The sites displayed on the Biological Monitoring Sites Map [48 KB] and the Chemical and Physical Monitoring Sites Map [48 KB] are the sampling stations for the LCBP-funded Long-Term Water Quality and Biological Monitoring Program, conducted jointly by the Vermont and New York State Departments of Environmental Conservation. In addition to these sites, the program also collects water samples where major tributary rivers enter the Lake.

At each Lake sampling station, biologists measure water temperature and clarity, the amount of dissolved oxygen in the water, and other physical parameters. Water samples are also collected for analysis in the laboratory. These samples are analyzed for concentrations of nutrients, such as phosphorus, and several other dissolved materials. Chlorophyll measurements allow scientists to estimate the abundance of algae in the water. Biologists use special nets to collect small plants and animals that live in the water, called phytoplankton and zooplankton, and samples of mysid shrimp are also collected. A Zebra Mussel Monitoring Program by the VT DEC monitors zebra mussels, both free-floating juveniles and adults attached to hard surfaces.

Collecting physical, chemical and biological monitoring data is the key to developing a basic understanding of the Lake Champlain ecosystem. Scientists and managers use the data to determine the status of water quality in the Lake and rivers, document environmental change from human activities, track effectiveness of management programs, and guide the development of new management actions.

In addition to the Long-Term Monitoring Program, citizens from Vermont and New York collect water clarity, chlorophyll-a, and phosphorus data for the Lake Champlain Lay Monitoring Program. Since 1979, the Vermont Lay Monitoring Program has trained and equipped citizen volunteers to conduct water quality sampling on Lake Champlain and in 80 other Vermont lakes. The states of Vermont and New York and local watershed and lake associations also conduct biological and chemical monitoring in streams and lakes in the Basin.

• Long-Term Water Quality and Biological Monitoring Project for Lake Champlain (VT DEC)
• VT DEC Lakes and Pond Monitoring Pages
• Vermont Lay Monitoring Program (VT DEC)
• Long-Term Water Quality and Biological Monitoring Project report for 1992-2003 (PDF on VT DEC Website, 138 KB)
• Zebra Mussel Monitoring
• Long-Term Water Quality and Biological Monitoring Project for Lake Champlain. Cumulative Report for Project Years 1992- 1996. LCBP Technical Report #26, 1998.
• Lake Champlain Lay Monitoring Report, 1979-1998: 20 Years of Citizen Monitoring. Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation. 1998.