Dear Lake Friends,
As we say goodbye to summer and move into fall, this is a time of transition at LCC and elsewhere. After nearly four decades working at this wonderful organization, I will retire at the end of December, shortly after we go through another seasonal transition. If you missed earlier notice about my retirement, you’ll find my letter of departure here and a letter from chair Gary Kjelleren and a press announcement in this E-News. Deep thanks to everyone who has reached out with personal messages—I’m very touched and appreciate your patience as I write back to each of you.
In this E-News you’ll also find an update on the joint petition we filed with the Conservation Law Foundation and Vermont Natural Resources Council documenting how the fraught relationship and dual responsibility between Vermont state agencies for regulating water pollution on farms both fails farmers and doesn’t protect water quality. EPA responded by conducting their own investigation and issuing findings that Vermont’s program operations do not meet requirements of the Clean Water Act. The corrective actions required will result in a transition of how Vermont regulates farms.
Please read on for more lake news and information including an update on the State of the Lake, an introduction to some of the oldest and fastest plants on earth, and to learn about the lake’s largest and longest living fish, discover what invasives we found during training sessions for our aquatic invasive monitoring program-CHAMP, and find other community science volunteer opportunities.
If you haven’t donated yet this year (our fiscal year ends September 30 and we could use your support before then) you can make a gift to join, renew, make a special donation or contribute to our Legacy Fund through our secure website.
Thanks for caring about water,
Lori Fisher, LCC Executive Director
According to an investigation done by EPA, in response to the de-delegation petition filed by CLF, LCC, and VNRC, Vermont is failing to meet Clean Water Act requirements due to mismanaged state regulatory processes on farms.
EPA Calls for Major Changes in How VT Regulates Water Quality on Farms
On September 9, 2024, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a letter finding that the way VT regulates farm pollution violates the federal Clean Water Act and directing the state to take corrective actions and establish a new system for regulatory oversight and enforcement. “The evidence documented by EPA confirms that the current system is broken and does not fully implement the Clean Water Act,” said LCC Executive Director Lori Fisher. “We are committed to working with all parties to establish a program that provides clear guidance for farmers and meets all federal requirements to safeguard our waterways.” Ultimately, this transition stands to benefit both the farming community and the environment.
Read more...
The 2024 State of the Lake Report from the Lake Champlain Basin Program gives an update of the health of Lake Champlain and is available for free from lcbp.org.
What's the State of the Lake?
In June 2024 the Lake Champlain Basin Program -- the entity that coordinates and helps fund implementation of the Lake Champlain restoration and management plan in partnership with New York, Vermont, and Quebec government agencies – released its 2024 State of the Lake Report. The 36-page document provides an update on how Lake Champlain is faring according to four goals of clean water, healthy ecosystems, informed and involved public, and thriving communities. It includes a “scorecard” showing data trends on phosphorus, cyanobacteria blooms, and the introduction of new invasive species and uses easy-to-understand graphics and maps to illustrate complex issues. Read on for a brief tour of the contents and some take-aways.
The Watershed for Every Classroom crew took a trip on the University of Vermont’s research vessel the Marcelle Melosira to learn about microplastics and fish populations in Lake Champlain.
A Watershed for Every Classroom
The Lake Champlain basin is full of stories that educators can use to teach all subjects, engage students in learning about their community, and integrate content, service, and a sense of belonging to their home watershed. To delve into these stories with teachers, the Lake Champlain Committee and our partners in the Champlain Basin Education Initiative (CBEI) hosted a course called Watershed for Every Classroom (WEC). The place-based educational program in the Lake Champlain watershed is part professional development and part summer camp for teachers.
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LCC trains volunteers like Kevin Farrar (pictured above) to survey for aquatic invasive species using rakes and visual assessments from shore and watercraft. There’s still time to join our CHAMP 2024 team!
Surveying for Aquatic Invasive Species with CHAMP
Aquatic invasive species (AIS) are among the major challenges facing Lake Champlain—they reduce biodiversity by outcompeting native species and disrupting ecological processes, and they can proliferate to impact water quality and recreation. LCC launched a volunteer community science initiative—the Champlain Aquatic invasive Monitoring Program (CHAMP)—to train folks how to identify and survey for key AIS in Lake Champlain. We still need volunteers to survey before the snow flies—you can sign up here and we’ll schedule additional trainings in your area. Read on to learn more about the program and stories from the field.
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LCC cyanobacteria monitor Jeanette Berry takes her water sampling at Malletts Bay Boat Launch seriously. She bikes from site to site when assessing conditions along Lake Champlain’s Colchester VT shoreline.
Cyanobacteria Monitors Take to the Lake for a 22nd Season
Each summer LCC trains and oversees New York, Vermont, and Quebec community science volunteers throughout the Lake Champlain basin to report on cyanobacteria and water conditions. The program, now in its 22nd year, provides critical data from over 150 Lake Champlain and inland lake sites on where and when blooms are happening and helps keep people updated on whether the water is safe for recreation. To date over 3,000 reports have been filed and monitoring will continue through early November.
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LCC Executive Director Lori Fisher (center) checking Main Lake water conditions with some of the LCC team--Education & Outreach Associate Eileen Fitzgerald (left) and Field Assistant Lindsey Carlson (right).
Lori to Swim Off to Retirement!
After an extraordinary career spanning nearly four decades, our beloved Executive Director, Lori Fisher, has announced her retirement, effective at the end of 2024. Lori’s unwavering dedication and passion for protecting and preserving Lake Champlain have made her an iconic figure in our community and beyond. Her leadership has been instrumental in countless achievements for the LCC, and her impact on the health and well-being of our lake is immeasurable. We are deeply grateful for her tireless efforts and invaluable contributions to our organization.
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Lake Look
Yellow pond lily (Nuphar variegata) is among the group of the first flowering plants on earth. The last of their blooms are visible into the autumn season and can be found from the northern reaches of the Missisquoi Bay to the southern tip of Lake Champlain in river and creek inlets.
A Brief Natural History of Aquatic Plants
Aquatic plants in Lake Champlain will be dying back soon, but their blooms provide additional color to the vibrant autumn landscape. How did aquatic plants in the lake get there, and what helps make them successful away from land? We dig into the origin of plants, their journey from water to land and back again, and some specific adaptations of plants found in the Lake Champlain basin.
Clean Lake Tip
Senator Peter Welch (VT) demonstrates clean, drain, dry using a power washer from a mobile boat wash station at the Malletts Bay Boat Launch.
Clean, Drain, Dry
Humans are the main conveyors of most aquatic invasive species, moving them from one body of water to another. Many of these troublesome plants and animals can be unintentionally transported on fishing gear, boating equipment, or even tiny amounts of water left in a watercraft. The simplest and most effective way to prevent the spread of aquatic invasives is to ensure that your vessel and all your equipment are cleaned, drained, and dried.
Read more...
Nature Note
Lake sturgeon are ancient, long-lived, massive, and whiskered.
Lake Champlain's Living Fossil
Lake sturgeon are fish with a lot of superlatives. They have been on Earth longer than any flowering plant, can grow to the standing height of an adult man, and live to be supercentenarians in the right conditions a complicated relationship with people as it was Nearly driven to extinction and currently designated as endangered in Vermont and threatened in New York, lake sturgeon have complicated relationships with people. Read on to learn about their storied evolutionary history, “vintage” features, and how they got to the precarious state they’re in now.
Read more...
Water News from Near & Far
LCC Executive Director Lori Fisher to Retire at the End of 2024
The Lake Champlain Committee of Vermont, New York, and Quebec announced that Lori Fisher, its esteemed Executive Director, will retire on December 31, 2024. Under Fisher’s leadership, LCC has made significant strides in protecting and restoring the health of Lake Champlain. Her passion for the lake and her unwavering commitment to environmental stewardship have been key to advancing LCC’s mission. Senator Leahy (VT) stated “Lori Fisher has worked and advocated for the protection of Lake Champlain tirelessly for more than 30 years. Lori was a great help to me when I wrote the original Lake Champlain Special Designation Act in the early 1990's and has been a lynchpin to the successful implementation of the act ever since. Lori built the Lake Champlain Committee into the most effective advocacy organization working to protect Lake Champlain and her legacy will be a cleaner lake for future generations in Vermont and New York." Read the full press release here.
Federal regulators call for major changes to how Vermont regulates water quality on farms
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says a bureaucratic division of labor is causing Vermont to fall short when it comes to enforcing water quality regulations on farms that raise livestock in close quarters, like conventional dairy farms. The rebuke from the EPA comes after years of LCC and partner organizations advocating for stronger regulations and recently calling for a federal investigation on state enforcement practices, which revealed that state regulators are not enforcing the Clean Water Act — the primary federal law that regulates water pollution in the U.S. — uniformly on farms. Read the full article from Vermont Public here and dive in deeper in this Vermont Edition podcast.
Lake Trout Make a Comeback in Lake Champlain
Since sustained lake trout stocking started in 1973, there was no evidence wild fish survived their first winter. This changed about ten years ago when fisheries managers began to see positive signs of a self-sustaining wild lake trout population. Hatchery fish are marked by a fin clip before being stocked in the lake, a rising tide of unclipped trout indicates an improving wild population. 2024 has shown the highest rate of wild trout catch of all recorded years. Read about how this is studied and why lake trout are succeeding in the Adirondack Explorer.
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
Jared Carpenter, Water Protection Advocate
Lori Fisher, Executive Director
Eileen Fitzgerald, Education & Outreach Associate
Alexa Hachigian, Office Manager/Field Associate
Lindsey Carlson, Field Assistant
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