Monitoring and Evaluation of Cyanobacteria in Lake Champlain: Summer 2004, LCBP Technical Report #52

Boyer, G., Clason, T., Couture, S., Kreider, M., Levine, M., Brines Miller, E., and Watzin, M.C. (2005). Monitoring and Evaluation of Cyanobacteria in Lake Champlain Summer 2004 (Technical Report No. 52). Grand Isle, VT: Lake Champlain Basin Program

In 2004, monitoring for potential toxin-producing cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) continued on Lake Champlain with the following specific objectives:   1) Continue monitoring of BGA at selected stations in the greater Burlington area, the Long-term Water Quality and Biological Monitoring Project sites, and Missisquoi Bay by UVM and the Vermont DEC.  The Burlington Bay sampling will focus on the lake area above the Burlington and Champlain Water district intakes, and off of Red Rocks and North Beaches. 2) Continue to work with volunteer lay monitors in Missisquoi Bay and through the Vermont Lay Monitoring program administered by the Vermont DEC. 3) Continue screening for the presence of toxins when potential toxin-producing BGA are observed. 4) Continue to use and refine a tiered BGA alert system framework, incorporating data and knowledge gained during 2003. 5) Enhance the communication network among state and provincial agencies in Vermont, New York and Quebec to facilitate exchange of information about current BGA conditions and the potential for human exposure to toxins.  Continue to work towards a lake-wide standard for reporting this information. Note: Data are available in final report.