Information |
Current Lake Information
Current Lake Champlain level and water temperature
Current Lake Champlain weather forecast and other Lake information
_____________________________________________
SOURCES OF POLLUTION IN LAKE CHAMPLAIN WATERSHED
March 2011
We expect to have clean water in our rivers and lakes, and we should expect that. But we don’t have clean water in our rivers and lakes. The rivers are carrying pollution into the lakes, and Lake Champlain and other lakes are troubled with algae blooms and excessive weed growth.
Nutrient pollution is the cause of these troubles, and excesses of phosphorus and sediment are the primary problems. These pollutants wash off the lands in the watershed and are carried down the streams and rivers into the lakes. There are other water quality issues, such as invasive species and habitat protection, but most of the focus on Lake Champlain is on the reduction of phosphorus and sediment because these have by far the greatest impact on water quality in Lake Champlain.
To read more please download the PDF of the full article.
_______________________________________________
NEW ROAD AND BRIDGE STANDARDS
March 2011
As a result of efforts by the Agency of Natural Resources, the Vermont Legislature and water quality organizations, Act 110 was passed in the 2010 legislature. One of the results was authorization for new Road and Bridge Standards which use incentives in state funding to encourage improvements in municipal highways/ roads. These will produce improvements in water quality.
These are simple practices such as proper grading of roads, proper shaping of ditches, seeding/mulching bare soil after ditch maintenance, and using the correct size of culverts.
Follow the link to the short 2-page document that contains the new Road and Bridge Standards. Please speak with your selectboard about putting these new standards into place. Towns receive a 10% incentive payment for following the standards.
_______________________________________________
CLEAN AND CLEAR ANNUAL REPORT
February 2011
Vermont Clean and Clear Annual Report, issued Feb. 1, 2011: The annual report that describes the broad scope of the Clean and Clear program’s work, including programs under the Agency of Natural Resources, the AgAgency and the Agency of Transportation. The report includes the accomplishments to date and the priorities for 2011.
The Clean and Clear Annual Report may be found here.
EPA DECISION
February 2011
On January 24 the EPA withdrew its approval of Vermont’s plan to clean up Lake Champlain. The EPA had originally approved the plan in 2002.
We are disappointed in this action, as it is a result of on-going legal maneuvering that has already been slowing down the work on the Lake.
Leadership in the work on the Lake will now revert to the EPA and will be centered in Boston rather than within Vermont. We hope that EPA personnel will begin working in Vermont, rather than attempting to direct Lake action from Boston.
Please follow this link to see the EPA determination.
_______________________________________________
SUMMARY OF VERMONT WASTEWATER SEPTIC RULES
March 30, 2010
• Since 1969 Vermont has implemented various revisions to its wastewater disposal design and permitting regulations, gradually allowing more innovative design approaches to treat wastewater.
• In 2002, Governor Dean signed into law a set of septic regulations and permitting procedures that were to be implemented and improved over a 5-year period. The 2002 version and those since focused largely on closing the 10+ acre loophole and on the State taking jurisdiction over pre-existing residences.
• State oversight helped to unify myriad municipal standards or lack thereof. Designers of wastewater systems faced varied municipal approaches, and zoning administrators often interpreted local regulations differently.
• On July 1, 2007 the VT Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) activated major changes to its rules governing potable water supply and wastewater systems.
Click here for a printable PDF of the full summary.
________________________________________________________
BUSINESS ALLIANCE FOR A CLEAN LAKE
The Business Alliance for a Clean Lake had their inaugural kick-off and press conference on Jan. 18 in Mallets Bay, Colchester. Friends of Northern Lake Champlain is closely allied with BACL, as we share similar goals for a clean Lake. The Essex Reporter filed this excellent report.
________________________________________________________
CLEAN & CLEAR ANNUAL REPORT
Vermont Clean and Clear Annual Report, issued Feb. 1, 2010: The annual report from the Agency of Natural Resources and the AgAgency that describes the broad scope of the Clean and Clear program’s work and its accomplishments to date.
The Clean and Clear Annual Report may be found at the top of this linked page.
UVM STUDY OFFERS HOPE FOR LAKE CLEANUP
In an article from the Burlington Free Press, dated Feb. 5, 2010: A new University of Vermont study offers fresh hope for protecting Lake Champlain. The study demonstrates how a set of actions on a limited land area could dramatically reduce one major pollution source: farm runoff.
________________________________________________________
Lake Champlain Phosphorus Concentrations and Loading Rates, 1990 to 2008 -- Data from the Lake Champlain Basin Program’s Long-Term Water Quality and Biological Monitoring Program were analyzed to determine the status and trends in lake phosphorus concentrations and tributary loading rates. Published December 2009.
Useful Lake Documents
Click the following links for additional resources and information:
Newsletters
Links to PDF copies of our newsletter:
_________________________________________
The New York Times has a good article about a large modern dairy in Texas with 4,000 cows, with many of the same water quality issues that our local dairies have. This well-written article highlights some of the problems and how they are addressed using "best practices".