Effective July 1st, 2010 Vermont stores can no longer sell automatic dishwasher detergents that contain phosphorus. What does this mean for your dishes? Nothing! Phosphorus-free dishwashing detergents perform just as well as their phosphorus containing counterparts. This is great news for Vermont’s lakes and waterways! Phosphorus helps harmful algae thrive. It is easier and less expensive to reduce our use of phosphorus than it is to remove it at wastewater treatment plants. The ban is a result of a multi-year campaign LCC began in 2003 to get phosphates out of automatic dishwasher detergents. Similar legislation is pending in New York State. Read...

The burst of hot weather has many of us outside doing lots of lawn and garden projects. With that in mind, below are a “clean lake” tips to follow to ensure that the investments you make in your property stay there rather than running off into a nearby waterway (and eventually the lake)... Read...

In late April the EPA agreed to reconsider the Vermont portion of the Lake Champlain clean-up plan (known as a TMDL). The TMDL is used to set limits on the amount of pollution produced by wastewater treatment facilities and to set goals for pollution reduction efforts from other sources. The original TMDL had been approved in 2001... Read...

This month LCC welcomes Ryan Garber as an Environmental Service Corps student intern for the summer. Ryan is a Master’s candidate at McGill University in Montreal. He is working on a project to identify ways municipalities might adapt to anticipated warmer temperatures, and greater frequency and intensity of storm events resulting from climate change.  While state and federal agencies have the capacity to develop adaptation plans, municipalities have fewer resources. Thus, Ryan’s work will fill a gap in our efforts to adapt to a changing climate. We’re delighted to have him onboard! Read...

Reserve your copy by joining LCC or renewing your membership! 

The 2010 edition of the Lake Champlain Paddlers' Trail Guidebook and Stewardship Manual will be out in June. It’s filled with important information for great adventures on the water including site descriptions and chartlets for 39 Trail locations (including several new sites!), launch site listings, natural history articles, safety and stewardship tips, equipment check lists and more! - And it's available to all members who renew annually for $40 or more. Click here to make an online donation to ensure you have the guidebook in hand at the beginning of the paddling season. Read...

A new study released by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service examines possible routes by which the invasive plankton species, spiny waterflea, might reach Lake Champlain, as well as options for trying to prevent such spread... Read...

TDI – Transmission Developers Inc. – has filed initial documents for their proposal for an underwater buried electric cable with the New York State Public Services Commission. The proposed cable would run the length of Lake Champlain and bring electricity from Canada to New York City and vicinity. Where possible, the proposed ... Read...

Work to replace the Champlain Bridge between Crown Point, NY and Addison, VT is progressing on schedule according to presentations at a meeting in Addison on May 11th... Read...

The Coast Guard has established a no-wake zone effective May 7, 2010 until December 31, 2011, during the construction of the new Lake Champlain bridge connecting Crown Point, New York, and Chimney Point, Vermont. Until now, the Coast Guard had been enforcing a safety zone that excluded all vessel ... Read...

In late April and early May the temperature of the lake at the King St. ferry dock in Burlington rose above 40 degrees for the first time this year. This signals the beginning of lake stratification. Water 39 degrees ... Read...

Way to Go is an annual program co-founded by LCC to promote the use of cheaper, healthier, more earth-friendly alternatives to driving alone. Individuals, businesses, schools, and organizations can all easily participate. Just pledge to get to work, school or play by walking, ... Read...

Celebrate the outdoors at Saturday’s May 8th Point Au Roche State Park EcoFair. Due to New York state budget cuts, the Park will be closed for the 2010 season. Sponsored by the Friends of Point Au Roche State Park, the EcoFair is an opportunity to enjoy and explore the Park’s 800 acres of woodlands, rolling meadows, scenic walking trails and stunning lakefront before public access is curtailed.

Activities run from 10:00 AM until 4:00 PM and include a host of programs from nature walks and scavenger hunts to hands-on activities making snow shoes and bucket gardens. There will be live owls, live performances, free healthy snacks, and displays and demonstrations from twenty-five organizations and businesses. LCC Staff Scientist Mike Winslow will be on hand to give a noon natural history talk and provide information on lake issues at a 2:00 PM panel discussion.

Read...