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Vermont Tile Drain Report Doesn’t Go Far Enough
LCC and six other environmental groups sent a joint letter to the Vermont Agencies of Agriculture and Natural Resources commenting on an interim report on the impacts of agricultural tile drains released by the Agencies. Read more...
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Drugs in Wastewater
Shift With Seasons
Researchers at UVM have looked at the impacts of changes in student populations on drug residues in Burlington’s wastewater, according to an article in the Burlington Free Press. Christine Vatovec, an environmental science research professor, compared the concentration of drugs... Read more...
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Cormorant Management
on Hold?
A federal court has ruled that the authority under which hundreds of thousands of double-crested cormorants around the country are killed each year was illegally issued. The ruling calls into question state and federal authority to manage cormorants on Lake Champlain. Read more...
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Invasives Eschew
Great Lakes
The Great Lakes have been the point of introduction for numerous aquatic invasive species over the years. Ocean-going cargo ships would exchange ballast water after arriving from Europe or Asia and accidentally dump the creatures that had survived the passage in a new home. Read more...
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Act Locally For
Water Quality
The phrase “think globally, act locally” has been a mantra of the environmental movement for at least 45 years. It urges people to consider the health of the entire planet when making decisions or taking actions close to home. Read more...
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Spring Cleaning
Spring snowmelt reveals accumulated detritus from winter months. Leaves, trash, dog waste, road sand -- all will end up in the nearest waterway without some help. It’s time for spring cleaning. You can adopt a stormdrain or stretch of roadside to clean up the litter and protect our waters. In Vermont each town has an organized Green Up on the first Saturday in May... Read more...
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Nature Note – Lake Stratification Begins
On April, 1, 2016 the water temperature at the USGS gage in Burlington hit 40°F for the first time this year. Each year we eagerly await this milestone.This temperature is significant because it marks the point at which the lake begins to stratify for the summer. Read more...
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April 30 - National Drug Take-Back Day
Federal and state agencies are teaming up to host National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on Saturday, April 30, 2016 from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM. LCC encourages everyone to check medicine cabinets for unwanted, unused pharmaceuticals and safely dispose of them at a nearby collection site. More than 1.5 million pounds of medication were removed from circulation during previous National Take Back Days. Read more...
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Friday Bird Walks
Celebrate spring on weekly, free bird walks with the Lake Champlain Committee (LCC). Pick up tips to recognize the avian creatures that pass through and inhabit our region and learn how they rely on the lake. Whether you're an experienced or new birder or just looking to take a lakeside stroll, please join us at Oakledge! All walks begin at 8 AM, rain or shine, and last about an hour. Read more...
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Water News from Near and Far
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ECHO Invasive Species Exhibit
ECHO Lake Aquarium and Science Center, Leahy Center for Lake Champlain has a new exhibit, funded by the Lake Champlain Basin Program, which showcases six animal and four plant invasive species.
“Invasive species are a significant problem in Lake Champlain. The past year saw the 51st non-native species... Read more...
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Invasive Art
The SUNY Plattsburgh 2016 Senior Exhibition for students in the Bachelors of Fine Arts program features works inspired by invasive species from Lake Champlain by artist Colleen Doelger. One piece, “Clogged Up” is a sculpture of a garden hose with zebra mussels growing out of it. In her artist’s statement she writes: Read more...
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PFOA Contaminated Drinking Water
A chemical, PFOA has been found in drinking water supplies in the Northeast. It started last November when residents of Hoosick Falls, NY in Rensselear County were notified that water samples in the town tested positive for PFOA. PFOA stands for perfluorooctanoate. It has been used in the making Teflon and has been produced since the 1940s. Read more...
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NY Offers Pesticide Disposal Option
The Spring 2016 CleanSweepNY collection event will take place on Wednesday, May 4 in Plattsburgh, NY and Thursday, May 5 in Hudson Falls, NY. CleanSweepNY is a program to safely and economically dispose of canceled, unwanted, unusable, or otherwise obsolete pesticides and other chemicals from agricultural or non-agricultural business activities. Read more...
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Endangered St. Lawrence River
American Rivers, a non-profit river advocacy organization, has declared the St. Lawrence River one of the ten most endangered in the country. The group noted, “Outdated dam operations are putting the river’s rich history and biodiversity at risk.”
The Moses-Saunders Hydropower Dam was constructed on the St. Lawrence 50 years ago. Read more...
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Pollution from Driveway Sealants
Think twice before you seal coat your driveway. The USGS has recently produced a fact sheet on the health and water quality impacts of coal tar-based driveway sealants. Sealants are black, viscous liquids sprayed or painted on many asphalt parking lots... Read more...
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Citizen Scientists Capture Long-term Ice Records
The weather has always been a topic of conversation and for centuries people have tracked meteorological events. Long-term records from distinct locations can be used to intuit changes in the regional climate. In 1442 Shinto priests living on Lake Suwa in Japan began recording freeze dates for the lake. Read more...
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Moving? Changing Email Addresses?
If so, please email us 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. Mailing electronically saves time and resources and reinforces the stewardship ethic of our mission. We don’t give away or sell email addresses.
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Lake Champlain Committee Board of Directors
Gary Kjelleren - Chair (South Hero, VT), Sharon Murray - Treasurer (Bolton, VT), Alan Booth (Plattsburgh, NY), Cliff Landesman (Brooklyn, NY), Sandy Montgomery (Montreal, QC), Ann Ruzow Holland (Willsboro, NY), Hank Slauson (Shelburne, VT), Chuck Woessner (Grand Isle, VT).
Lake Champlain Committee Advisory Council
Lisa Borre (Annapolis, MD), Megan Epler Wood (Burlington, VT), Steven Kellogg (Essex, NY), Peter S. Paine, Jr. (Willsboro, NY), Mary Watzin (NC).
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