EPA to survey Lake Memphremagog in preparation for development of new depth map

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will be on Lake Memphremagog for the week of September 23rd, completing a survey of Lake Memphremagog to create a new depth map. The new map is being made primarily to assist in the development of a phosphorus reduction plan for the lake. However, with the assistance of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada and the Quebec Ministry of Sustainable Development, Environment, and Wildlife, the map will also be made available to recreational users as a navigational chart. This new chart will cover all of Vermont and Quebec, and will be a great resource for boaters who regularly cross the international border on Lake Memphremagog traveling between Newport, VT and Magog, QC.
Ben Copans, Watershed coordinator for the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation, explained that ‘While it has been challenging to coordinate the international mapping project for Lake Memphremagog, it is well worth the effort as the water and nutrients don’t stop at the border. A single comprehensive map of the lake will benefit many.’ The Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation is partnering in the effort to obtain the data and develop the map.
Quebec and Vermont partners have been working on addressing nutrient enrichment issues on Lake Memphremagog for years, primarily through the efforts of the Quebec-Vermont Steering Committee on Lake Memphremagog , which meets twice a year in Quebec and Vermont. Pete LaFlamme, Director of the DEC’s Watershed Management Division and co-chair of the Steering committee, explains ‘without the support from the EPA and the Quebec and Canadian governments we would not be able to complete a mapping project of this scale. This key step in addressing nutrient concerns on the Lake will have several additional benefits to recreational users of the lake. The Department is grateful for EPA’s assistance in this important work.’