The New York State Public Service Commission has approved construction of a high voltage direct current transmission line to deliver electricity from generating sources in Quebec to the New York City area. The original application was filed over…
The 2013 legislative session saw little progress on water quality despite starting out with a report from the Agency of Natural Resources about the substantial problems facing the state’s waterways and high price tag for addressing all the issues. …
The New York State Assembly passed a bill that would extend by two years a moratorium on fracking in the state. However, the Senate continues to stall consideration of that bill and another that would end an industry exemption that stripped the…
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYS DEC) will begin collecting discharge reports of untreated and partially treated sewage from public wastewater systems. The new law requires notification of any discharges from…
A yellow scum often appears along the shores of Lake Champlain from late spring through early summer. Though the scum has the texture and consistency of an algae bloom it is actually pollen. While the pollen may be unsightly, its presence means there…
Last July the manager of Sand Bar State Park in Milton, Vermont received a call that would greatly affect his summer. Someone whose family had visited on July 1, 2012 reported that two children who had been swimming later became ill. MORE
Join LCC for our last Bird Walk this Friday, May 31 at 8:00 AM at Oakledge Park. LCC’s Staff Scientist will help participants identify birds by sight and sound. We'll conclude with a post-walk social with coffee and bagels at LCC's office. MORE
Throughout the year, we will share a series of special feature articles in commemoration of the Lake Champlain Committee's 50-year anniversary. Here is the first one!
What do zip codes, the smiley face symbol, the Beatles, James Bond movies, push…
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,…
