hot days of summer but what about winter? While we aren't watering lawns or gardens in the Champlain Valley there are still plenty of ways to cut back on water use during the chilly…

We usually think of algae blooms as a summer phenomenon, but some species will occasionally bloom under the ice. Sunlight can still pass through ice allowing photosynthesis. MORE

Earlier this year the Vermont Legislature asked the Agency of Natural Resources (VT ANR) to produce a report that did four things: examined funding options for water quality improvements, estimated the total state-wide need for such funding,…

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYS DEC) has issued draft regulations for fracking and is accepting public comments until January 11. In 2012 Vermont became the first state to ban fracking. LCC lobbied for the ban and is…

As our climate warms, Lake Champlain changes. Already we have seen a decrease in winter ice cover and an increase in precipitation throughout the Basin. Where once the lake froze over almost every year, it has now been five years since the last…

In August of this year, the spiny waterflea was found in Lake George, greatly increasing the possibility of its eventual arrival in Lake Champlain. Lake George has a direct connection to Lake Champlain via the LaChute River. Spiny waterfleas have…

The Vermont Agency of Natural Resources (VT ANR) is on the verge of releasing a new map of biological resources in the state. This map goes well beyond what might appear on a flat piece of paper. VT ANRs’ BioFinder project will provide an important…

One of the great joys of living near Lake Champlain is the breath-taking sunrises or sunsets one can see over the water. Colors can range from a crisp red to a blend of pastel hues, from pink to baby blue, shifting even over the course of the event.…

On December 5th, Vermont issued the second round of permits for municipal separate storm sewer systems (MS4). The first round was required under the Clean Water Act in 2003. The first round permit covered twelve Chittenden County communities, UVM,…

The draft Missisquoi Bay Basin Water Quality Management Plan has been released for review. The plan lays out the current condition of the surface waters and aquatic habitat, water quality problems, and strategies to improve and restore water quality.…

LCC’s work for a healthy, accessible lake depends upon the active involvement of many dedicated volunteers who lend heads, hands, and heart in a myriad of ways. As we close out 2012 the LCC Board of Directors and staff extend our thanks to everyone…