by Lori Fisher, Lake Champlain Committee
As 2024 draws to a close, so does my nearly 40-year tenure at LCC. Today is my last day as Executive Director. It has been an honor and privilege to work for clean, accessible water over many decades and to have your support in that cause.
I’m pleased to note that after an extensive search, the Board of Directors has found a wonderful new leader. They will reach out to introduce her to you in January 2025.
In our Winter E-Newsletter below we share a reflection on the Clean Water Act and information about our CHAMP volunteer’s discovery of Corbicula fluminea (read on to learn what that is) and introduce you to Dr. Lindsey Carlson—LCC’s new Science & Water Programs Coordinator. You’ll learn what Sobagwihla means and about our native aquatic plants project and how you can bring our visuals of native flora to your local school, art gallery, or community center. To inform your experience of winter you’ll find a Clean Lake Tip about how to keep your sidewalks safe with salt brine instead of rock salt, a nature note on lake-effect snow, and our latest Lake Look “When Shell Freezes Over”.
Thank you for your involvement in the ongoing work for clean water. Your participation is key to protecting and restoring water quality, safeguarding habitat, providing access, and fostering stewardship.
If you haven’t donated recently you can join, renew, make a special donation or contribute to our Legacy Fund through our secure website. Best wishes for a happy and healthy new year!
With deep gratitude,
Lori Fisher, LCC Executive Director
From underwater, to floating leaves, to emerging above the surface, aquatic plants have diverse forms and habitats.
Get aquatic plants out of the lake and onto your walls!
They touch the tips of swimmers’ toes, wrap around fishhooks, anchors, and paddles, and form underwater meadows near shorelines—native aquatic plants are ubiquitous in Lake Champlain Basin waterbodies. The roles these aquatic superstars play in lake ecosystems are often undervalued. It is not uncommon to hear native aquatic plants described as “yucky weeds,” but they are so much more than that—each species tells their own unique evolutionary story, and each plays a role in the broader ecological and human systems of Lake Champlain. Underwater flora are frequently overlooked, yet they are as essential as trees in a forest.
Not only are these plants ecologically important—they’re beautiful! If you have a space like a gallery, library, classroom, or meetinghouse, you can add educational and artistic flair to your walls with our art prints of native aquatic plants. LCC has sets of fifteen prints showcasing the Lake Champlain flora that you can borrow for display, along with a suite of accompanying educational materials including factsheets, identification cards, informative articles, and more.
LCC welcomed Dr. Lindsey Carlson as our Water and Science Program Coordinator on 12/16/24.
Introducing Dr. Lindsey Carlson -- LCC Science & Water Programs Coordinator!
LCC welcomed Dr. Lindsey Carlson as our Water and Science Program Coordinator on 12/16/24. “Lindsey brings a wealth of experience in aquatic ecology, community engagement, and environmental science to the LCC team,” noted LCC Executive Director Lori Fisher. “We’re delighted to have her on board to oversee our cyanobacteria and aquatic invasive monitoring programs and expand the Lake Champlain Paddlers’ Trail.”
Read more...
Paddlers’ Trail Guidebook Now Includes Western Abenaki Place Names and Better Maps
Sobagwihla --soo-bah-gwee-hlah--where sea ducks gather, where it becomes ocean. That’s the Western Abenaki place name and the meaning of Kill Kare, one of the Lake Champlain Paddlers’ Trail sites. A bill that passed the Vermont Legislature in 2020 that LCC supported required that any new state park signs display both the English name and Abenaki name, if there is one. Preliminary work to identify site names was completed in October 2024 and we’ve added them to the Lake Champlain Paddlers’ Trail guidebook in recognition that the Trail exists on territory originally and currently inhabited by Abenaki and other native people. We hope to add more place names in the future.
Read more...
The Clean Water Act turned 52 in October 2024. How is it designed to protect water?
Fifty-two Years of the Clean Water Act
Given the recent election, national politics is on many people’s minds. Unfortunately, the protection of something as fundamental as water has become a political issue. The Clean Water Act (CWA) turned 52 in late October 2024. The Act shaped water policy in the United States and helped restore the quality of our country’s waters, but much has changed since its passage and recent court rulings have weakened its reach.
Read more...
LCC CHAMP volunteer Ashley Leemans found the first invasive golden clam (Corbicula fluminea) in Lake Champlain in late October 2024.
Invasive Golden Clam Discovered in Lake Champlain by LCC Volunteer
On a sunny late-October day, a dual-sided rake head tied to a twenty-five-foot length of rope sailed through the air and broke the previously still water of a boat launch in Whitehall, New York with a splash. Ashley Leemans, a volunteer with the Lake Champlain Committee (LCC), reeled in the rope, and picked through the pounds of submersed plants that collected on the tines to identify what species are present. It’s a part of routine monitoring for volunteers in LCC’s Champlain Aquatic invasive Monitoring Program—CHAMP—where participants are trained to survey for invasive species, both those that have been detected in Lake Champlain and those that have been found in nearby waterbodies on the “watchlist”. While sifting through her first rake toss of the day, Ashley found something alarming.
Ashley photographed what she suspected to be one of the species on the watchlist—golden clam (Corbicula fluminea)—and sent details to LCC. We followed up with program partners and state agencies to confirm her finding of the first known golden clam in Lake Champlain. The aggressive aquatic invasive species (AIS) has been documented in the region since 2008 but has not been seen in Lake Champlain until now. It’s native to the eastern Mediterranean, Asia, Africa, and Australia. Golden clam is hermaphroditic, meaning a single individual can start a new population. The species is known to reproduce quickly in other North American waterbodies.
Read more...
Lake Look
Turtle shells are not just for physical protection—they act as mineral reserves to help weather the winter chill.
When Shell Freezes Over – How Turtles Weather Winter
In stressful times, one may envy a turtle: built-in safety from predators with their shells and free from modern expectations of speed and efficiency. Spending summers lounging on logs and rocks warmed by the sun and winters in seemingly peaceful hibernation. However, the winter months present survival obstacles for all animals in Lake Champlain, and turtles don’t have it easy. While hibernation may seem appealing to those who don’t enjoy the long cold nights of the season, it poses challenges with some surprising solutions.
Clean Lake Tip
Many plows in our region are fitted with brine sprayers, which they use instead of rock salt. It’s a method you can replicate at home.
Brine Time
Road salt has ripple effects on aquatic ecology, human health, and infrastructure. Just one teaspoon of salt can permanently contaminate five gallons of water in streams, rivers, lakes, and ponds. Anti-icing—preparing your roads before a freeze rather than salting your roads after ice—helps keep your driveway safe while using significantly less salt. Anti-icing before a storm is similar to using a non-stick spray on a pan before cooking: just as the spray prevents food from bonding to the pan, anti-icing prevents snow and ice from bonding to the pavement so that it can be plowed away. This approach can help you cut salt application in half while still melting snow and ice and keeping your roads and walkways safe. Check out our Clean Lake Tip for a guide on making your own brine solution and best practices for application.
Read more...
Nature Note
Snow falls on the Burlington VT waterfront from cold, northerly winds.
The Lake Champlain Snow Globe
While the sun shines in Montpelier, snow could be dumping from the clouds 50 miles southwest in Cornwall, VT. Apart from major snowstorms—namely Nor’easters—the formation of lake-effect snow over Lake Champlain is one of the weather patterns that turns the Champlain Valley into a winter wonderland. Lake-effect snows requires a big lake. This weather phenomenon is also common on the Great Lakes and New York’s Finger Lakes. Whether the snow makes you jump for joy or want to escape to warmer realms, it’s a staple of the winter experience in the Champlain watershed.
Read more...
Water News from Near & Far
Vermont Agencies New Proposal to Regulate Water on Farms Falls Short
fter years of LCC and partner organizations advocating for stronger regulations and recently calling for a federal review of state enforcement practices, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said that Vermont must correct shortcomings in enforcing the Clean Water Act on farms. Vermont agencies have responded with a proposal that fails to tackle the full scope of the regulatory problems in the state. Read more in this Vermont Digger article.
Where Does Salt Go After the Snow?
Vermont Public addressed the question of where road salt goes after its application on the street—the answer has implications for human health, invasive species spread, aquatic life, and infrastructure.
Ice records From Lower St. Regis Lake in the Adirondacks Tells a Story of Climate Change
Dr. Curt Stager from Paul Smith’s College explains how years of ice data from St. Regis Lake in Brighton NY mirror global climate change trends in this interview with North Country Public Radio.
Droughts in Panama Cause a Challenge to International Commerce and Local Residents
Much of the focus of climate change’s impacts on the Lake Champlain region is on flooding, but other parts of the world face a severe lack of water. With long droughts persisting, a $1.6 billion project in Panama will create a reservoir designed to ensure the viability of the Panama Canal in a changing climate—resulting in the displacement of local farmers and legal woes. Learn more in this article from US News & World Report.
Keep in Touch
Do you have a new address or email? If so, please email us at [email protected] so we can update your files and ensure you receive news on lake issues and LCC’s work. Email is our primary form of communication with members, volunteers, and partners. Mailing electronically saves time and resources and reinforces the stewardship ethic of our mission. We don’t give away or sell email addresses.
Lake Champlain Committee Board of Directors
Gary Kjelleren, Chair | South Hero, VT
Sandy Montgomery, Treasurer | Montreal, QC
Alan Booth | Plattsburgh, NY
Cliff Landesman | Brooklyn, NY
Rick Sharp | Colchester, VT
Hank Slauson | Shelburne, VT
Michaela Stickney | Huntington, VT
Lake Champlain Committee Advisory Council
Lisa Borre | Belding, MI
Steven Kellogg | Essex, NY
Peter S. Paine Jr. | Willsboro, NY
Mary Watzin | Greenville, SC
Staff & Support
Lori Fisher, Executive Director
Lindsey Carlson, Field Assistant
Jared Carpenter, Water Protection Advocate
Eileen Fitzgerald, Education & Outreach Associate
Alexa Hachigian, Office Manager/Field Associate
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