Lake Champlain

From Great Lakes Wiki

People say Lake Champlain wants to be a Great Lake but doesn't measure up. But the lake has one thing the "Greats" don't have: its very own lake monster, Champ.

One favorite occupation of tourists and Lake Champlain Watershed dwellers is capturing the mysterious lake monster Champ (or Champy if your are from New York) on film. Many websites have posted "pictures" of the beast (wait through the commerical) and a raging debate over his physical description is still ongoing (the big debate is whether Champy looks like a giant serpent or a plesiosaur which is like a cross between a dolphin and an alligator). Many of these websites report that Champy predates colonization according to Native American oral traditions, for example: http://www.unmuseum.org/champ.htm. Detractors point out that a large, fish-eating carnivore would be hard pressed to find enough to eat in the lake and that there would be many more sightings if there were enough of these animals to keep the population alive.

Lake Champlain from Keeseville, NY by John Weiss

Lake Champlain straddles the border between New York and Vermont and extends slightly across the northern border of the U.S. into Quebec. The lake is long and thin with five distinct regions: South Lake, Broad Lake, Malletts Bay, Inland Sea (Northeast Arm) and Missisquoi Bay. Each region of the lake faces unique difficulties because of differences in depth, circulation and the proximity of cities.

Lake Champlain was recognized in the Lake Champlain Special Designation Act of 1990 as being an important resource. The act created the Lake Champlain Basin Program, a concerted effort to address the environmental issues plaguing the watershed.

Lake Champlain, along with the Great Lakes and Chesapeake Bay fall under the EPA's "Great Waters Program" created by the Clean Water Act. Lake Champlain does not have any Areas of Concern designated by the EPA; that term is reserved for the Great Lakes region. However, state and federal governments and community groups are monitoring the lake for contamination and invasive species. Several programs are in place to remediate polluted areas and to prevent further contamination.

Lake Champlain is home to the oldest known coral reef. The 480 million-year-old fossilized reef is located on Isle La Motte, the northern most island in the lake. The Isle La Motte Preservation Trust and the Lake Champlain Land Trust are raising funds to purchase the property called Goodsell Ridge to preserve if for the public.

Facts and Figures

6th largest fresh water
120 miles long, 12 miles at its greatest width
435 square miles
6.8 quadrillion gallons of water
drainage basin covers 8,234 square miles
greatest depth: 400 feet
average depth: 64 ft
basin population exceeds 600,000

Environmental Issues

The bedrock of environmental action on Lake Champlain is the Lake Champlain Basin Program whose major funding comes from the EPA. The next layer is the Opportunities for Action, the plan that specifies which groups are involved and where their focus should be applied.

LCBP considers the following to be the major issues in the Lake Champlain Basin (from their Web site):

High phosphorus levels and algal blooms in parts of the Lake
Toxic substances, such as PCB's and mercury, which have resulted in fish consumption advisories for some fish
Impacts to fish and wildlife from nuisance non-native aquatic species
Wetland loss
Habitat fragmentation
Public access issues
Recreational use conflicts
Loss of cultural and archeological resources

Invasive Species

Zebra Mussels first arrived in Lake Champlain in 1993 and have spread to the entire lake. Reducing the spread of this and other exotic species is the goal of the Lake Champlain Basin Aquatic Nuisance Species Management Plan.

Sea Lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) Sea lamprey are parasitic fish that attack salmon, trout and walleye as well as other lake fish. The loss of these fish in Lake Champlain has a negative impact on the sport fishing industry. The use of lampracides in the tributaries to Lake Champlain began in 1990 to kill lampreys in their larval phase. Some research has suggested the lamprey may actually be native to the lake.

Alewife were first spotted in Lake Champlain in 2003. Follow up by environmental agencies has confirmed their presence. The alewife may have been introduced by fishermen using them for bait. A large alewife population could have harmful effects on the lake's ecosystem.

Water Chestnut

Water Chestnut (Trapa natans L.) is common to the shallow South Lake section of the lake. Community groups and the government have focused on hand pulling and mechanical harvesting to prevent the plants from forming mats on the surface of the water that interfere with boating and block sunlight from entering the lake.

Eurasian Milfoil (Myriophyllum spicatum L.) is also found in shallower regions of Lake Champlain. Many methods of removal are bring tried: mechanical harvesting, hydroraking and bio-control using a species of aquatic water milfoil weevil (Euhrychiopsis lecontei). Milfoil, like water chestnut, can form mats that block use of the water. Its sun-blocking potential and speedy growth also threaten native plant species.

Contaminants

Mercury and PCBs contamination centers around urban areas such as Cumberland Bay, Outer Mallets Bay and Burlington Harbor.

Mercury is the most common toxic contaminant found in the lake according to the 2006 progress report from the LCBP. Fish advisories are in place in Vermont and New York because of contamination with mercury and PCBs. New York is trying to prevent the mercury from reaching the lake by exchanging mercury thermometers for digital ones and communicating with dentists about safe mercury disposal.

Cumberland Bay, Outer Mallets Bay and Burlington Harbor all showed high levels of PCBs in 1991 (above federal guidelines). In 2001, Cumberland Bay was dredged and 140,000 tons of PCB-containing sediment were removed. Tests after the dredging showed a reduction in PCB levels to below 15 ppm in the bay.

Blue-green algae (cyanobacteria) blooms are caused by high levels of the nutrient phosphorus in warm, shallow water. The blooms are most problematic in the northeastern part of the lake. Vermont, New York and Quebec agreed on a 20-year plan in 1996 to reduce phosphorus from fertilizers used on crops and lawns. In 2003 the plan was revised with new goals set for 2009. As of 2006, about 90 percent of phosphorous comes from these fertilizers. The algae can cause skin rashes and can harm the human nervous system if ingested. Online sites have information on current blooms and how to identify them.

Two technological solutions have been proposed for dealing with the toxic blooms: Floating, solar-powered fountains to aerate the water and prevent algae blooms and treatment of manure with an electrical charge before using it to fertilize fields. The charge kills bacteria in the manure making it less odorous and better absorbed by crops. Higher absorption leads to less run off.

New kinds of contaminants are now heading for the lake including caffeine, insect repellent, herbicides, road salt and antibiotics. How these chemicals will impact the lake ecology remains to be seen.

Recreational Uses

According to the EPA, Lake Champlain attracts about $154 million tourist dollars every year. Tourist use the lake and surrounding region for fishing, hunting, birdwatching, biking and more.

Fishing and hunting
There are over 90 types of fish in Lake Champlain including Atlantic salmon, bass, walleye, trout and yellow perch. Ice fishing is also popular in the winter. New York State's Department of Environmental Conservation is asking the fishing community to keep angler's diaries as a way to keep an eye on fish populations and possibly as a way to keep the outdoors sporting community involved in maintaining the lake.
boating

Lake Champlain Bikeways Initiated in 1993, the bikeway has a 363 miles of trails around the lake.

Lake Champlain Birding Trail. Established in 1999.

Lake Champlain Paddlers Trail

Public and private beaches. Closure information can be found at the Lake Champlain Basin Program's website.

Commercial Uses

Lake Champlain is the source of drinking water for over 200,000 people in NY Vt and Qu
Lake Champlain is part of a shipping channel that connects to the Hudson River and St. Lawrence River via canals.

There are several ferries that provide cross-river trips between New York and Vermont. While most of the trips are under twenty minutes, sightseeing trip are available.

Important Dates

1988 New York, Vermont & Quebec sign an agreement (Memorandum of Understanding) to reduce phosphorous levels
1989- Champlain-Adirondack Biosphere Reserve designated part of the UN Biosphere Reserve
1990 Lake Champlain Special Designation Act signed into law (created Lake Champlain Basin Program (LCBP))
1996 Opportunities for Action (plan for dealing with environmental issues) endorsed
2000 Lake Champlain Aquatic Nuisance Species Management Plan signed
2001 Dredging of Cumberland Bay removes 140,000 tons of PCB-containing sediment
2002 Clean Marine Engine Initiative signed
2003 Updated version of Opportunities for Action implemented

Current Events

Fundraising for Isle La Motte

Sea lamprey control measures planned from mid-September to mid-October 2006. Pesticides are applied to tributaries of Lake Champlain to kill the lampreys in their larval stage and prevent them from maturing, entering the lakes and killing trout and salmon. Staff from the New York and Vermont Fish and Wildlife Services will apply the pesticides.