Letter from the Director

It is hard to believe that LCBP staff have been teleworking remotely for more than a year. I am very proud of the amazing work that our staff and LCBP as an organization has accomplished during this time:  supporting our watershed partners in the early days of the pandemic, pivoting many of our outreach and field-based grants to adhere to COVID-safe protocols, offering training for video development and grant writing, awarding $2 million in grants to protect the lake and interpret the cultural history of the region, and of course, the development of our next State of the Lake report, which will be published in June.

LCBP continues to benefit from the support of our congressional delegation and the strengths of our partnerships across the region. Per the now ubiquitous phrase “due to COVID”, LCBP has made many adjustments to our operations, and in many cases some of these adjustments were overdue.  Virtual meeting platforms are here to stay, even when we can safely resume in-person meetings that many of us miss. “Hybrid” meeting options will allow for greater participation and engagement with partners and stakeholders who are not able to travel to in-person meetings. Such changes will allow more voices to be heard and shared to communicate concerns and ideas about improving the health of our lake and the Basin.

I am excited to share all the new work that is highlighted in this newsletter, but I am particularly thrilled to introduce Katie Darr, our new Citizen Advisory Committee coordinator. Check out Katie’s bio below to learn more about her and what she will be working on.

Summer is coming. Have you made your plans yet to get out and enjoy the lakes of our basin?

Eric Howe, Director

Lake Champlain Basin Program

Champlain Valley National Heritage Partnership

LCBP Welcomes Katie Darr

The LCBP welcomed Katie Darr to the team as the Citizen Advisory Committee Coordinator in early February. In this new role, Katie drives community collaboration and serves as a liaison between the New York, Vermont, and Quebec CACs, LCBP, State-level departments and agencies, and stakeholder groups. Katie is an interdisciplinary social scientist with a focus on collaborative natural resource management. She is invested in work that empowers communities and fosters environmental stewardship to support a healthy environment, economy, and community. Katie looks forward to amplifying community voices in pursuit of holistic watershed management.

Before joining the LCBP, Katie completed a Sea Grant Knauss Fellowship with NOAA's Marine Protected Areas Center in the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries. She earned a B.A. in Biology and Environmental Studies from Wesleyan University and an M.S. in Marine Resource Management from Oregon State University. She also holds a professional certificate in Sustainable Tourism Destination Management from The George Washington University. In her free time, Katie enjoys birdwatching, block printing, and embarking on culinary adventures.

LCBP Awards $2.6 Million to Local Groups and Municipalities

The Lake Champlain Committee used a 2020 grant to study the impact of zebra mussels on native mussels. Photo: LCC

The LCBP awarded more than $2.6 million in grants to communities and organizations in New York, Québec, and Vermont this winter. The 98 grants awarded will support projects across several programs, including Pollution Prevention & Habitat Conservation, Aquatic Invasive Species Spread Prevention, Enhanced Best Management Practices, Education and Outreach, and Cultural Heritage.

The grants are supported by funds awarded to NEIWPCC on behalf of the Lake Champlain Basin Program by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Great Lakes Fishery Commission, and the National Park Service.

Read more

Invasive Zebra Mussels Found in "Moss Balls"

Photo: USGS

Invasive zebra mussels have been found in "moss balls,” an aquarium plant product sold at aquarium and pet supply stores. The New York and Vermont State Departments of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and other agencies are urging pet and aquarium stores and consumers to immediately remove and properly dispose of the balls.

A moss ball is a species of green algae that is formed into a ball and is 2 to 5 inches in diameter. Moss balls are purchased for home aquariums are found in pet stores nationwide. Aquatic invasive species managers are concerned that live mussels released into a storm drain or flushed could be introduced into a waterway.

Moss balls must be destroyed and disposed of in a sealed container in the trash. You can destroy the moss ball by freezing for 24 hours, boiling for 1 full minute, or submerging in bleach (1/3 cup per gallon of water) or vinegar (undiluted) for 20 minutes. Never dispose down a storm drain where it could enter a local waterbody.

Zebra mussels are regarded as one of the most destructive invasive species in North America. They can quickly take over once they get established in a waterbody and cause significant damage including disrupting the food chain, changing the chemistry of the water (which can cause more blue green algae outbreaks or offensive taste), and clogging water intake and delivery systems.

Read more from NYSDEC
Read more from VTANR

News from the Citizens Advisory Committees

The Vermont Citizens Advisory Committee (VTCAC) has released the 2021 Lake Champlain Action Plan. Through the annual Action Plan, the VTCAC highlights priority issues and actions for the State Legislature to take to foster a resilient and thriving Lake Champlain ecosystem capable of supporting Vermont’s diverse landscape and people. Priority areas in the 2021 Action Plan include investment in natural and developed infrastructure, investment in public access and the recreation economy, aquatic invasive species prevention, investment in the agricultural transition to sustainability, consolidation of water quality enforcement, and next generation toxic pollution.

During the week of March 22nd, VTCAC members met with several committees of the Vermont Legislature to present the Action Plan and review the CAC perspectives and recommendations on several lake issues.

The CAC meetings provide a forum for citizens, interest groups, and local governments to discuss Lake issues. The VTCAC and NYCAC meetings are open to the public. You are welcome to attend, learn about challenges and opportunities facing the Lake, and provide comments. Email Katie Darr to be added to the VTCAC or the NYCAC public notice listserv to be alerted of all upcoming meetings and CAC information.

International Joint Commission Update

Damage to the Keene, NY firehouse after Tropical Storm Irene, August 2011. Photo: LCBP

The International Lake Champlain - Richelieu River (LCRR) Study Board continues its work to research and make recommendations concerning flood mitigation and adaptation strategies. The Study Board is expected to make recommendations on those measures to the International Joint Commission (IJC) in spring 2022.

In November, December, and January, the LCRR Study held eight virtual informational sessions focused on technical aspects of their work. Sessions about how floods are forecasted and how climate change could affect flooding in the future allowed the public to learn more about these issues. The recorded webinars are available in English (https://ijc.org/en/lcrr/videos) and French (https://ijc.org/fr/lcrr/videos). This spring, the Study is expected to release major reports on topics including the range of structural solutions for flood mitigation that were analyzed, and the potential for reducing water levels during floods by enhancing wetlands.

The LCBP supports the IJC flood study by providing administrative support and coordination of technical workshops, data acquisition, and public outreach, and through an LCBP staff member who serves as the U.S. Study Manager. The LCBP also supports the work of the U.S. Outreach Coordinator for the Study with IJC funding.

Education and Outreach Highlights

World Water Day
The Champlain Basin Education Initiative (CBEI) hosted the Lake Champlain Celebration of World Water Day on March 23rd. We couldn’t meet to celebrate the student work in person, but 22 classrooms and  more than 220 students and adults participated in the on-line event. The CBEI partners were truly impressed with the dedication of so many teachers willing to creatively undertake one more project during the pandemic. Their dedicated efforts are a testament to coaching the next generation of stewards who are caring for Lake Champlain.

Hunt Middle School in Burlington, VT engineered an urban landscape made of buildings, roads, and open spaces that will keep polluted runoff out of a clean lake. Photo: HMS

Read more about World Water Day 2021

Raise the Blade
The Raise the Blade Partners are gearing up for the grass growing season by encouraging homeowners, municipal parks, and businesses to Raise the Blade on their lawnmowers to three inches or higher. This one small step (and letting the clippings lie) allows the soil to build up important nutrients, becoming healthier and growing longer roots that help hold rainwater on site instead of flowing into nearby streams. It costs nothing and sets a good example for your neighbors.

If your community group or business association would like to learn why this is so important to Lake Champlain’s health, please be in touch. We would be happy to exhibit our materials at your summer event, following COVID rules. We also will be offering a chance to win an electric mulching mower again this summer, so check back to our website in April for details!

For more information about this unique partnership, visit lawntolake.org 

Marine Workshop
On April 2nd, marina managers from around Lake Champlain will gather virtually for an annual meeting to share information and get updates from the Coast Guard, and federal, state and nonprofit partners. The meeting helps operators stay apprised of industry trends and current conditions around the Lake. Participants will learn about the VTDEC three-acre stormwater rule, the US-Canada border crossing status, updates to aids-to-navigation, aquatic invasive species and AIS decontamination stations, the pump-out app, Clean Vessel Act Funding, and the results of the Lake Champlain Sea Grant 2019 boater behavior survey. Marinas are an integral part of Lake Champlain’s economy. The annual event is hosted by Vermont Boat and Marine Association, Lake Champlain Sea Grant-UVM Extension, and the LCBP. Marina operators from New York, Quebec, and Vermont are invited to attend. For more information, contact Colleen Hickey at chickey@lcbp.org.

Love the Lake
LCBP’s annual Love the Lake speaker series kicked off COVID-style in a virtual meeting format on March 25 with Bridget Butler. The Bird Diva gave a presentation on Birding & Wellness: Loving the Lake is Good for You. Due to the plethora of amazing Zoom offerings this year, we are spreading out Love the Lake as monthly programming through June! Stay tuned for details.

We are not together in person this season, but we’re not leaving the dessert craving unfilled! Participants at each program are being entered into a dessert drawing. The winner picks from a list of 10 cakes, pies, bars, or cookies. We will either mail it, or you can pick it up at our office! The winner will be notified, and we’ll make arrangements!

Resource Room

Kids enjoy the Big Lake Explorer Kit at the LCBP Resource Room. Photo: LCBP

The LCBP Resource Room at ECHO, Leahy Center for Lake Champlain has remained open through most of the COVID-19 pandemic with strict safety protocols and limits on capacity. Opportunities to connect, explore, and learn have been especially appreciated by visitors this year! Popular pandemic-era topics include lake-friendly lawn and garden care, recreation, and wildlife watching. There are also many stories of resilience to share, including the ongoing work of watershed protection, and the centennial of women’s suffrage in the United States.

Inspired by ECHO’s special exhibit “Measurement Rules,” the Resource Room is featuring a Lake Explorer Kit filled with hands-on science tools. Visitors can also try a world lakes comparison game, learn about lake monitoring, and discover amazing Lake and Basin facts.

Learn more about the LCBP Resource Room

New Publications and Outreach Materials

• The LCBP launched the New Year with the launch of our new website! The new site is structured around the four goals of Opportunities for Action: clean water, healthy ecosystems, thriving communities, and an informed and involved public.  Look for a new science blog and press/media resources page on the site soon.
  Check out the new LCBP website
• The LCBP Report of Activities Summary for FY2020 has been released. The summary includes highlights of staff work, local implementation grants, and larger technical and programmatic projects that were active between October 1, 2019 and September 30, 2020. The full Report of Activities will be ready in mid-April.
  Read the FY2020 Report of Activities Summary
• The 2021 State of the Lake and Ecosystem Indicators Report will be released this summer. With help from dozens of partners, LCBP staff are currently finalizing content for the new report. A virtual event is planned for the release of a digital version of the report in June. Hard copies will be available later in the summer.
  Read the 2018 State of the Lake Report
• The CVNHP has published the second edition of its e-newsletter the Champlain Valley Heritage Times. The March 2021 edition features several projects that commemorate the centennial of the 19th amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which granted women the right to vote.
  Read the e-news

School Program and Outreach Season to Begin Soon
Education programs and outreach events will continue to look different this year as a result of the COVID pandemic, but we plan to be out there as much as we can. If you would like to have us deliver a program for your school or organization (in person or remotely) or have an event planned where we might set up an information table, please contact Colleen Hickey at chickey@lcbp.org. Staff will also be travelling with woman suffrage exhibits to continue the celebration of the 19th amendment.

Local Implementation Grant Highlights

The LCBP has awarded more than $13.5 million through 1,400 small grants to local organizations since 1992. These grants support pollution prevention, habitat restoration, and other projects to improve the water quality and health of the Lake Champlain ecosystem. A sample of recently completed projects include:

Engaging students and volunteers in waterway stewardship
The Northern Forest Canoe Trail recruited and trained a team of student interns in waterway stewardship techniques. In partnership with landowners and municipalities, the crew worked for four weeks with community volunteers to complete priority projects that improved public access, protected water quality, and reduced the environmental impacts. Improvements were completed to the Separator Rapids Carry, the High Falls Campsite, and the McCasland Bridge Carry along the Saranac River. Along the Lamoille, access stairs and a kiosk were added to the Old Talc Mill and Homes Meadows Angler Access areas. Finally, the crew rebuilt a set of stone access in Richford’s Davis Park on the Missisquoi River.
Grant Category: Education and Outreach

Culvert Replacement
The Ausable River Association used a climate-ready culvert design to replace an undersized and failing culvert over the Otis Brook in Jay, NY. The new culvert allows fish and other aquatic organisms to pass through more easily, connecting more than five miles of important cold-water habitat. It also improves water quality by reducing erosion, improves flood resilience, and eliminates frequent and costly maintenance. It did not take long for the project’s impact to be seen. On the day the restored stream bed was laid with native cobble, a contractor watched a six-inch brook trout swim upstream.
Grant Category: Pollution Prevention and Habitat Conservation

CSO Reduction
The Greater Burlington YCMA contracted with Watershed Consulting Associates to install four underground vaults to capture runoff from the property and reduce discharge to the combined sewer during wet weather. The system slowly releases water in the 24 hours following a storm. In the eight months monitored in 2020, wet weather discharges were reduced by 70% during 50 wet weather events. This project will also help to educate visitors to the YMCA by displaying real-time stormwater data and analysis to a public dashboard in the YMCA lobby, highlighting the challenges of managing stormwater runoff.
Grant Category: Enhanced Best Management Practices

Invasive Plant Management Initiative
The Lincoln Pond Association in Elizabethtown, NY developed a comprehensive management plan for aquatic invasive species. The project included a detailed survey of aquatic plants, the development of the plan and the implementation of a targeted education and outreach effort. They developed new rack cards and pamphlets and installed four outdoor literature boxes at boat access points. The project also included instruction at the local high school about AIS, including a field trip to ECHO, Leahy Center for Lake Champlain in Burlington, Vermont. Volunteers were trained in field data collection and the program was incorporated into the APA/APIPP Lake Tracker Management initiative to monitor the effectiveness of the management plan.
Grant Category: AIS Spread Prevention

Clockwise from top left: Northern Forest Canoe Trail, Ausable River Association, Greater Burlington YMCA, Lincoln Pond Association.

Research and Implementation Projects

Each year, the LCBP funds several research projects that help to improve the understanding and inform 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.

Hydrodynamic Modeling Report

The LCBP and Lake Champlain Sea Grant have collaborated to publish a new report summarizing hydrodynamic modeling research done on Lake Champlain. The report, published as LCBP Technical Report No. 98: Hydrodynamic Modeling in Lake Champlain: Current Resources, Major Gaps provides an overview of computer modeling that simulates processes and movements in the lake. The report notes that hydrodynamic models have improved the understanding of lake dynamics, but further efforts are needed to increase the accuracy of the models and to serve natural resource managers’ and policy-makers’ science-based information needs.
Read the report

Upcoming Events

LCBP Committee Meetings

LCBP Technical Advisory Committe, April 7, 2021. Staff contact: Matthew Vaughan.

Lake Champlain Steering Committee, April 13-14, 2021. Webinar format. Staff contact: Kathy Jarvis

LCBP Technical Advisory Committe, May 5, 2021. Staff contact: Matthew Vaughan.

LCBP Executive Committee, May 12, 2021. Webinar format. Staff contact: Kathy Jarvis

Lake Champlain Steering Committee Summit, June 2, 2021. Webinar format. Staff contact: Kathy Jarvis

LCBP Technical Advisory Committee, June 2, 2021. Staff contact: Matthew Vaughan​.

Love the Lake
April-June 2021, dates TBD
Join us for virtual presentations of lake-focused topics. Attendees will be entered into a raffle each evening to receive a homemade dessert baked by the LCBP’s Colleen Hickey. Look for details on our website and Facebook.

31st Annual Nonpoint Source Pollution Conference

May 20, 25, & 27, 2021. Webinar format.

A Virtual Watershed Moment

Since 1990, NEIWPCC, in partnership with its member states, has been coordinating the Annual Nonpoint Source (NPS) Pollution Conference, the premier forum in the northeast for sharing information and improving communication on NPS pollution issues and projects. Faced with apparent obstacles to in-person meetings, our drive to collaborate and share has not wavered. While we will miss seeing you all in-person, the safety of the NPS community is paramount. As we have for 30 years, we will continue to provide the NPS community with an engaging forum for networking, demonstration, and coordination.

Visit the NPS Pollution conference page

CVNHP International Summit
September 18-19, Saranac Lake, NY
The International Summit is an integral part of the CVNHP work planning/budgeting process. Outcomes from the meeting help shape workplan items for consideration of the LCBP Steering Committee, which is the managing entity of the national heritage area. 
 

Lake Champlain Research Symposium
January 10-11, 2022
Save the dates for the next Lake Champlain Research Conference! The focus of the conference will be Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the Clean Water Act. Proposals for session topics are being accepted through April 16, 2021.
Visit the LCRC conference page