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Casin’ the Basin E-Newsletter
November 2022 Issue No. 45 Spacer Dark Blue
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Letter from the Director

LCBP Director Eric Howe

Photo: LCBP

As we head into the Thanksgiving holiday, I’m reflecting on a few of the things for which the LCBP is grateful.

 

For one, our supportive congressional delegation. An early October event that aligned with our Québec friends’ Thanksgiving provided an opportunity for partners from across the entire watershed to thank Senator Patrick Leahy for his long-standing support of work to protect and restore Lake Champlain. The ongoing commitment from the New York and Vermont delegations representing the Lake Champlain Basin has ensured that our budget has been not only stable but has grown.

 

The LCBP team is another. The Adirondack Watershed Institute recently reported that Upper Saranac Lake was nearly isothermal (same temperature from surface to lake bottom) as a result of fall mixing, and Lake Champlain is likely not too far behind. The LCBP is also experiencing turnover. An infusion of fresh ideas, approaches, and energy brought by new staff is mixing with a deep store of knowledge and institutional memory held by seasoned, soon-departing staff and committee members. I won’t dwell on those departures now because I’m in no hurry to see them go. We’ll see them off properly in the New Year. For now, I’ll just say that we are fortunate to have the staff and committee members we do.

 

The dedication of our partners is a third. The recent passion project of MRBA president John Little exemplifies the energy and commitment of all the local watershed organizations that work tirelessly to improve their corners of the Lake Champlain Basin. They pour their hearts and souls into their work, making our communities healthier, more resilient, and more livable.

 

Enjoy the Lake,

 

Eric Howe
Director, Lake Champlain Basin Program & Champlain Valley National Heritage Partnership



Lake Champlain Partners Celebrate Senator Leahy and Clean Water Act

Senator Leahy announces the winners of the Patrick Leahy Lake Champlain Basin Photo Contest. Photo: LCBP


Steadfast was the word used many times to describe Senator Patrick Leahy at an October 8th commemoration event at ECHO, Leahy Center for Lake Champlain. Steadfast in his support of Vermonters, in his commitment to Lake Champlain, and in his love of his wife Marcelle, for whom, it was announced, the University of Vermont’s new lake research vessel will be named.

 

A full slate of watershed partners and dignitaries gathered to honor his work and commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Clean Water Act. The LCBP couldn’t be more appreciative of his longstanding support of the Program’s work and the efforts of many partners—from federal agencies to the local watershed organizations whose work on the ground is critical to achieving water quality goals.

 

We were delighted to have the Senator announce the winners of the Patrick Leahy Lake Champlain Basin Photo Contest, held to celebrate the tremendous shared love for this “Great Lake.” We received 120 entries to the contest from Vermont, New York, and Québec and awarded seven prizes, including a cruise on Lake Champlain, registration for a photography workshop, and gift cards.

 

View a gallery of photo contest entries



LCBP Welcomes New Staff

The LCBP welcomed several new staff members this fall!

 

Kerry Crowningshield

 

Kerry Crowningshield joined us as Office Manager. Kerry provides administrative support to staff and ensures smooth office operations. A native of the Adirondacks, Kerry has worked in the nonprofit community in northern New York and Vermont for over 15 years, inspiring others to explore and protect the region’s landscape and working to address food access in the North Country. She earned an A.A.S. in Fisheries and Wildlife from Paul Smith’s College, a B.S. in Animal Science from Cornell University, and a Master in Environmental Law and Policy from Vermont Law School. She spends her free time kayaking, birding, gardening, and crafting. Kerry lives in Port Kent with her menagerie of animals.

 

Corrie Miller

 

Corrie Miller is our new Aquatic Organism Passage Restoration Specialist. She works closely with LCBP partners and stakeholders to restore connectivity in aquatic systems through project planning and implementation and education and engagement. Corrie has worked to advance conservation in Vermont and New York for over 15 years at Smokey House Center, the Staying Connected Initiative, as the Director of the Ausable River Association in New York, and more recently as the Director of Friends of the Mad River in Vermont. Corrie holds an undergraduate biology degree from Vanderbilt University, a certificate of Environmental Education from University of Minnesota, and a Master of Science degree from University of Vermont's Field Naturalist Program. In her free time, you’ll find Corrie in her kitchen experimenting with all things sourdough, at a live concert, rambling in the woods—sometimes on skis, or paddling lakes and wetlands. Corrie lives in Fayston, VT, and serves on the Conservation Commission.

 

Bridget Butler

 

Bridget Butler joined the team as Communications and Publications Associate. She will help maintain LCBP websites and produce education and outreach materials. Bridget, also known locally as “The Bird Diva”, has been working in conservation and environmental education for more than 25 years throughout New England. Her small business, Bird Diva Consulting, provides presentations, outings, and online courses for folks interested in exploring their connection with birds. Bridget is a certified Kripalu Mindfulness Outdoor Guide, and has worked for the Audubon Society in Vermont, Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts. Formerly part of the education staff at The Leahy Center for Lake Champlain, Bridget served as a conservation education specialist focused on community building around water quality issues. Bridget lives in St. Albans, Vermont with her husband and three kids.

 

We'll be adding one more staff member soon! We are currently hiring for a Grants Manager.



LCBP and CVNHP Celebrate Clean Water Act 50th Anniversary

Photo: Vince Franke, Peregrine Productions


The LCBP and Champlain Valley National Heritage Partnership continued the commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Clean Water Act through the summer and fall.

 

The center piece of the commemoration was a set of six displays that traveled throughout the Champlain Valley. The CVNHP exhibit, which interprets the Act and its significance, is available to municipalities and organizations to host through the end of the year. Visitors can win a commemorative coin by answering a short quiz based on the exhibit.

 

The CVNHP supported several other on-going interpretive projects, including an updated “Called by the Water” display at the Lake George Historical Association Museum, new and updated interpretive signage in Ticonderoga and Cambridge, NY, and in Beloeil, Quebec, and “The Clean Water Act at 50” exhibit at Lake Champlain Maritime Museum.

 

The LCBP capped off the commemoration with a series of short videos to highlight the impact of the Act in the Lake Champlain Basin during the week of the October 18th anniversary.

 

Learn more about Clean Water Act commemoration activities



Round Goby Passage by Canal Unlikely in 2022

Round goby

Photo: USFWS


The New York State Canal Corporation closed the Champlain Canal to recreational traffic for the season on October 12th. And with that, the threat of invasive round goby traversing the canal to reach Lake Champlain appears to have been averted this year.

 

Monitoring efforts by state and federal agencies has continued through the fall. Electrofishing on the canal by USGS, NYSDEC and NYSCC did not detect any goby, and DNA sampling by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Québec Ministry of Forests, Wildlife and Parks has not revealed evidence of the fish in the canal, Lake Champlain, Lake George, and Richelieu River above the St. Ours dam in 2022.

 

The Lake Champlain Basin Aquatic Invasive Species Rapid Response Task Force continues to assess the conditions and plan for the 2023 season, including ongoing outreach efforts. NYSDEC has printed round goby watch cards and informational brochures. Signs to warn anglers of the threat of introduction through bait buckets will be ready for distribution in the spring. Reports of round goby may be made through iMap Invasives in New York and Vermont.

 

Learn more about the round goby



Clean Water Commitment Website Bites off Phosphorus TMDL

Clean Water Commitment Home Page

We’re excited to launch Clean Water Commitment, a new website focused on the Lake Champlain phosphorus Total Maximum Daily Load. That’s quite a mouthful, so this site was developed to provide easily digestible, bite-sized nuggets to answer the questions What is phosphorus? What is the TMDL? What is being done? The site hosts several animations and a dozen videos that answer these questions.

 

Visit Clean Water Commitment



Education and Outreach Efforts Ramp Up Again

LCBP outreach on Burlington Waterfront

The LCBP Education and Outreach team was back out at events, including the International Antique Boat Show, this summer and fall. Photo: LCBP


The LCBP Education and Outreach team was busy again this summer and fall as programming and events returned to more normal levels with the transition out of Covid pandemic restrictions.

  • The LCBP Resource Room at ECHO, Leahy Center for Lake Champlain welcomed 9,000 guests in the three months leading up to the Thanksgiving holiday. They had more than 200 visitors on many days and again welcomed classes from the University of Vermont.
  • LCBP staff presented 20 middle school watershed programs in St. Albans, Vermont, and eight in Clinton County, New York, schools this fall.
  • Another busy season for the Raise the Blade campaign culminated with the award of an electric lawnmower to raffle winners from Chazy, New York, who had seen Raise the Blade signs on buses in Plattsburgh, NY and raised their lawn mowers to three inches to improve soil health and the health of Lake Champlain.

We expect the Love the Lake speaker series to return to its in-person format this winter after several years off due to Covid. Mark your calendars for Thursday,  February 16 and 23rd, and March 2nd and 9th. We're seeking a few new speakers to add to our mix. Suggestions are welcome!

 

We’re looking forward to continuing to get back out into communities in the Basin! To learn more about our education offerings, contact Colleen Hickey at chickey@lcbp.org.



Stream Wise Celebrates Pilot Year Success

Photos: Friends of the Mad River, Ausable River Association


This summer Friends of the Winooski River (FWR) and the Ausable River Association (AsRA) assessed 15 properties using the pilot Stream Wise Riparian Buffer Assessment Protocol and awarded 10 landowners with the Stream Wise Award! Both organizations already have waiting lists for assessments in 2023.

 

Stream Wise is a new initiative that informs and engages streamside landowners in protecting and planting native vegetated buffers on their properties to increase stream health, wildlife habitats, and flood resiliency in their local communities.

 

Landowner Scottie Harrison (Great Brook, Plainfield, VT), who had healthy stream buffers on her property, said she learned a lot from the Stream Wise Report. “I’ve been concerned about the trees that fall into the river, and reading in the report that those trees actually provide good habitat made me think of them in a new way.”

 

Learn more about Stream Wise and how you can be awarded for caring for your property



Missisquoi River Basin Association Has Permanent Home

MRBA's new office will feature unique light fixtures. John Little is a unique fixture on the Missisquoi River. Photos: MRBA, LCBP


The Missisquoi River Basin Association (MRBA) has rented office space in a spartan brick building with no heat on the banks of the Missisquoi River in Berkshire, Vermont, for several years. The building, which was recently purchased by MRBA president John Little, will soon be the organization's permanent home.

 

John, a retired Richford high school teacher, has enlisted former students and other local supporters to help with construction. The building will include an apartment for visiting AmeriCorps volunteers and a very unique chandelier. And it will have heat!

 

The MRBA celebrated its 25th anniversary this year. In those 25 years, they have planted 25,000 trees in riparian areas, removed Japanese knotweed along streambanks, sampled water quality, educated scores of students through their BugWorks program, and met with hundreds of landowners who are making a difference in the river's health. The organization and John were also instrumental in the Upper Missisquoi and Trout Rivers Wild and Scenic designation.

 

Read more about the renovation in the Saint Albans Messenger

 

John's work is representative of the dedication of employees and volunteers with watershed organizations throughout the Lake Champlain Basin. We encourage you to reach out to an organization near you and get involved.

 

Find a watershed organization near you



IJC Flood Study Final Report Released

Flooded road during spring 2011 floods of Lake Champlain.

Heavy spring rains and melting snow flooded many low-lying areas around Lake Champlain in Spring 2011. Photo: LCBP


The International Joint Commission's (IJC) Lake Champlain - Richelieu River (LCRR) Study Board released in August its final report from their five-year investigation into ways to reduce damages from future floods in the LCRR basin. An accompanying highlights report and informational video summarize findings and recommendations from the report, which cover four key themes:

  1. Reduction in water levels via structural mitigation measures
  2. The effects of existing wetlands on impeding flows during floods in the basin and the potential effects of increasing wetland area
  3. Enhancements to flood forecasting and flood response in the basin
  4. Floodplain management best practices and lessons learned in other watersheds

The IJC will provide the finalized report to the governments of the US and Canada in December. The governments may then work with the States of New York and Vermont and Province of Quebec to implement any Study recommendations.

 

Learn more about the International Lake Champlain - Richelieu River (LCRR) Study Board and the LCBP’s role

 



LCBP Seeks Input on DEI Efforts

The LCBP seeks public comments on criteria used in a proposed definition of “disadvantaged community” that will help prioritize projects and programs for LCBP funding.

 

The LCBP is collaborating with partners to develop a definition that includes several socioeconomic criteria. The definition will be used with other scientific and resource management criteria during the LCBP’s grant review process to evaluate the applicability of proposals to the goals and objectives of Opportunities for Action, the LCBP's plan for managing the Lake Champlain watershed.

 

The proposed definition will be submitted to the EPA for preliminary approval by the end of the year. A map of communities will be developed and another comment period will be opened before final approval by summer 2023.

 

Learn more about the disadvantaged community definition and submit a comment



LCBP Events & Activities

Grant RFPs Released


The LCBP has released RFPs for several grant categories this month. We seek proposals for projects that support local watershed groups and provide opportunities for informing and involving the public in Lake Champlain outreach initiatives. The Program anticipates awarding up to $750,000 to local organizations, municipalities, and educational institutions through four grant categories.

  • Organizational Support grants (up to $20,000 per award)
  • Education and Outreach Implementation grants (up to $15,000 per award)
  • Large Education and Outreach Implementation grants (up to $50,000 per award)
  • Stream Wise Participation grants (up to 15,000 per award)

 

Learn more about LCBP grants and apply

 



Grant Highlights

Photo credits (clockwise from top left): Stone Environmental, Watershed Consulting Associates, Tyler Merriam, FluidState Consulting


The LCBP has awarded more than $14 million through more than 1,490 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:

 

Stormwater Improvements, University of Vermont Horticultural Farm
The City of South Burlington, Vermont, contracted with Stone Environmental to develop design plans for a Stormwater Treatment Practice at the University of Vermont Horticultural Farm. The primary goal of the project was to design a system that would reduce further erosion of the ditches around the Horticultural Farm and to reduce high flows into Bartlett Brook, which is included on the State of Vermont’s impaired waters list. The project included the design of several stormwater detention ponds to hold water for irrigation at the farm, and a subsurface gravel wetland, providing water quality treatment and flow reduction for approximately 44.4 acres of drainage, including 9.1 acres of impervious cover while also providing the farm with 7 days of irrigation water storage.

 

Swanton and Highgate Lakeshore Assessment
Friends of Northern Lake Champlain contracted with Watershed Consulting Associates to identify and prioritize problem areas associated with stormwater runoff and shoreline erosion within 250 feet of Lake Champlain in the towns of Swanton and Highgate. Analysis of problems areas for volume and pollutant export served as the basis for the project ranking. The project team met with municipal officials and held public meetings to identify two projects to advance to preliminary design stages. Conceptual designs were developed to replace the failing sea wall at the Highgate town boat launch with an erosion control system with native plants. Proposed improvements in Swanton included an under-drained bioretention to the south of the Town Beach parking area and a roadside sand filter near the Maquam Shore Road/Lasnier Road intersection to treat runoff.

 

Guided Watershed Tours
The Ausable River Association expanded their 2022 Guided Watershed Tour program to include 15 tours in the Ausable, Bouquet, and Saranac River watersheds. Tours focused on wildflowers, bats and moths, birding, insects, lake and aquatic ecology, paddling, geology, edible aquatic plants, mushrooms, and night skies. Through hands-on demonstrations, participants learned about long-term water quality sampling, invasive species identification and removal, and environmental DNA sampling to identify sensitive species living in local water bodies. Several winter tours are planned.
Visit the AsRA website to learn more and register >>

 

Nutrient Measurement and Restoration Design of Mill Brook Floodplain
Vermont Land Trust (VLT) contracted with SLR Consultants to estimate the amount of sediment and phosphorus coming from a highly eroded stretch of Mill Brook at its confluence with the Winooski River in Jericho, VT and develop a plan to stabilize and restore the floodplain in this area. VLT protected the land owned by Jericho Settlers Farm with an easement in 2021 and is working to reduce severe erosion that is encroaching on the Route 117 road crossing. The plan that resulted from the analysis involves removing two areas of rock armor – one on Mill Brook and one on the Winooski – and constructing a flood bench and a ballasted engineered log jam in the reach of Mill Brook closest to the road. VLT and its partners are currently seeking funding to implement the plan.


View more LCBP project highlights



Science Blog: Floodplain Sediment and Nutrient Capture

Photos: University of Vermont


Floodplains play an important role in storing and transforming nutrients in the Lake Champlain Basin, and floodplain restoration aims to revive and enhance these important functions where they may have been limited by river corridor alteration.

 

Partners at the University of Vermont developed a study from 2019-2020 to quantify the potential role of floodplain restoration in nutrient load reductions. The three main goals of the study were to create an inventory of floodplains in the Vermont portion of the Lake Champlain Basin, document floodplain deposition of sediment and phosphorus, and develop a framework for predicting phosphorus deposition on floodplains in unmonitored areas.

 

Read the full post

 



Lake Champlain Research Conference Presentations Available

Photo: LCBP


The Lake Champlain Research Conference held this spring may seem like a distant memory, but it was a highlight of the year for the LCBP. The conference brought together lake and watershed stakeholders, including researchers, management practitioners, and the public, to learn about the state of research on Lake Champlain and to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Clean Water Act. Many of the presentations from the conference are now available on the LCBP website.

 

View the Lake Champlain Research Conference agenda and presentations



Champlain Valley National Heritage Partnership News Section Divider

Join the Team - LCBP is Hiring!

LCBP staff photo

Grants Manager
We seek a full-time Information Officer to join our collaborative team as a grants manager. This position will provide administrative support to the Lake Champlain Basin Program (LCBP) Grand Isle office and will work closely with NEIWPCC staff to streamline the administration of LCBP and Champlain Valley National Heritage Partnership (CVNHP) grants.


The Grants Manager will track project-level reporting metrics and serve as the primary point of contact for all LCBP and CVNHP-supported grants. Responsibilities include assisting other staff with management of Request for Proposals; assisting applicants and grant recipients with all aspects of the process to ensure complete grant applications, timely submission of contract documents, and invoice processing; and providing general administrative support throughout the office under the supervision of the LCBP Office Manager.

Learn more and apply

 

 

Careers at NEIWPCC
Are you seeking an opportunity to make a real difference in the fight for clean water? At NEIWPCC you would be part of an organization that works to protect and restore water resources. NEIWPCC is currently hiring for many other positions throughout the Northeast.

Learn more and apply



Upcoming Events

Love the Lake is back! This popular speaker series will return to in-person gatherings this winter. Photo: LCBP


Love the Lake
February 16 and 23rd, and March 2nd and 9th.
Grand Isle, VT

Warm up on cold winter evenings with convivial conversations and tasty desserts. Stay tuned for more information.

 

Northeast Aquatic Biologists (NAB) Conference
February 15-17, 2023
Plymouth, Massachusetts

The Northeast Aquatic Biologists (NAB) Conference, coordinated by NEIWPCC in partnership with member states and EPA, preserves the spirit and tradition of providing a forum for the professional sharing of knowledge and collaboration that the aquatic and environmental biologist community in the Northeast represents.
Learn more and register

 

33rd Annual Nonpoint Source (NPS) Conference
April 12-13, 2023
Saratoga Springs, New York
The conference theme is Environmental Justice, Equity and Climate Change. Submissions that focus on, or include aspects of, environmental justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion, the Justice40 Initiative, and climate change and resilience in relation to NPS projects and programs are encouraged.
Abstracts are due December 2, 2022
Learn more and submit an abstract

 

Watershed for Every Classroom
July 18-21, 2023 and five additional days through May 2024
Throughout the Lake Champlain Basin

A Watershed for Every Classroom is a year-long, professional development program for interdisciplinary teams of K-12 teachers in the Lake Champlain Basin of New York, Vermont, and Québec. The Watershed for Every Classroom Program is supported by the Champlain Basin Education Initiative, which consists of community partner organizations engaged in watershed education. Current partners include the LCBP, Shelburne Farms, Lake Champlain Sea Grant, UVM Extension, Lake Champlain Maritime Museum, Lake Champlain Committee, and Community Sailing Center.
Learn more and register

 

LCBP Committee Meetings

  • Lake Champlain Steering Committee, December 14, 2022
  • LCBP Executive Committee, January 18, 2023
  • LCBP Executive Committee, February 15, 2023
  • LCBP Executive Committee, March 15, 2023
  • Lake Champlain Steering Committee, April 11-12, 2023
  • LCBP Executive Committee, May 10, 2023

Contact Kathy Jarvis for more information.

 

 



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