LCBP Welcomes New Technical Coordinator

The LCBP is pleased to welcome Matt Vaughan to its staff at the Grand Isle office. As Technical Coordinator, Matt will oversee scientific projects funded by the Program and work closely with the Technical Advisory Committee. Matt holds an MS degree in Hydrologic Sciences from UC Davis, a BA in Physics from Middlebury College, and is currently completing his PhD in Natural Resources at the University of Vermont. His research includes the use of high-frequency measurements of river water quality to determine the influence of storms and land use on water quality in the Lake Champlain Basin. Matt has a love for the outdoors, woodworking, and music. He lives in the Old North End of Burlington with his wife and dog.

Task Force Recommends Actions to Control Asian Clam in Lake Bomoseen

A survey for Asian clam in Lake Bomoseen revealed an isolated population in the southwestern portion of the lake. Photo courtesy of Vermont DEC.

The Lake Champlain Basin Aquatic Invasive Species Rapid Response Task Force has recommended actions to contain, control, and prevent the spread of Asian clams (Corbicula fluminea) in Lake Bomoseen, Vermont.

A camp counselor discovered Asian clams near the Green Mountain Conservation Camp docks in Lake Bomoseen in August 2016. After this discovery, the Task Force surveyed the entire lake to identify other areas of infestation, and found no other sites with the invasive clam.

Read more

Quest Awaits Visitors to Lake Champlain Bridge Heritage Area

The Quest connects communities and provides a bridge to the past. Photo courtesy of ROOST.

Nicholas and Nicola Bell, with their baby Poppy, were the first people to complete a new quest that links Crown Point, NY with Chimney Point, VT. The British family followed clues on a Quest Map and answered seven riddles to obtain the quest’s treasure: a commemorative coin. The Bells, who were visiting from London, reported, “It was a great deal of fun!”

The Bridge Quest was developed through a partnership among the Champlain Valley National Heritage Partnership (CVNHP), Chimney Point State Historic Site, Crown Point State Historic Site, Lake Champlain Visitors Center, and the Crown Point State Campground. “The Quest is an exciting way for people to experience the deep history and scenic beauty of this Lake Champlain Bridge area. Chimney Point is pleased to be a part of it. The coin is beautiful and should be a sought-after keepsake,” said Elsa Gilbertson, of the Vermont Division for Historic Preservation that manages the Chimney Point State Historic Site.

Read more

Diving In: Videos Highlight Citizen Involvement

The video Planting for the Future highlights a streambank restoration project on the LaPlatte River.

Citizens throughout the Lake Champlain Basin are diving in to do their part to help protect one of the region’s crown jewels. Volunteers are critical to the work dozens of watershed and community organizations do on behalf of Lake Champlain and its watershed. By getting involved in local projects, citizens learn about and help to improve water quality and habitat in many ways.

The Lake Champlain Basin Program has launched Diving In: Citizen Action for a Healthy Lake, a video series that highlights opportunities for citizen action and the efforts of local organizations to engage the public.

Read more

Resource Room Staff Recognized for Service

Seven days a week, 362 days a year, you'll find Laura Hollowell, Stephanie Larkin, or Cynthia Norman at the Resource Room.

Each year, more than 25,000 guests at ECHO, Leahy Center for Lake Champlain visit the LCBP’s Resource Room on the second floor to learn more about lake and watershed issues. And each year since 2003, LCBP staffers Laura Hollowell, Stephanie Larkin, and Cynthia Norman have informed, educated, and guided these visitors, answering all manner of questions and providing accurate, up-to-date information on everything from algae to zebra mussels. In recognition of these efforts, the New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission’s (NEIWPCC) presented its Annual Achievement Award to the team in October.

Read more

CVNHP Partners Summit in Québec

Early arrivals to the CVNHP summit were treated to tour of Fort Chambly and the Fort-Saint-Jean Museum.

More than fifty key stakeholders met in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu this month to discuss the direction of the Champlain Valley National Heritage Partnership’s (CVNHP) work. Partners from Vermont, New York, and Québec, including representatives from the National Park Service and Parcs Canada, attended the Lake Champlain Basin Program’s (LCBP) 6th annual CVNHP International Summit at the Royal Military College Saint-Jean. The annual summit is an integral part of the CVNHP budget process, which is designed to be inclusive of grassroots input from throughout the 9,000-square-mile National Heritage Area.

Read more

Watershed Organizations Meet

Watersheds United Vermont (WUV) and the LCBP combined forces again this fall to host a productive gathering of watershed groups. Nearly 50 attendees from New York and Vermont watersheds in the region compared notes, shared success stories, and networked on the Burlington waterfront.

After a welcome by LCBP Director Eric Howe, morning sessions highlighted collaborative water quality efforts focused on roads, stormwater, and agricultural issues. In the afternoon, Rose Paul and Dan Farrell of the Vermont Chapter of The Nature Conservancy presented the Water Quality Blueprint, a new analysis designed help guide protection and restoration actions in the Vermont portion of the Lake Champlain Basin with the aim of using natural infrastructure to improve water quality in Lake Champlain. Consultant Autumn Barnett facilitated a hands-on session for organizations to identify key areas for success in working with or serving on a successful nonprofit board.

Local watershed organizations are where the rubber meets the road in efforts to improve water quality and ecosystem integrity in the Basin. They conduct important on-the-ground work that includes monitoring water quality; watershed planning; cleaning up rivers, streams, and lakes; restoring fish habitat; and working with landowners to improve water quality. These organizations are often the most familiar with local conditions, and their continued communication with the LCBP about emerging issues and priorities is essential.

Many of these organizations rely on volunteer and member support. To learn more about organizations in your area, visit our Watershed Groups page. >>

The Ausable River Association presented a summary of a culvert replacement on Otis Brook. The new structure replaced a perched culvert that impeded the passage of aquatic organisms.

How do you Mālama Honua?

The Hokulea has sailed thousands of miles, connecting with local communities along the way.

The question, posed by the Polynesian Voyaging Society, translates roughly to “How do you care for our Island Earth?” The Hōkūleʻa, a traditional Polynesian voyaging canoe that is circumnavigating the globe to discover how communities around the world are caring for the environment, stopped for several days at the Westport Marina on Lake Champlain in September. Here, they shared their vision of a sustainable future and learned how local residents and organizations—including the LCBP— mālama honua.

Unexpected mechanical problems with its towing vessel provided the crew an opportunity to explore the watershed and connect with locals. LCBP staff learned about life aboard the small water craft that has sailed across the world’s greatest oceans, while the Hōkūleʻa crew learned about pressing environmental issues in the Basin and made connections between the LCBP’s work and similar efforts near their home base in Hawaii.

The crew noted the extraordinary opportunities that watersheds present to integrate multiple subject areas into classroom curriculum, and the parallels between the Champlain Basin Education Initiative and the Three Mountain Alliance, the largest watershed partnership in Hawaii. This connection is particularly timely, as several teachers from Hawaii currently are participating in CBEI’s Watershed for Every Classroom (WEC) program.

Read more about the Hōkūleʻa’s Classroom Connections with the Lake Champlain Watershed

Teachers Explored North Lake

Teachers learn about the benefits of rotational grazing to soil health.

Participants from CBEI’s Watershed for Every Classroom completed days 6-7 of their 11-day course in October. Teachers shared their work, explored the Missisquoi Wildlife Refuge, then visited Choiniere Family Farm in Highgate and Borderview Farm in Alburgh, VT to explore the science of healthy soils and agriculture. On the second day, they focused on shoreline stabilization attributes in North Hero on assessment and evaluation of place based learning.

A Watershed for Every Classroom (WEC) is a year-long professional development experience for educators, coordinated by CBEI. It offers teachers inspiration, knowledge and skills to frame exciting watershed education.

Learn more about WEC

Grant Results

Since 1992, the LCBP has awarded more than $7.3 million through more than 1,000 grants to local organizations. These grants support a variety of pollution prevention, habitat restoration, and other projects that address the goals and priorities of the Lake Champlain Steering Committee as outlined in the Lake Champlain management plan Opportunities for Action. A sample of recently completed projects include:

Aquatic Yellow Iris Removal and Spread Prevention Plan for Four Lake Champlain Tributaries
The Lewis Creek Association hired a consultant to characterize the infestation of the yellow iris and better understand its behavior within specific natural communities, map the infestation, test control methods, and implement early detection-rapid response treatment. The project was conducted within the lake-influenced floodplain of four Lake Champlain tributaries: the LaPlatte River, Thorp and Kimball Brooks, and Lewis Creek. Light availability was found to be the biggest predictor of iris density, while competing vegetation plays a role as well. Stands of varying sizes found within different communities were subjected to a range of control practices. Manual removal proved effective under certain circumstances; hand and mechanical cutting were tested as a temporary measure to limit seed production. Untreated stands on average doubled in size from September 2015 to June 2016. Fall herbicide application with a glyphosate formulation yielded 100% control to-date. Early detection-rapid response proved appropriate and effective for the Thorp and Kimball watersheds. Both LaPlatte and Lewis Creek watersheds have yellow iris densities that require a more complex approach that requires consensus that is yet to be achieved. Grant Category: Aquatic Invasive Species Spread Prevention

Boquet River Stream Restoration Project
The Essex County Soil & Water Conservation District completed a stream restoration project on the Boquet River North Branch. The project site had been heavily damaged during storm events between 2010 and 2013. The stream bank was badly eroded and filled with woody debris that caused the stream to overflow onto adjacent farmlands, potentially creating a bypass overflow that could cut off nearly 1,000 feet of channel length and destabilize the channel. Head cuts created by the destabilized channel could send many additional tons of eroded sediment into Lake Champlain. The project removed woody debris and rock deposits from the channel to reduce potential flooding and scour of farmland, and stabilized more than 100 feet of streambank with woody debris and rock to protect the bank and create fish habitat. Grant Category: Pollution Prevention

Let it Rain: Soak it for Schools
The Winooski Natural Resources Conservation District (WNRCD) compiled resources from throughout the United States and beyond to develop the Soak it for Schools program. This collection of lessons was selected based on creative approaches to bringing stormwater issues to school-aged youth. The six lessons focus on providing basic information about the water cycle and how to mitigate stormwater on site. The program showcases diverse, easily-adaptable lesson plans that can be tailored to Vermont conditions. The toolkit was developed in direct response to the need to foster awareness in youth and to increase the stormwater mitigation practices installed on school grounds. WNRCD used the lessons to provide stormwater education to students in more than 23 school groups and at numerous public events. WNRCD worked with students and teachers to implement knowledge gained from lessons on separately funded stormwater mitigation projects at schools in Middlesex and Colchester. Grant Category: Education & Outreach

Yellow Iris control in the Lewis Creek floodplain forest; site of Boquet River streambank restoration; WNRCD staff educating students about stormwater Photos: Lewis Creek Association, Essex County SWCD, and Winooski NRCD.

LCBP’s current round of small grants is still open for two categories:  Pollution Prevention & Habitat Conservation and for Aquatic Invasive Species Spread Prevention. Proposals for these projects are due to LCBP by December 15, 2016. For more information, please visit the LCBP Grants and RFPs web page. >>

Research Results

Each year, the LCBP funds several research projects that help to improve the understanding and management of the watershed. These projects include scientific research, best management demonstration projects, education and outreach efforts, and other initiatives that are key to implementing Opportunities for Action and improving the Lake Champlain ecosystem.

The LCBP currently seeks proposals for projects that will help to reduce pollution in the Lake Champlain watershed:

Best Management Practices for Pollution Reduction: Implementation and Planning Grants
Projects funded through this grant opportunity will develop and install large Best Management Practices for pollution reduction in the US-portion of the Lake Champlain watershed, and provide planning and prioritization strategies for future on-the-ground interventions.

Alternative & Innovative Tributary Phosphorus Load Reduction Projects from Agricultural Sources in the St. Albans Bay Watershed
These funds will support alternative and innovative projects to address phosphorus load reduction priorities in the St. Albans Bay watershed.

Both RFPs close on January 5th, 2017. For more information about these RFPs and projects supported in the past, please visit the LCBP Grants and RFPs web page. >>

Upcoming Events

Vermont Farm Show
January 31 and February 1-2, Champlain Valley Expo, Essex Junction, VT
Come visit the LCBP table while browsing the equipment, machinery, food samplings and other agricultural products. Learn more >>

Champlain Basin Education Initiative Workshop
March 18, 2017, Location TBD
State of the Lake: Issues, Action & Creative Use of Technology
Stay tuned for more information.

World Water Day
March 22, 2017, ECHO, Leahy Center for Lake Champlain
In honor of World Water Day, schools can help the Champlain Basin Education Initiative celebrate the water around us by entering original photos, writing, art, and/or videography into our contest. The subject of your entry must be water issues related to Lake Champlain, other U.S. and world lakes, ponds, rivers, icicles, oceans or other inspirational water resources. Entries will be displayed during our celebration at ECHO, Leahy Center for Lake Champlain on the Burlington waterfront.
Learn more >>

Annual Nonpoint Source Pollution Conference
April 12-13, 2017, Northampton, MA
The NPS Conference is the premier forum in the region for sharing information and improving communication on NPS pollution issues and projects. The conference brings together all those in New England and New York State involved in NPS pollution management, including participants from state, federal, and municipal governments, private sector, academia, and watershed organizations.
Learn more >>

LCBP Meetings
Technical Advisory Committee
December 7, 2016, Grand Isle, VT
Staff Contact: Matt Vaughan, (802) 372-3213

Lake Champlain Steering Committee
December 14, 2016, Essex, VT
Staff Contact: Kathy Jarvis, (802) 372-3213.

Technical Advisory Committee
January 4, 2017, Grand Isle, VT
Staff Contact: Matt Vaughan, (802) 372-3213

Lake Champlain Executive Committee
January 18, 2017, Grand Isle, VT
Staff Contact: Kathy Jarvis, (802) 372-3213.

Technical Advisory Committee
February 1, 2017, Grand Isle, VT
Staff Contact: Matt Vaughan, (802) 372-3213

Lake Champlain Executive Committee
February 7, 2017, Grand Isle, VT
Staff Contact: Kathy Jarvis, (802) 372-3213.

Lake Champlain Steering Committee
February 15-16, 2017, Location TBD, NY
Staff Contact: Kathy Jarvis, (802) 372-3213.