C ASIN’ T HE B ASIN Lake Champlain Basin Program Basin Program Lake Champlain BULK RATE U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT NO. 179 BURLINGTON, VT 05401 SUMMER 2000 NUMBER 2 VOLUME VIII P.O. Box 204 54 West Shore Road Grand Isle Vermont 05458 CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED Check out the LCBP On-line! www.lcbp.org Continued on page 4 Bateau found - page 7. Waterchestnuts - page 6. Summit 2000 - page 8. I Your Local Watershed by Nicole Ballinger f you receive Casin’ the Basin, you likely reside within Lake Champlain’s basin or watershed. At 8,234 square miles (about the size of Massachusetts), the watershed spans from the Adirondack High Peaks to the Green Mountains. This area collects precipitation and, unfortunately, pollutants from the land and carries them to the Lake via hundreds of rivers and streams. Lake Champlain’s water quality is affected by the all land and water uses in the Basin. That’s why using a watershed perspective to protect the Lake is critically important. It’s also why many local watershed, river and lake organizations have formed. Their work is vital to the Lake’s future. Your Local Watershed 1,4,5 Basin Waves 2 Sea Grant News 3 Champlain 2000 Awards 6 Waterchestnuts 6 Bike Champlain 2000 7 History Washes Ashore 7 Summit 2000 8 Lake Champlain Websites 8 Local Project Awards 9 Partnership Program Awards 10 2000 LCBP Funding Plan 11 Sharing with Lake Ohrid 11 LCBP Resources 12 Volunteers cleaning up the Missisquoi River Basin. Missisquoi River Basin Association CONTENTS:
f you receive Casin’ the Basin, you likelyreside within Lake Champlain’s basin orwatershed. At 8,234 square miles (about the
size of Massachusetts), the watershed spans from theAdirondack High Peaks to the Green Mountains.This area collects precipitation and, unfortunately,pollutants from the land and carries them to theLake via hundreds of rivers and streams. LakeChamplain’s water quality is affected by the all landand water uses in the Basin. That’s why using awatershed perspective to protect the Lake is criticallyimportant. It’s also why many local watershed, riverand lake organizations have formed. Their work isvital to the Lake’s future.
Your Local Watershed 1,4,5
Basin Waves 2
Sea Grant News 3
Champlain 2000 Awards 6
Waterchestnuts 6
Bike Champlain 2000 7
History Washes Ashore 7
Summit 2000 8
Lake Champlain Websites 8
Local Project Awards 9
Partnership Program Awards 10
2000 LCBP Funding Plan 11
Sharing with Lake Ohrid 11
LCBP Resources 12
Volunteers cleaning up the Missisquoi River Basin.
Missisquoi River Basin Association
CONTENTS:
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Explore the Basin’s fascinating geology with anew guide produced by SUNY Plattsburgh’s
Geology Department. Outstanding Geologic Sitesof the Champlain Basin New York describes 16 fieldlocations that are easily accessible. Maps, descrip-tions and directions are included for each site.Sites include Chazy’s spectacular snail fossils andJay’s anorthosite (moon rock). An LCBP granthelped make this guide possible. For your FREEcopy of the guide, contact David Franzi at (518)564-4033.
The Boquet River Association has produced 13table top models of streams and watersheds, withthe help of an LCBP grant. Designed by artistJane Clark Brown, these original models demon-strate aspects of watersheds such as proper andimproper development patterns, historical usesof the Boquet watershed, the importance of goodhabitat, and river sedimentation. The models areportable and may be borrowed by other water-shed and river groups within the LakeChamplain Basin. For descriptions of the modelsand more information, contact the LCBP.
Colleen Hickey and Nicole Ballinger, LCBPEducation and Outreach staff, recently sharedthe successful Champlain 2000 partnership withparticipants at the national US EPA watershedoutreach conference in San Diego. Colleen andNicole also learned about promising outreachefforts used in other regions of the country. Formore information about Champlain 2000, con-tact LCBP or visit our website, www.lcbp.org.
Girl Scouts canhelp clean waterand earn a newpatch! The WaterDrop Patch Projectencourages girls toget involved incommunity-basedwatershed projects.Activities include:
learning about their local watershed, reducingpollution, stenciling storm drains, and monitor-ing stream health. The US EPA and the GirlScouts developed a booklet to help scouts earnthe patch. For a copy call the National ServiceCenter for Environmental Publications at (800)492-9198 or read the on-line version atwww.epa.gov/adopt/patch/.
Phish’s WaterWheel Foundation has awarded$121,000 to several organizations helping toimprove Lake Champlain’s watershed. Thegrantees are the Lake Champlain Committee,the Lake Champlain Basin Science Center, theNature Conservancy, the Vermont NaturalResources Council, and the Lake ChamplainLand Trust. Three watershed groups will alsoreceive operating grants of $2,000 each: theMissisquoi River Basin Association, Friends ofthe Winooski River and the Franklin Water-shed Committee. WaterWheel grants are sup-ported by sales of Ben & Jerry’s Phish Food icecream. Eat up this summer! For more informa-tion contact the Waterwheel Foundation [email protected] or visit their website atwww.phish.com/waterwheel/.
The Towns of Colchester and Williston Ver-mont recently adopted ordinances to protectstream water quality. In February, the ColchesterSelect Board adopted regulations to create an 85'natural buffer zone on both sides of all streamsin Colchester. Within this buffer zone all newdevelopment is restricted. Pollution of Mallett’sBay has been an important and controversialissue in Colchester for many years. This step willreduce pollutants reaching the Bay. For moreinformation contact Town Planner, SheldonLaidman at (802) 654-0719. In Williston, theSelect Board amended their stream bank bufferordinance to include a 50' natural buffer aroundall tributaries. Large streams, rivers and bodies ofwater are protected by a 150' buffer. For moreinformation contact Town Planner, MikeMunson at (802) 878-6704. Creating naturalbuffers around streams helps filter out pollutantsbefore they reach streams and eventually LakeChamplain.
The Sunset Lake Preservation Association inHinesburg, Vermont was recently awarded a$1,000 grant from the Vermont Agency ofNatural Resources for pollution monitoring.Samples will be collected from at least five sitesthis summer to test for a variety of indicators,including E. coli, phosphorus and biochemicaloxygen. The Association will use the data todirect its long-term Lake habitat preservation.For more information visit the Association’swebsite, www.geocities.com/vtsunsetlake orcontact Martin Peterson at (802) 482-5883 [email protected].
The Salmon River in Clinton County, New Yorkwill be restored with help from the LakeChamplain Chapter of Trout Unlimited. TroutUnlimited’s Embrace-A-Stream program, fundedthrough the One Fly Foundation, awarded$6,920 to the Lake Champlain Chapter. Volun-teers from Trout Unlimited will restore thestream bed and correct an erosion problem.Partners in this project include the US Fish &Wildlife Service, the Natural Resources Conserva-tion Service and the landowners. For moreinformation contact the Chapter President, BillWellman at (518) 563-1985 [email protected].
Don’t Miss
Lecture: “Steam Power: Turning Pointof Technology.” July 13 at 7:30 PM byAndre Lepine, Maritime Archeologistand Jean Belise, Art Historian. BasinHarbor Club Town Hall. Free. Call (802)475-2022 for more information.
Celebrate the Lake! July 15-23. Cel-ebrate Lake Champlain with many fun,free activities. Locations throughout theBasin. Call the LCBP for a schedule orview it at www.lcbp.org/ctl.htm.
Give a Day to Lake Champlain July 17.Support Basin businesses who on thisday give a percentage of their sales or aflat donation to the Lake ChamplainCommittee. For more information or tosign up your business call the LCC at(802) 658-1414.
LakeFEST July 21-23. CelebrateVermont’s lakes and the work lakeassociations and residents do to protectthem. Call the Vermont DEC at (802)241-3777 for more information.
Lecture: “Chronicles of LakeChamplain .” July 27 at 7:30 PM byRussell Bellico. Basin Harbor Club TownHall. Free. Call (802) 475-2022 for moreinformation.
Adirondack Waterfest 2000! August 4.Port Henry, New York. Celebrate theAdirondack’s waters. Call Art Rich at(518) 546-7261 for more information.
Champ Day! August 5. Port Henry.Celebrate the mysterious LakeChamplain monster. Call Art Rich at(518) 546-7261 for more information.
Bike Champlain 2000. September 8-10.Bicycle the Champlain Bikeway with thissupported tour. Register on-line atwww.champlainbikeways.org or call(518) 597-4646.
Celebrate the Winooski! Coming thisSeptember. Partake in this fun eventfeaturing a parade, river clean-up andstorm drain stenciling. Contact theFriends of the Winooski at (802) 223-7329 or on the webwww.homepages.together.net/~dbraun/FWR for more information.
One of the river models produced by BRASS.
Erik Beck
BASIN WAVES. . .Good news from around theLake Champlain Basin!
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Lake Champlain
N E W S
With the two new Sea Grant Specialists onboard, the new Lake Champlain Sea Grant
program is well underway. We’ll be devotingspace in this and upcoming issues of Casin’ theBasin for news from Sea Grant.
Last Spring, Mark Malchoff, the Specialist withSUNY Plattsburgh, facilitated a trawl net buildingworkshop at the Rubenstein Lab in Burlington.Twenty participants including Vermont Fish andWildlife staff and University of Vermont facultyand graduate students gained design and hands-on repair skills to more efficiently use fishsampling gear in Lake Champlain for bothresearch and management. Dr. Greg Boyer, fromSUNY Syracuse, recently visited the Sea Grantoffice in Plattsburgh to lecture on blue-greenalgae issues. Researchers from New York, Ver-mont and Quebec attended, including those whowill be working on Lake Champlain blue-greenissues this summer with the LCBP. The BoquetRiver Association was recently assisted by LakeChamplain Sea Grant as well. Mark and a SUNYPlattsburgh geologist provided guidance toBRASS on engineering plans for an eroding bluffin Noblewood Park on Lake Champlain.
Jurij Homziak, the Lake Champlain Sea GrantSpecialist at the University of Vermont, is
developing regional watershed programs as partof this year’s George D. Aiken Lecture Series,“Vermont’s Watersheds: Sustaining Ecologicaland Economic Vitality,” hosted by the Universityof Vermont Division of Agriculture, NaturalResources and Extension. The series kicked offwith a seminar in Burlington on May 1st andwill continue with regional programs in Septem-ber and October. Programs are anticipated inPoultney, Manchester and St. Johnsbury and willfocus on issues of importance to local water-sheds. For more information call the Division ofContinuing Education at (800) 639-3188 or (802)656-2088 or visit the Aiken Lecture website atwww.uvm.edu/~dceweb/aiken/.
Over a half milliondollars have beeninvested in theWestport Boat launchrenovation on LakeChamplain. Fundingwas provided by theNYSDEC from theClean Water/ CleanAir Bond Act and agrant from the U.S.Department of Hous-ing and Urban Devel-opment (HUD) underthe Canals CorridorInitiative.
Boat Launch Reopens
The trawl net workshop held last Spring bySea Grant.
Sea Grant
It’s been four years since Opportunities for Action,Lake Champlain’s long term management plan,
was signed by the governors of New York andVermont. The plan identified reducing excessphosphorus in the Lake as one of the Basin’shighest priorities and it set phosphorus concen-tration goals for each of thirteen major Lakesegments. To reach these goals, known as the in-lake criteria, the annual phosphorus load enter-ing the Lake in tributary rivers must be reducedby 57 metric tons, something we hope to achievewithin 20 years. Vermont, New York and Quebechave been working hard to achieve the first 25%of this required reduction within the first fiveyears, by the fall of 2001.
Last year the Lake Champlain Steering Commit-tee decided to find out how we are progressingwith this priority. It created a Phosphorus Reduc-tion Team to evaluate our progress toward theinterim 25% reduction goal (by 2001) and thelong-term goal (by 2016). The team was alsoasked to explore the feasibility of acceleratingour phosphorus reduction efforts to achieve ourgoals on a faster schedule. The team recentlyreported its findings.
The Team, chaired by Dr. Mary Watzin of UVM,found that by 2001, Vermont, New York andQuebec will have reduced the 1995 point andnonpoint source phosphorus inputs to LakeChamplain by about 38.8 metric tons, far exceed-ing the 5-year interim reduction goal of 15.8metric tons per year for Lake Champlain! Most ofthese reductions (22.7 tons) were gained byupgrading wastewater treatment plants, butsubstantial progress (16.1 tons) results from theincreased use of agricultural best managementpractices (BMPs) throughout the Basin.
Looking ahead at the 20-year goal, however,the study projected that relying on currently
planned wastewater treatment plant upgradesand agricultural BMPs alone would not besufficient in some segments of the Lake to meetour goals.
One factor considered by the Team is that non-point source phosphorus pollution is greater inrunoff from urban and developed areas thanfrom either agricultural or forested areas (on anacre by acre basis). As agricultural or forestedlands in many parts of the basin are developed,there is an associated increase in phosphorusrunoff to adjacent streams that offsets some ofthe progress being made in other areas of thewatershed.
The report found that the developing economyand changing landscape will require some newapproaches to ensure that progress with phos-phorus reduction continues towards our estab-lished goals. Better nonpoint source manage-ment to control the more polluted urban runoff,expanded agricultural BMPs, and new technolo-gies to improve the effectiveness of wastewatertreatment plants are among the many optionsexplored by the Phosphorus Reduction Team.The Team also explored the associated costs ofthese options.
New York, Vermont and Quebec have madegreat strides and are well ahead of schedule
in reducing the phosphorus load entering theLake. However, new approaches will be consid-ered by the Lake Champlain Basin Program inorder to reach our goals in twenty years orsooner. The Phosphorus Reduction Team Reportis an important assessment of our progress andkey options to explore to get this important jobdone.
Bill HowlandBasin Program Manager
Phosphorus Reduction – Keeping On Track
NYS Secretary of State (and former Lake Champlain Management Conference mem-ber) Sandy Treadwell, Assemblywoman Betty Little, Westport Town Supervisor RegMero, and NYSDEC Commissioner John P. Cahill at the opening of the renovatedWestport, NY boat launch.
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the AuSable River with the cooperation of thelandowner, the USDA Natural Resources Conser-vation Service, the US Fish and Wildlife Service,and the Lake Champlain Basin Program.”
Challenges and Opportunities
When one considers the diversity andmagnitude of these local watershed, river
and lake organization’s accomplishments, it ishard to believe how heavily they rely on volun-teer labor. Only a few have a full or part-timestaff to coordinate activities, seek grant money,increase membership, and recruit volunteers.
Last winter, the Lake Champlain Basin Programspearheaded an effort to strengthen these groups.While the LCBP has provided grants for specificprojects since 1992, it is now providing a newforum for information sharing and training. TheLCBP recently held two meetings for watershedgroups, provided a newsletter, created a portablewatershed exhibit, and started an email list-serve. In the months ahead, the LCBP will beincreasing the visibility of local groups by addingmore pages about watershed organizations to itswebsite. By networking this way, the LCBP hopesto strengthen these groups, while supportingtheir unique identities within their watersheds.
“Sharing our successes and difficulties helpswatershed groups feel like they are not alone intheir efforts and are instead part of a greatermovement to protect rivers and lakes,” saidRobin Ulmer of the Boquet River Association.“Together watershed groups can benefit fromsharing project techniques and work towardssustaining themselves over the long-term.”
This year, the LCBP is helping to fund theformation of the Little Chazy River WatershedPartnership, which will inventory thewatershed’s natural and cultural resources,compile GIS mapping data, and hold publicmeetings. The LCBP has also provided fundingtowards the formation of other relatively newgroups such as the AuSable River Association andthe Poultney-Mettowee Watershed Partnership.Total LCBP funding to watershed groups since1992 has been nearly $636,000.
Lewis Creek Association
Stabilizing a streambank in the Missisquoi Basin.
Missisq
uoi River Basin Association
Testing Lewis Creek’s water quality.
Your Local Watershed
The Basin’s size, however, makes lake protec-tion and restoration efforts at a smaller scale
important. The Basin is collectively made up ofeight smaller sub-basins (see map next page),each drained by one or more of the Lake’s majortributaries. For example, the Missisquoi Basin isdrained by the Missisquoi, Pike, Rock, and TroutRivers and includes many lakes, such as LakeCarmi. The Poultney-Mettowee Basin, whereLake George predominates, includes thePoultney and Mettowee Rivers.
Within Lake Champlain’s sub-basins, more than25 diverse organizations carry out watershed,river and lake protection activities. They includeorganizations such as the Missisquoi River BasinAssociation, which works in the 750,000+ acreMissisquoi River watershed, and the PotashBrook Project, which monitors a small tributaryin the City of Burlington, Vermont. Other groupsfocus more on lakes, such as the Shore Owners’Association of Lake Placid and the Lincoln PondAssociation. Although each organization’s focusdiffers, their collective accomplishments arecritical steps toward protecting and restoringboth local lakes and rivers, and Lake Champlain.
“Although the Lake Champlain Basin Programand state agencies are able to carry out manyBasin-wide activities, local watershed protectionefforts are also critically important to our suc-cess,” said Bill Howland, Basin Program Manager.“These local organizations have strong commu-nity connections, volunteer networks and anintimate knowledge of the unique ecological andcultural dynamics of their watersheds.”
The Lake Champlain Committee, an establishednot-for-profit organization, is the largest water-shed association and works throughout the LakeChamplain Basin. LCC has accomplished manyprojects through more than three decades,including watershed clean-ups, stream restora-tions, recreation access enhancements, andpollution prevention activities.
Many Players, Similar Goals
Although each local organization is unique,they all have similar goals which include
clean water, habitat protection and public access.Progress is made in many ways, from streambank restoration to river clean-ups to educationalefforts. Some groups, like the Friends ofWinooski, hold annual celebrations to spread theword about protecting clean water.
“This September, Celebrate the Winooski willpartner with local business and arts organiza-tions to draw people’s attention to the river andraise awareness about water quality issues,” said
Freddie Cousins of Friends of the Winooski.“Community members are invited to clean-upthe river, stencil storm drains and watch a paradethrough Montpelier.”
Getting students involved is another tool usedby local river and lake organizations. Taking kidsout to streams and rivers fosters a new genera-tion of caretakers and teaches science in fun andrealistic settings.
“We took students from Dave La Point’s class atFred Tuttle Middle School in South Burlingtonout to the brook to collect data on E. coli,” saidCarl Engvall of the Potash Brook Project. “It gavekids a chance to do real science and we providedthe lab test results to the City of SouthBurlington.” Similarly, the Mt. Mansfield RiverWatch has worked with local high school stu-dents on a stream inventory of macro-inverte-brates (insects that indicate water quality). In theAuSable River Watershed, middle school studentshave studied stream insects.
Collaborating with local and state agenciesaccomplishes many projects which require
technical expertise and training. For example,the Missisquoi River Basin Association (MRBA)worked with the Vermont DEC and other agen-cies to stabilize a one-mile stretch of the TroutRiver near Montgomery Center. MRBA volun-teers planted over 25,000 willow whips, whichhelp hold up the stream banks, and the VermontDEC provided technical oversight.
Local watershed and river groups are often ableto work most efficiently with local landownerswhose land uses are damaging water quality.While state agencies may be perceived as regula-tors, local groups are often made up of trustedfriends and neighbors. Local organizations canhelp landowners plan and implement better landmanagement practices and may even increaselandowner compliance with regulations. Localorganizations also provide a link to funding andtechnical expertise from state and federal agen-cies.
“We’ve helped partner local landowners withstate agencies several times,” said JanetSwentusky of the AuSable River Association.“Recently we fenced horses out of wetlands near
Continued from page 1
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New funding sources such as the WaterWheelFoundation, which distributes royalties from Benand Jerry’s Phish Food ice cream to LakeChamplain watershed protection projects, arealso offering grants, and training opportunitiesare growing. Last May a stream restorationtraining session was held by the Vermont DEC,the US Fish and Wildlife Service and the Associa-tion of State Wetland Managers. The LCBPmakes funds available to watershed groups toattend training and other professional develop-ment.
You Can Help
Opportunities abound for local residents to getinvolved. To get wet in your watershed, meetnew people and help your lakes and rivers —volunteer! Activities include tree planting, riverclean-ups, water quality monitoring, office help,and animal tracking. For contacts and moreinformation, see the sidebar, visit our website(www.lcbp.org) or call us at (800) 468-LCBP.
MapLAKE CHAMPLAIN BASIN
WATERSHED & LAKE ASSOCIATIONSBY SUB-BASIN
Addison County Riverwatch CollaborativeMarty Illick 442 Lewis Creek Rd. Charlotte, VT 05445(802) 425-2002 [email protected]
Ausable River AssociationJanet Swentusky PO Box 217 Elizabethtown, NY 12932(518) 873-3752
Boquet River AssociationRobin Ulmer Essex County Gov’t ComplexElizabethtown, NY 12932(518) 873-3688 [email protected]
Browns River Watershed CouncilMark Fasching PO Box 334 Jericho, VT 05465(802) 899-4000 [email protected]
Franklin County Network of Shoreline OwnersAssociationJohn Quenell Paul Smith’s College PO Box 255 PaulSmiths, NY 12970(518) 327-3259 [email protected]
Friends of the Mad RiverKinny Connell Box 76A Warren, VT 05674(802) 496-9127 (802) 496-3437 [email protected]
Friends of the Winooski RiverFreddie Cousins 147 North St. Montpelier, VT 05602(802) 223-7329 [email protected]~dbraun/FWR
Lake Champlain CommitteeLori Fisher 106 Main Street Suite 200 Burlington, VT05401(802) 658-1414 [email protected]
Lake George AssociationMelissa Vito PO Box 408 Lake George, NY 12845(518) 668-3558 fax: (518) 668-4702 [email protected]/com/lga/index.html
Lamoille County NRCDNancy Koenig 109 Professional Bldg, Suite 2 Morrisville,VT 05661(802) 888-9218 [email protected]
Lamoille River Anglers AssociationSummer Stowe The Fly Rod Shop PO Box 960 Stowe, VT05672(802) 253-7346 [email protected]/lraa.htm
Lewis Creek AssociationMarty Illick 442 Lewis Creek Rd. Charlotte, VT 05445(802) 425-2002 [email protected]
Lincoln PondJohn Deming PO Box 37 New Russia, NY 12964(518) 873-2178 [email protected]
Local Watershed Contacts Mirror Lake Watershed AssociationAllissa Schoenlank PO Box 1300 Lake Placid, NY 12946(518) 891-0490
Missisquoi River Basin AssociationCynthia Scott 12 Canada St. Suite 3 Swanton, VT 05488(802) 868-5304 [email protected]
Missisquoi River KeepersHomer St. Francis, Jr. Abenaki Self Help Association POBox 276 Swanton, VT 05488(802) 868-2559
Mt. Mansfield River WatchBill Butler PO Box 31 Jericho, VT 05465(802) 899-2088
New Haven River Anglers Association / New HavenRiver Watch Pete Diminico 305 Meehan Rd. Bristol, VT05443(802) 453-3899 [email protected]
Otter Creek River Watch ProjectHeidi Willis PO Box 433 E. Middlebury, VT 05740(802) 388-9207
Poultney River Watch82 River Street Poultney, VT 05764(802) 287-4284 [email protected]/prw.html
Saranac Lake River Corridor CommissionDeborah A. McDonnell - Office of Community Develop-ment Power and Light Building 2 Main St. - Third FloorSaranac Lake, NY 12983(518) 891-0490
Shore Owners’ Association of Lake PlacidLinda Friedlander PO Box 1235 Lake Placid, NY 12946(518) 523-3749
Sunset Lake Preservation AssociationMartin Peterson 109 Jourdan St. Hinesburg, VT 05461(802) 482-5883 [email protected]/vtsunsetlake
Trout UnlimitedDonald Lee 16 Ilene Dr. Morrisonville, NY 12962
Upper Saranac Lake AssociationMolly Sheren, Treasurer PO Box 274 Lake Clear, NY12945 [email protected]/AAI/us/pics.html
The Watershed CenterJackie Tuxill PO Box 96 Bristol, VT 05443(802) 453-6346
Preparing willow waddles for a streambankplanting.
Missisquoi River Basin Association
Continued from page 4
LCM
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New York WaterchestnutControl Funding
Great news from New York! Governor Patakihas requested funding for waterchestnut
control on Lake Champlain in the 2000 budget.The NYSDEC is currently working with the VTDEC to match the US Army Corps of Engineers’$400,000 appropriation for aquatic nuisancecontrol in the Lake Champlain Basin. Since1982, the majority of waterchestnut controlfunding has come from Vermont, the LCBP andthe Army Corps of Engineers.
“We are thrilled that New York has finally comeup to bat on this effort,” said Ron Ofner, chair ofthe New York Citizens Advisory Committee.“Our CAC has worked hard to impress theurgency of this funding on NYSDEC Commis-sioner Cahill and Senator Stafford.” Last summer,the New York, Vermont and Quebec CACs held afield trip on the South Lake to view thewaterchestnut’s devastation first hand.
Waterchestnuts were introduced to New York inthe 19th century for their ornamental appear-ance. By the 1940’s they had spread to LakeChamplain. To combat this spread, the VT DECmechanically harvested 7,512 cubic yards ofwaterchestnuts in 1999. (One cubic yard isroughly equal to the bed of a pick-up truck). Inaddition, contracted workers and Nature Conser-vancy volunteers spent a total of 5200 hourshand-pulling 77 tons of the plant. The NatureConservancy’s efforts were funded in part by agrant from the LCBP.
“Funding for harvesting machines and handpulling is critical to stop the plant’s northwardspread on Lake Champlain,” said Ann Bove,Aquatic Biologist for VT DEC. “Our assessmentshave shown that as funding increases for theseactivities, the waterchestnut’s northward ad-vance is halted.”
Also, for the first time in four years, no new infestations were found on Lake Champlain.
Unfortunately, however, a new infestation hasbeen documented on Quebec’s South River, atributary of the Richelieu. The South River isonly a few miles overland from Missisquoi Bay,whose shallow waters would be primewaterchestnut habitat. The Quebec Ministry ofEnvironment and the Vermont DEC are workingwith several other agencies to quickly addressthis issue, and avoid the entrance ofwaterchestnut from the north
For more information about volunteering tohand-pull chestnuts, contact Ann Bove, VT DEC(802) 241-3782 or Sherry Crawford, The NatureConservancy, (802) 265-8645.
NYSDEC mediaawards ceremony.From left to right:Commissioner JohnP. Cahill, Jeff Meyers(Press Republican),Jack LaDuke (WCAX),North CountryPublic Radio’sAdirondack NewsBureau’s BrianMann and MarthaFoley, AndyWormser (WPTZ),Paul Sands (WPTZ),Dennis Aprill (PressRepublican) andRegion 5 DirectorStuart Buchanan.
NYSDEC
from the television news industry. It washonored with an EMMY nomination by theBoston/New England chapter of the NationalAcademy of Television Arts and Sciences forservice reporting. In March, Champlain 2000earned two regional Edward R. MurrowAwards from the Radio and Television NewsDirectors Association for Outstanding NewsSeries and Outstanding Documentary.
For more information about the Champlain2000 series, visit the following websites:www.wptz.com and www.lcbp.org or contactthe Lake Champlain Basin Program.
Hand-pulling waterchestnuts.
VT DEC
Lake’s Citizen AdvisoryCommittees Win EPAAwards
Lake Champlain’s three Citizen AdvisoryCommittees (CAC’s) received Environ-
mental Merit Awards from EPA New Englandin recognition of their exceptional work andcommitment to the environment during1999. Awards were presented to the NewYork, Vermont and Quebec CACs during anEarth Day ceremony in Boston last April.The 2000 ceremony was the 30th anniver-sary celebration of environmental achieve-ment in New England. The EPA New En-gland Environmental Merit Award is anannual award that recognizes outstandingenvironmental advocates who have madesignificant contributions toward preservingand protecting our natural resources. Formore information about the Merit Awardsand other award winners, visit the EPA NewEngland website at www.epa.gov/region01/busind/ema.html.
Champlain 2000 WinsEnvironmental andMedia Awards
Congratulations to Champlain 2000! TheChamplain 2000 partners, WPTZ
NewsChannel 5, the Lake Champlain BasinProgram and KeyBank, recently receivedEnvironmental Quality Awards from the USEnvironmental Protection Agency Region 2(New York). WPTZ was also recently recog-nized by the New York State Department ofEnvironmental Conservation. Champlain 2000is the weekly series which has aired on WPTZ’sMonday evening news since May 1999.
The US EPA’s Environmental Quality Award isthe highest recognition presented to thepublic for protecting and enhancing environ-mental quality. It was awarded to all threepartners for Champlain 2000. Bill Howland,Basin Program Manager, Buzz Hoerr, Educa-tion and Outreach Committee Chairman, andThom Hallock, WPTZ NewsChannel 5 anchor/Champlain 2000 correspondent, attended theaward ceremony at EPA Region 2 headquartersin New York City on April 28th.
“The success of Champlain 2000 goes beyondpersonal and professional recognition,” saidThom Hallock. “Champlain 2000 puts thesuccesses and challenges facing up-state NewYork, Vermont - our entire region - in thespotlight, at the highest levels of govern-ment.”
“We are very proud of Champlain 2000,” saidWPTZ/WNNE President and General Manager,Paul A. Sands. “The community partnershipamong WPTZ NewsChannel 5, the LakeChamplain Basin Program and our sponsor,Key Bank, is serving as a national model ofpublic, governmental and corporate coopera-tion. Champlain 2000 is a perfect fit with ourtelevision station’s mission to be aware of andresponsive to the needs of the communitieswe reach.”
A lso last April, Paul A. Sands and WPTZNews Director, Andy Wormser attended
the New York DEC’s Earth Day PartnershipForum to accept an award for Champlain2000. The awards were specifically for thetelevision, newspaper and radio media inRegion 5. DEC Commissioner John P. Cahillgave opening remarks.
Champlain 2000 has also received top honors
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Ride the Bike Champlain 2000 bicycle tour!Lake Champlain Bikeways, Inc. with support
from several area organizations, including theLake Champlain Basin Program, is hosting thetour in September. The tour will follow the“Champlain Bikeway” on quiet back roadsthrough breathtaking scenery, history andculture in Vermont and New York. Options forroute extensions into Quebec will also be offered.The terrain is generally flat-to-gently rolling andinterspersed with occasional hills.
The tour will be held in conjunction with theTriangle of Excellence, an annual meeting orga-nized by the Mayors of Burlington, Vermont,Plattsburgh, New York and St. Jean-sur-Richelieu,Quebec. This year, Mayor Peter Clavelle (who isalso a member of the Lake Champlain SteeringCommittee) will host the Triangle of Excellencemeeting in Burlington on September 8th. Thisannual gathering brings together public officials,the business community and interested citizensto look at how the three cities can work inpartnership. The theme for this year’s meetingwill be tourism, with a special focus on bicycletourism and Lake Champlain Bikeways.
For more information contact Lake ChamplainBikeways at: Lake Champlain Visitors Center, RR1, Box 220, Crown Point, NY, 12928, (518) 597-4646, [email protected],www.champlainbikeways.org.
The first 150 lucky ones go...so register early!
Sometimes history is right under our feet!Last summer, the remains of a bateau,
which is a lightweight, flat-bottomed boat,washed up along Cumberland Bay’s northshore. The bateau, which isbelieved to date from theWar of 1812, was likelyuncovered by wave actionand last summer’s lowwaters.
To conserve the boat, theBattle of PlattsburghAssociation (BOPA) willcreate a conservation planwith assistance from theLake Champlain MaritimeMuseum’s conservationstaff. A $1,000 grant wasprovided by the LakeChamplain Basin Program’s TechnicalAssistance Program.
Artifact recovery required a New York Statearcheological permit. Archaeologists and
Swimming, boating, fishing, bicycling, visitinghistoric sites along the shore - it’s how many
residents and visitors enjoy and value LakeChamplain. If the water quality deteriorates itwill conflict with enjoying the Lake, and thesesame people simply won’t visit. Beyond thepotential loss of tourism dollars at stake - anestimated $2.2 billion annually in 1990 - losingrecreational users would also mean fewer poten-tial Lake stewards. These are important reasonswhy the Lake Champlain Basin Program sup-ports recreation and cultural heritage projects. Bycultivating connections through play andappreciation, the LCBP reaches a broader groupof potential Lake stewards which ultimatelyimproves the Lake’s health.
Lake Champlain Bikeways, which the LCBP hasfunded, enhances recreation while promoting analternative to automobiles, a known source ofpolluted runoff. On Northwest Public Transit’sRichford to St. Albans and Champlain Islandsbus routes, an LCBP grant helped install bus bikeracks, providing more incentives and opportuni-ties to pedal rather than drive. Promoting bicy-cling also helps lake-shore towns preserve theirrural character by lessening the impacts of trafficcongestion.
On the water, the LCBP has supported theLake Champlain Paddlers’ Trail, managed
by the Lake Champlain Committee (LCC). Byincluding material about Lake ecology andstewardship in the trail guide, another audienceof potential Lake stewards is reached. Motorboaters are also reached through LCC’s BilingualBoating Guide. Published last year with LCBPsupport, this free French/English guide explainshow to prevent the spread of nuisance speciesand provides tips for lake-friendly boatingcleaning, fueling and maintenance.
Enhancing Lake and river access is essential torecreation and the creation of a water qualityconnection. Through several grants, the LCBPawarded $11,300 towards the planning andcreation of Noblewood Park, located near theBoquet River’s outlet to Lake Champlain. Ownedby the Town of Willsboro, New York, the Park
Bike Champlain 2000!
Bike Champlain 2000at a Glance
When: September 8-10, 2000Distance: 150 milesWhere: Begins in Burlington, Vermontwith overnight stay in Plattsburgh, NewYork, return to Burlington through theChamplain IslandsCost: Early Registration by August 15,2000 - $125.00, Late Registration -$150.00. Price includes a sunset dinnercruise, support vans and many extras, butnot lodging.Special Events: 8th Annual South-EndArt Hop (5-11 PM in Burlington) andBattle of Plattsburgh activities on Septem-ber 9th (a multi-day celebration, Septem-ber 6-10)Register: On-line atwww.champlainbikeways.orgor call (518) 597-4646
History Washes Ashore
Water Quality Connections
added 3,500 feet of publicly accessible beach andprotected acres of wetlands which clean andpurify runoff into Lake Champlain.
To support the development of lake-shore visitorcenters, the LCBP awarded the Town ofWillsboro $1,000 for architectural plans toconvert an unused schoolhouse into a visitorcenter. Good planning paid off when the townwas awarded funds from the State of New York tobuild the center, which will provide informationabout cultural and recreational opportunities onand around the Lake.
Aquatic nuisance species management alsohas connections to recreation and cultural
heritage. Zebra mussels are encrusting LakeChamplain’s shipwrecks and hampering re-searchers’ efforts to identify and study theseunderwater cultural resources. Since 1996, theLCBP has helped fund an underwater survey ofthe Lake’s cultural resources before zebra musselsobscure them. The LCBP has also funded feasibil-ity studies of wrecks for inclusion in the LakeChamplain Underwater Historic Preserve Systemand funded the opening of the first preserve sitein New York.
The LCBP has also fostered connections withrecreational anglers. The LCBP helped fund alocal Trout Unlimited chapter to bring the U.S.Fish & Wildlife Service’s Adopt-a-Salmon fishrearing program to several New York schools.Many angler groups have also restored fishhabitat in the Lake’s tributaries, which not onlyprotects fish, but also reduces sediment transportto the Lake.
Boating, fishing, paddling, swimming, bicycling,hiking, visiting historic sites, or simply viewingthe Lake from a favorite spot, is how most people“get close to it.” By fostering more opportunitiesto experience the Lake, the LCBP encouragesmore people to value it and be supportive ofwater quality protection. Not including recre-ation and cultural heritage issues in the compre-hensive Plan for a healthier Lake Champlainwould literally be “missing the boat.”
The bateau found last summer.
BOPA
Cycling along the Lake’s shore.
Alden Pellet
volunteers completed on-site documenta-tion of the fragile wood planks which werefastened with hand wrought iron nails.Afterwards, the remains were moved to an
indoor tank filled withfiltered lake water. BOPA isalso working with theMaritime Museum on thebateau’s display in theforthcoming Battle ofPlattsburgh InterpretiveCenter.
Asecond vessel wasfound later last
summer. It was relocatedin deep water to guardagainst vandalism anddeterioration from airexposure and to preserve
it for future potential study. For moreinformation visit www.nysm.nysed.gov/history/batteau/index.html.
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Many facts and figures about LakeChamplain are readily available on the
internet and more will be coming soon. Severalsites with useful data are listed below. So grabthis article, your mouse and catch a web ofinformation about the Lake. If you have anyfavorite Lake Champlain sites, send an email [email protected]. For more links tosites about Lake Champlain visit the LCBPwebsite at www.lcbp.org.
Lake and River Levels
• Lake Champlain DataAddress: http://www.nws.noaa.gov/er/btv/html/lake2.htmlThis site provides real-time access to current lakelevel and temperature data from three gauges. Italso graphs historical lake levels and tempera-tures back to 1972.
• Real-Time Stream Flow DataAddress: http://water.usgs.gov/realtime.htmlThis site provides real-time stream flow andflood stage data. Navigate the site by clicking ona station on the map near Lake Champlain tobring up a regional list of streams. LakeChamplain tributaries are categorized under “St.Lawrence Watershed.”
• New York Current Surface Water ConditionsAddress: http://wwwdnyalb.er.usgs.gov/rt-cgi/gen_tbl_pgThis site provides access to real-time stream flowand flood stage data for Lake Champlain’stributaries which are listed under “St. LawrenceRiver Basin.”
• Northeast River Forecast CenterAddress: http://www.nws.noaa.gov/er/nerfc/This site shows an interesting graphic of LakeChamplain tributary flow and it loads quickly.To navigate, click on “Current River Conditions”to see a Northeast map. On that map, click onany circle near Lake Champlain for an “HourlyStage Plot of the Lake Champlain Basin.”
Water Quality
• Long-Term Water Quality and BiologicalMonitoring Project for Lake ChamplainAddress: http://www.lcbp.org/ltmp2.htmThis site presents data from 12 Lake monitoringstations representing major Lake segments.Stations are sampled regularly from late Aprilto early November each year for both physicaland chemical tests such as total phosphorus,phytoplankton and zooplankton.
• Vermont Rivers ProjectAddress: http://dauntless.smcvt.edu/vt_rivers/splash.htmlThis site provides a searchable database of waterquality information collected by high schoolstudents and teachers from rivers in the LakeChamplain and Connecticut River Basins. Itincludes a good explanation of water qualityterminology.
• Burlington Eco-InfoAddress: http://moose.uvm.edu/~empact/index.htmlAs part of Burlington’s EMPACT grant from theUS EPA, this website presents real-time Lake dataand other environmental quality indicators
including air quality data in a user-friendlyformat.
• Englesby Brook - Burlington, VermontAddress: http://bowdnhbow.er.usgs.gov/CurrentProjects/Englesby/Englesby.htmThis site provides real-time stream flow data andhistorical nutrient data for Englesby Brook inBurlington, Vermont, which is the most pollutedurban stream in the Basin. The Englesby Brookwatershed is being cleaned up over the next 5years as part of the Pine Street Barge CanalSuperfund agreement.
Weather
• Lake Champlain Open Waters ForecastAddress: http://www.wunderground.com/MAR/VT/001.htmlFind the daily forecast of Lake Champlainweather from the National Weather Service onthis site.
• Daily Snowfall Map of the NortheastAddress: http://www.nws.noaa.gov/er/nerfc/graphics/snowmaps/sf1_today.jpgSave this site for winter. It provides a nice graphicpresentation of daily snow fall and tends to loadquickly.
Please note: Websites can change daily and some sites maynot work or may load slowly. The Lake Champlain BasinProgram cannot vouch for the accuracy of the datapresented on the above sites.
Over 80 Educators AttendSummit 2000!
Stormy weather didn’t stop educators fromNew York and Vermont from gaining
hands-on skills to teach about the LakeChamplain Basin! On May 18th theChamplain Basin Education Initiative (CBEI)hosted Summit 2000: This Land and Water -Linking Students to Their Watershed at the BasinHarbor Club. The workshops sponsored byLCBP featured current events and issues,cultural heritage and history, and ecosystemmonitoring and research.
A few highlights (see photos):
1 Discussing how to authenticate Abenakiheritage with Abenaki Elder NanatasisBluto-Delvental and Cher Feitelberg ofCharlotte Central School.
2 John Elder of Middlebury College makingthe keynote address.
3 Creative canoeing with Matt Chandler ofEdmunds Middle School.
4 Exploring soil communities with JanetMihuc of Plattsburgh State University.
5 Running a water flow model with a mem-ber of Missisquoi Valley Union MiddleSchool’s “Xtream Team.”
6 Learning about 19th century Lake com-merce with Erick Tichonuk of the LakeChamplain Maritime Museum.
CBEI thanks all the presenters and the resourcefair exhibitors who helped make this day asuccess. CBEI especially appreciates the energyand enthusiasm about Lake Champlain thatthe educators bring to all the CBEI workshopsand their classrooms!
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Surfing the Web for Lake Champlain Data
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Twenty-two new projects were recentlyawarded a total of $320,097 through the
Lake Champlain Basin Program to support thelocal implementation of Opportunities for Action.Funded projects include preventing toxic sub-stance pollution, protecting human health andreducing polluted runoff. This year the LCBPreceived an unprecedented number of proposals,requesting a total of $587,453. All projectsrequire a 25% non-federal match.
Au Sable Watershed Nonpoint Source Reduc-tion ProjectsAu Sable River Association, Inc. $15,180ASA will restore eroded stream banks on PalmerBrook that threaten a nearby septic system andprovide town boards with an inventory of junkcars in river floodplains to promote betterfloodplain management.
Bartlett Brook Stormwater Treatment SystemCity of South Burlington $20,000The City will repair stream bank erosion andconstruct a wetland/wet pond stormwatertreatment system near Bartlett Brook whichdrains US Route 7 and adjacent commercial land.The system will treat runoff that has been foundto carry toxic substances.
Colchester Pond Phosphorus and E. coliInventory and EducationWinooski Valley Park District $7,400WVPD will hire a water quality coordinator toinitiate a phosphorus and E. coli monitoringprogram for Colchester Pond and its tributaries.Information about septic system maintenance,proper pet waste disposal, and other pollutionissues will also be provided to homeowners andpark visitors.
Enhancing Stormwater Management in theGrowing TownsNational Wildlife Federation $19,035NWF’s Northeast Natural Resource Center willwork with the Vermont Agency of NaturalResources, a consulting firm, and local watershedgroups to expand its storm water managementworkshops for local decision makers.
Farmland Protection and Agricultural Devel-opment PlanClinton County Cornell Cooperative Ext. $10,000The Extension will work with the ClintonCounty, New York community to help keepprime farmland in agricultural use, develop localfarm product markets, and assess the long-termviability of the County’s agriculture.
Farmland/Streambank Erosion and RunoffControlBoquet River Association $17,970This funding will support two major streambankerosion control projects on the Boquet River andwill build upon BRASS’s recent experience withstream geomorphology assessments.
Friends of the Mad River SupportFriends of the Mad River $15,000This project will support hiring the staff requiredto oversee the group’s water quality monitoringprogram, develop outreach materials and coordi-nate stream restorations.
Huntington River Riparian InventoryVermont River Conservancy $8,200Landowners, local, regional and statewidegroups, and government agencies will developinventories to identify and prioritize habitat
protection, recreation access and nonpointsource pollution control projects.
Lake Champlain Birding Trail Enhancementsin New YorkGeorge D. Aiken RC&D Council, Inc. $15,000The Birding Trail partners will create routefinding signs at numerous sites and two informa-tion kiosks.
Lamoille County Community Vegetation andBiomonitoringLamoille County Conservation District $7,770The District will buy a hydroseeder to share withLamoille County towns for construction re-vegetation and training, and recruit volunteersfor stream macroinvertebrate monitoring.
Lewis Creek Long Range Riparian RestorationPlanLewis Creek Watershed Association $16,650In addition to monitoring water quality, con-ducting outreach and restoring stream banks, theAssociation will evaluate and plan for futureprograms in the watershed.
Lincoln Pond Evaluation of AcentriaephemerellaCornell Cooperative Extension $3,900The Extension will continue monitoring Eur-asian watermilfoil populations and evaluate thebiological control of moth larvae (Acentriaephemerella). Education and outreach activitieswill be included.
Little Chazy River Watershed PartnershipTown of Chazy, Water & Sewer Committee $18,000The Town will establish a new watershed part-nership for the Little Chazy River. Projects willinclude inventorying natural and culturalresources in the watershed, compiling GIS data,and holding public meetings.
Mercury Manometer Replacement Program forDairy FarmsNorthwest Vermont Solid Waste ManagementDistrict $20,200This project will inform farmers about mercurypollution hazards and replace 84 mercurymanometers currently in use with non-mercurydigital versions at no cost to farmers.
Mirror Lake Stormwater ManagementTown of North Elba/Village of Lake Placid $7,500An engineering consultant will be hired toinventory and map existing storm drains anddischarge points into Mirror Lake as part of arecently completed Water Management Plan.
Missisquoi Basin Streambank RestorationMissisquoi River Basin Association $20,525Working with landowners, the Vermont YCCand state and federal agencies, MRBA will restorestream banks, support farm nutrient manage-ment, improve canoe access, and provide publicinformation about Missisquoi basin issues.
Poultney-Mettowee Watershed PartnershipPoultney-Mettowee NRCD $20,000The NRCD will coordinate the Poultney-Mettowee Partnership steering committee,inventory natural, cultural and economic re-sources, finalize a management plan, assistfarmers with nutrient management, and conductoutreach.
$320,097 Awarded to Local ProjectsRelocation of Phosphorus Injection PointVillage of Champlain, NY $13,000The Village will correct a design problem in thewastewater treatment plant’s phosphorus re-moval system.
Sediment Trap InstallationEssex County, New York Soil & Water ConservationDistrict $7,767The District will partner with and train townhighway departments to install 12 pre-castconcrete sediment traps in road ditches in Essexand Washington Counties.
Shelburne Bay Watershed Data Collection andEvaluationLintilhac Foundation and Heindel and Noyes$16,000Working with planners and citizens, the projectwill create a public website for Shelburne Baywatershed data to be used for planning andmanagement, and assess water quality in the Bayand major tributaries.
Watershed Restoration ProgramVermont Youth Conservation Corps $20,000Nine VYCC crews will assist local communitieswith streambank, wetland and habitat restora-tion projects, and participate in educationalactivities.
Winter Manure Storage FacilityLake Carmi Camper’s Association $21,000Cooperating with the VT Department of Agricul-ture and Markets, the Association will assist afarmer with manure storage to help the farmcomply with Vermont’s winter spreading banand prevent manure runoff into Lake Carmi.
A Vermont Youth Corps member working ona streambank stabilization project.
VYCC
CASIN’ THE BASIN
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Twenty-one new projects will receive at totalof $80,000 of funding through the Partner-
ship Program. The Partnership Program offerssmall awards up to $5,000 to support localorganizations helping to implement projectsrelevant to Opportunities for Action. The totalamount requested was $201,943. All projectsrequire a 25% in-kind match.
Adaptive Watersports ProgramLake Champlain Community Sailing Center andVermont Adaptive Sports $5,000The Program will install two lifts and a “sip andpuff” system to increase accessibility for peoplewith disabilities. They will also make boat anddock repairs to improve handicapped accessibil-ity.
Adirondack Coast Bicycling Guide - Phase IIPRIDE of Ticonderoga $3,000The Adirondack Coast Bicycling Committee willprint 20,000 copies of an expanded version oftheir guide. It will feature twelve loops and anupdated directory of services along the loops.
AuSable Mini-ParkTown of Wilmington, NY $4,500Funds will be used for the design of a walkwayand interpretive park through a wetland alongthe West Branch of the AuSable River on townproperty. The mini-park will be accessible fromRoute 86 and adjoins the town library.
Buffer Zone Inventory for Priority StreamReachesBoquet River Association $4,000BRASS will inventory and prioritize buffer zoneneeds along the river and its tributaries. Theresults will enable BRASS to engage in dialoguewith priority landowners, and provide blue-prints for potential cost-sharing buffer zoneprograms with road departments and landown-ers.
Champlain Valley Clayplain Forest ProjectMiddlebury Area Land Trust $5,000The Clayplain Forest project is a local collabora-tive effort to conserve, research and restore oneof Vermont’s most threatened natural communi-ties. Funds will be used to develop a landownerbrochure, host natural history talks and walks,and organize an association for local residents toparticipate in conservation planning.
Cumberland Head Conservation and Develop-ment Plan UpdateCumberland Head Tomorrow $2,999The revised plan will address bicycle and pedes-trian trails, open space preservation, historicaland archeological resources, public lake access,and the integration of plan proposals with thenew “connector highway.”
Lady Sherbrooke InitiativeLake Champlain Maritime Museum $3,500LCMM will design a two year program about theLady Sherbrooke and steam navigation whichwill focus on the evolution of steam technologyand the parallel growth of regional commerce onLake Champlain and the Hudson, Richelieu andSt. Lawrence Rivers. Three free evening lecturesand two free teacher workshops will also be held.
Lake Champlain Birding Trail Viewing Plat-formGeorge D. Aiken RC&D Council $4,500The Birding Trail partners will construct a view-ing blind or platform and boardwalk at the West
Rutland Marsh, a birding trail site. The enhance-ments will reduce resource impacts and increasevisitor awareness of species and habitat throughimproved access.
Lewis Creek Watershed Citizen Wildlife Track-ing ProgramLewis Creek Watershed Association $2,500The LCA has developed a wildlife trackingprogram for citizen volunteers during the pastfew years. Funds will be used toward the devel-opment of a report that analyzes the data col-lected to date.
Local Waterfront Revitalization PlanTown of Essex, New York $5,000The Town will create a shoreline overlay districtin conjunction with its zoning ordinance revi-sion. The overlay district is intended to protectthe shoreline from unsuitable growth, erosionand run-off, and maintain natural habitats andview sheds.
Mirror Lake Shoreline ImprovementsVillage of Lake Placid $3,000The Village will address erosion and public accesson Mirror Lake along a 300 foot public park.Plantings will be completed for erosion controland fencing will be installed.
Native Mussel Survey of the AuSable RiverAuSable River Association $3,885The Association will work with the NYSDEC, theUS Fish and Wildlife Service and a SUNY internto survey native mussels. The study will supple-ment future protection strategies and gatherinformation about the habitat and life history ofmussels.
Nuisance Non-native Species ProjectWinooski Valley Park District $2,500The Park District will partner with Scouts andothers to remove nuisance non-native plantswithout using chemicals from public parks alongthe Winooski River. Local residents will also beencouraged to remove these species from back-yards and neighborhoods. A wetlands forum willprovide walks and training about removingnuisance species.
Plainfield Village CommonPlainfield Planning and Conservation Commissions$4,000By narrowing a roadway and reconfiguring aparking lot, Plainfield will reclaim a site next tothe Winooski River for pedestrians. A gentlysloping path will lead to a spectacular view ofthe waterfall, a Plainfield landmark.
Poultney River Riparian RestorationPoultney-Mettowee NRCD $5,000The NRCD will restore several erodedstreambanks and establish a riparian bufferwithin a one-mile reach of the Poultney River.The project will demonstrate effective streamcorridor management as part of the PoultneyWalking Trail.
River Walk Interpretive Sign ProjectVillage of Saranac Lake $3,000The village will install interpretive signs alongthe Saranac River Walk to increase public aware-ness of the natural environment.
Saranac River Invertebrate StudyLake Champlain Chapter of Trout Unlimited $3,521TU will work with SUNY faculty and students ona catalog and reference collection of inverte-brates in the lower Saranac River. The baselinedata, slide collection and digital images will beavailable to other users.
Summer Trails ProjectMerck Forest and Farmland Center $5,000Merck Forest will hire an experienced summercrew to control erosion and maintain trails at theheight of the Mettowee River/Lake Champlainwatershed. The trails need large scale improve-ments, including water bars, boardwalks, bridges,and stabilization.
Summit Linked Interpretation and DownhillEducationAdirondack Park Institute $3,000This New York - Vermont partnership will allowthe Adirondack VIC and the Lake ChamplainBasin Science Center to work with SmugglersNotch Resort and Whiteface Mountain onwatershed interpretation signs for the upperreaches of the Lake Champlain watershed.Naturalists will develop text and a prototype ofthe potential signs to be placed at the ski areas.
Survey of Rainbow Lake for EurasianWatermilfoilRainbow Lake Association $975The Association will survey Rainbow Lake duringthe summer of 2000 for Eurasian watermilfoil.Association members will also be trained tobecome watermilfoil watchers.
Trees for Streams - 2001Lamoille County Conservation District $5,000Funds will be used to purchase 1,200 trees and3,000 willow waddles for spring 2001 plantingson public and private land in Lamoille County.The vegetation will stabilize streambanks, buildstream-buffers and provide hands-on educationopportunities for the community.
Dave TiltonEssex Junction, VT - US Fish and Wildlife
John TitchnerWinooski, VT - USDA, NRCS
Emily WadhamsMontpelier, VT - VT Agency of Commerceand Community Development
Mary WatzinBurlington, VT - UVM School of Natural Resources
Building Local Level Implementation $384,240Local Implementation Grants $271,000
New York Circuit Rider $ 45,000
Technical Coordination/Assistance $ 68,240
Measuring and Monitoring Success $337,000
Lake Wide Monitoring $276,000
Lay Monitoring $ 14,000
Agricultural Best Management Practice Tracking $ 10,000
Urban Best Management Practice Effectiveness Monitoring $ 37,000
Reducing Phosphorus $ 74,200
Animal Feed Education Project $ 28,500
Agricultural Best Management Practice Effectiveness $ 17,200
Blue Green Algae Study $ 28,500
Pollution Prevention and Toxics Management $ 34,500
Agricultural BMP Demo to Reduce Bacterial Loads $ 34,500
Nuisance Aquatic Species Management $ 53,000Water Chestnut Program Coordination $ 53,000
Managing Fish and Wildlife $ 46,000
Sea Lamprey Assessment - Poultney and Winooski Rivers $ 36,000
Wetlands Acquisition - Initiate Phase III $ 10,000
Cultural and Recreation Resources $126,000Cultural Heritage Resource Coordination $ 63,000
Recreation Resource Coordination $ 63,000
Informing and Involving the Public $298,969Public Outreach, Publications and Media Efforts $ 95,000
Education and Outreach Support Grants $ 67,000
LCBP Resource Rooms, VT & NY $ 10,000
Fisheries Information Project $ 5,752
Education and Outreach Coordination $ 69,930
Communications Specialist $ 51,287
Program Coordination and Administration $365,091VT-NY Program Coordination and Office Administration $361,874
NEIWPCC Fiscal Management $ 3,217
TOTAL $1,719,000
On February 16, 2000 the Lake Champlain Steering Committee approved a plan to spend $1.719 million of U.S. EPA
funds for Lake Champlain Basin projects. The LCBP projects are related to the highest priorities listed in Opportunities for
Action. All project grant recipients must provide a minimum 25% non-federal match.
2000 LCBP Funding Plan (U.S. Environmental Planning Agency Funding)
In April 2000, LCBP Vermont Coordinator,Michaela Stickney, traveled to Lake Ohrid in
Macedonia and Albania to work with localorganizations involved in protecting LakeOhrid and its basin.
Michaela workedprimarily with the 20member Lake OhridWatershed Committee,which is similar to theLCBP’s former Manage-ment Conference, todevelop a frameworkfor a watershed ap-proach for Lake Ohrid.She delivered a five-daytraining on watershedmanagement, teambuilding, advanced facilitation, and conflictresolution. The World Bank-funded Lake OhridConservation Project (LCOP) is using a com-mittee and communication structure modeledafter the LCBP. This concensus-based decisionmaking process is a new and exciting arena forcountries who have recently changed to a
decentralized government.
Lakes Ohrid and Champlain became SisterLakes in 1996 with the signing of the Sister
Lake Declaration ofIntent amongMacedonia, Albania,Vermont, New York,and Quebec. Sincethen, there have beenfive exchanges amongscientific researchers,heritage protectionexperts, and watershedprotection specialists.Both lakes have muchto learn from eachother. Each hasinternational, multi-
jurisdictional watershed boundaries andsignificant natural and cultural resources.
Lake Champlain’s Macedonian and Alba-nian counterparts will return to Lake
Champlain in June as delegates to the interna-tional LakeNet Conference.
Sharing with Lake Ohrid
St. Jovan Kaneo monastery on the shoreof Lake Ohrid.
Members of the Lake Champlain SteeringCommittee met in St. John, Quebec lastMarch.
LCBP
Michaela Stickney
CASIN’ THE BASIN
12
Lake ChamplainBasin Program
R E S O U R C E S
Casin’ The Basin is published three times a year bythe Lake Champlain Basin Program to inform the publicabout events and issues which affect the Lake ChamplainBasin. The public is encouraged to respond to informationpresented in this newsletter and can send comments to:
Casin’ the BasinLake Champlain Basin ProgramPO Box 20454 West Shore RoadGrand Isle, VT 05458
Material may be reproduced without permission, as longas credit is given. Casin’ the Basin is produced under anEPA grant # LC991923-01, and distributed free of chargeas a public service. The views expressed in this newsletterdo not necessarily reflect the position of the EnvironmentalProtection Agency or the New England Interstate WaterPollution Control Commission.
(NEIWPCC operates the business affairs of the LakeChamplain Basin Program. NEIWPCC, a non-profitinterstate agency established by an Act of Congress,serves and assists its member states individually andcollectively by providing coordination, public education,training and leadership in the management and protectionof water quality in the New York and New EnglandRegion.)
THE LAKE CHAMPLAINB A S I N P R O G R A M
The Lake Champlain Basin Program (LCBP) was established to
coordinate the activities envisioned by the Lake Champlain
Special Designation Act of 1990. The LCBP is a government
funded initiative working in partnership with numerous coop-
erating agencies, organizations and individuals to develop
and implement the comprehensive pollution prevention, con-
trol and restoration plan for Lake Champlain. The program is
guided by the Steering Committee which represents a broad
spectrum of lake-basin interests and organizations from New
York, Vermont, and Quebec including local government and
citizen representatives, scientists, and state and federal agen-
cies. In addition, many individuals are involved in the plan-
ning process through advisory committees and interested citi-
zens participate through public meetings. The ultimate goal of
the LCBP is to insure that the Lake and its drainage basin will
be protected, restored and maintained so that future genera-
tions will enjoy its full benefits.
recycled paper
Design: Don Hanson, Stowe, VTPrinting: Queen City Printers, Burlington, VT
Do you have a question or concern
about Lake Champlain?
Call toll-free:
1 - 8 0 0 - 4 6 8 L C B P
Lake Champlain Basin Program Staff
Nicole Ballinger — Information and CommunicationsSpecialist, (802) 655-6382
Erik Beck — Lake Champlain Coordinator, US EPA-New England, (617) 918-1606
Jim Connolly — New York Lake Champlain Coordinator,(518) 897-1216
Rachel Jablonka — EPA Coordinator, Region 2, U.S EPA,(212) 637-3853
Tricia Foster — Cultural Heritage Coordinator,(802) 655-6382
Barry Gruessner — Technical Coordinator,(802) 655-6382
Call the LCBP at (800) 468-5227 or (802) 655-6382 to order (unless otherwise noted). Visit
www.lcbp.org/reports.htm for a complete list oftechnical reports and other publications. Stop byour Colchester offices or our Resource Room atthe Science Center, 1 College Street, Burlington,VT to view LCBP resources. Call for hours andappointments.
GENERAL INTEREST PUBLICATIONS
Drainage Basin Map. This 24" x 32" maphighlights town, county, state and internationalboundaries within the Basin. Also includesprinciple surface waters and major river basinboundaries. $3.00
Fact Sheet Series. Free fact sheets on zebramussels, nonpoint source pollution, the Basin,wetlands, Lake Champlain historic sites, andboating to Lake Champlain’s parks and historicvillages. FREE
Lake Champlain Basin Atlas. This full-color atlascontains over 50 maps, photos and graphicsabout the nature of the Basin, the socio-econom-ics of the Basin and Lake Champlain issues, suchas phosphorus and nuisance species. Includesthe land use map. $25.00 from Northern Carto-graphic (802) 860-2886.
Land Use Map. This 24" x 32" full-color mapdepicts land use and vegetation types in theBasin derived from satellite imagery. $3.00 from
Northern Cartographic (802) 860-2886 or theLCBP.
Opportunities for Action. The LCBP’s final planrecommends priority management actions forLake Champlain. October, 1996. FREE
Progress ’99. Reports on the progress towardsimplementing Opportunities for Action. June,1999. FREE
RECENT TECHNICAL REPORTS
Evaluation of Soil Factors Controlling Phospho-rus Concentration in Runoff from AgriculturalSoils in the Lake Champlain Basin. Frederick R.Magdoff, William E. Jokela and Robert P.Durieux, University of Vermont, Department ofPlant and Soil Sciences. June 1997. LCBP Report#29. $5.00
Lower Trophic Level Interactions in the PelagicFoodweb of Lake Champlain. Dr. Suzanne N.Levine, Dr. Mark Borchardt, Dr. Moshe Braner,Angela Shambaugh, and Susan Spencer, UVMSchool of Natural Resources and MarshfieldMedical Research Foundation. July 1997. LCBPReport #30. $12.00
Estimation of Lake Champlain BasinwideNonpoint Source Phosphorus Export. WilliamHegman, Associates in Rural Development, Inc,and Catherine Borer, UVM Water Resources &Lake Study Center. September 1999. LCBPReport #31. $7.25
The Freshwater Mussels of the LowerMissisquoi River: Current Status and the Poten-tial for a Refugium from Zebra Mussel Impacts.Paul Marangelo, VT Agency of Natural Re-sources. June 1999. LCBP Report #32. $5.50
Ecological Effects of Sediment - AssociatedContaminants in Inner Burlington Harbor, LakeChamplain. Tetra Tech, Inc.. September 1999.LCBP Report #33. $7.50
Benthic Phosphorus Cycling in Lake Champlain:Results of an Integrated Field Sampling/WaterQuality Modeling Study. Part A: Water QualityModeling/ Part B: Field Studies. HydroQual,Inc. June 1999. LCBP Report #34A $13.25 "B $8.25
Determination and Quantification of FactorsControlling Pollutant Delivery from AgriculturalLand to Streams in the Lake Champlain Basin.J.W. Hughes, W.E. Jokela, D. Wang, C. Borer,UVM. September 1999. LCBP Report #35$5.00
SLIDE SHOW PRESENTATIONThe LCBP staff presents free 20-40 minute slideshows on issues in the Lake Champlain Basin toschools and community groups. Can be adaptedto most any audience. Call to schedule. FREE
