An increasing body of literature from the U.S. and across the globe has linked shoreline development
with reduced habitat quality in the littoral zones of lakes and ponds. In the Lake Champlain Basin and
throughout the region, there is rising concern over the degradation of lake littoral zones resulting from
shoreline development. While other states in the New England have adopted shoreline protection
regulations, there are no statewide rules or regulations in Vermont or New York restricting the nature or
proximity of shoreline development above mean high water. In response to ongoing littoral zone
degradation in the absence of statewide regulations, the Vermont Department of Environmental
Conservation (VTDEC) has made substantial efforts to research this topic. Various VTDEC studies on
inland lakes in Vermont and Maine highlight the sensitivity of the littoral zone to adjacent development,
and the importance of buffer regulations in mitigating impacts.
Prior to this study, limited research had examined the impacts of lakeshore development on littoral
habitats of Lake Champlain. Given the larger scale of physical and hydrologic process in Lake Champlain
relative to smaller inland lakes, a key question spurring this research was whether the littoral zone
response in Lake Champlain would differ from the inland lakes. As a result, the purpose of this study was
to research this stressor-response relationship in Lake Champlain to improve the basic scientific
understanding of the lake’s littoral processes and inform shoreline management strategies.
Lake Champlain is a dynamic and diverse ecosystem shaped by substantial variability in hydrologic,
geologic, geomorphologic, and climatic features and processes. The littoral zone of the lake is strongly
influenced by seasonal changes in lake hydrology, large tributary inputs of sediment and organic matter,
diverse shoreline geology and geomorphic forms, and severe differences in wind and wave exposure
dependent on shoreline aspect. Our study was designed to utilize a relatively small set of representative
sample points on the lake’s shoreline to understand conditions in the greater lake. We chose Malletts Bay
in Vermont as our principal study area due to its wide ranging natural characteristics and varying
shoreline land cover.
Project Goal and Objectives
The principal goal of the project was to quantify, characterize, and understand the effects of lakeshore
development on littoral habitat in Lake Champlain. Specific project objectives included:
•Use high resolution imagery to create detailed maps of shoreline condition and lakeshore land
use/land cover;
•Measure littoral habitat conditions and biotic communities across gradients of human
development and natural characteristics;
•Model relationships between littoral habitat conditions and riparian and shoreline condition;
•Develop a GIS-based tool to qualitatively predict habitat quality in other areas of the lake;
•Based on the study results, develop recommendations for shoreline protection and best
management practices specific to Lake Champlain; and
•Disseminate the study results and recommendations to Lake Champlain Basin stakeholders to
improve shoreline management.