Lake Champlain Management Agencies to Host Missisquoi Bay Basin Public Meeting

Grand Isle, VT – The Lake Champlain Basin Program, in partnership with the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources and Québec Ministry of Environment, will host a meeting to provide an update on the condition of Missisquoi Bay and efforts to improve water quality in the bay. All stakeholders and interested members of the public are invited to attend the meeting in St. Albans, Vermont on June 13, 2:30-4:00 p.m.

Vermont and Québec share Missisquoi Bay and its watershed. The bay’s water quality has consistently exceeded standards for phosphorus concentrations in recent decades. Excess phosphorus pollution fuels cyanobacteria blooms in the bay nearly every summer.

Vermont and Québec have agreed to a target to reduce phosphorus concentrations in Missisquoi Bay and are both working to implement actions to achieve those targets. The Missisquoi Bay Agreement solidifies this commitment and creates a framework for ongoing accountability and coordination between Vermont and Quebec.

Dr. Eric Howe, Director of the Lake Champlain Basin Program, said, “Improving water quality in Missisquoi Bay is a priority in the management of Lake Champlain for agency partners as well as residents. It’s important to us to be sure the public understands the challenges and is included in the tremendous effort being made to improve conditions there.”

Staff from the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation and the Québec Ministry of Environment will provide an overview of regulations, funding, water quality projects and planning, and progress at this week’s meeting.

Nathalie Provost, Director General of the Québec Ministry of Environment will provide a review of recent Québec provincial regulations to improve water quality in the Missisquoi Bay basin, monitoring data, and funding allocated for projects and programs.

Claire Madden with the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation will provide an overview of the Vermont statewide approach to clean water, project tracking and success metrics, and detailed information on Vermont-based efforts in the Missisquoi Bay basin, including funding and nutrient reduction efforts.

Lake Champlain Basin Program staff will facilitate question and answer sessions for each speaker.

Registration is requested but not required. Registration and a Zoom link for virtual attendance is available at  https://form.jotform.com/231526300528145.

For more information, please contact Kerry Crowningshield at (802) 372-3213 or kcrowningshield@lcbp.org.

-end-

The Lake Champlain Basin Program coordinates and funds efforts that benefit the Lake Champlain Basin’s water quality, fisheries, wetlands, wildlife, recreation, and cultural resources. The program works in partnership with federal agencies, state and provincial agencies from New York, Vermont, and Québec, local communities, businesses, and citizen groups. NEIWPCC—a regional commission that helps the states of the Northeast preserve and advance water quality—serves as the primary program administrator of LCBP at the request of the Lake Champlain Steering Committee and administers the program’s personnel and finances. LCBP is a program partner of NEIWPCC. For further information, contact the Lake Champlain Basin Program, 54 West Shore Road, Grand Isle, VT at (802) 372-3213 / (800) 468-5227 or visit www.lcbp.org.