Modeling Efforts and Identification of Critical Source Areas of Phosphorus Within the Vermont Sector of the Missisquoi Bay Basin. Technical Report #63 A.

Howe, E., Howland, W., and Strouse, S. Lake Champlain Basin Program. (2011). Modeling Efforts and Identification of Critical Source Areas of Phosphorus Within the Vermont Sector of the Missisquoi Bay Basin (Technical Report No. 63A). Grand Isle, VT: Lake Champlain Basin Program

The SWAT-VSA model analysis of the Missisquoi watershed provides significant insight into optimizing management resources for reducing phosphorus loading to Missisquoi Bay  of Lake Champlain. As much as 60% of the total phosphorus load in the Missisquoi River can be attributed to upland Sources; the remaining 40% is largely attributed to stream bank erosion. Approximately 20% of the upland watershed contributes as much as 75% of the phosphorus loading to the tributary network. Analysis of different land uses within the watershed illustrates the disproportionate contributions of each of those land classes; for example, agricultural land uses represent approximately 17% of the land area in the Missisquoi watershed, but 65% of the upland phosphorus load into the bay can be attributed to agriculture in this watershed.