The summer has ended as fast as it started and fall is upon us in Vermont.  For Lake Champlain and Lake Carmi, a tributary to Lake Champlain, it was not a great summer up here.  We experienced weeks and weeks of algae blooms, toxic waters, and smelly shores.  

The letters to the editor and news about the water quality in the Northern Lake were prolific and our phone and email in-boxes were full.  People who had never experienced a bloom in front of their shoreline became acutely aware of the issue.  We saw picture after picture of the toxic green-blue, and brown waters in our Lakes and rivers.  

People wanted to know who to contact to complain... so, we launched a postcard mailing campaign to the Governor's Office and told people to write letters to the editor and call your representatives or the candidates running for office and let it be known that this issue is extremely important and needs to be addressed. 

We will not stop here - Clean Water is too important.  We cannot continue to take The Lake - The Jewel of our region and one of the major economic drivers in Vermont for granted!  Our plan is to keep up the pressure and work with the Agencies to fight for a 'Clean Water Fund' for the State of Vermont.  We will continue to work with NRCS and the Federal Agencies to help them get the programs and funding to farmers in the Lake Champlain Basin and specifically in the 'Gap Watersheds - St. Albans Bay, Missisquoi Bay, and the South Lake.'

We have implemented some great stormwater projects this year.  Including a beautiful "Green Island" in the Village of Swanton.  This project was a collaboration between FNLC, Stone Environmental, the Village of Swanton and the State of Vermont Ecosystem Restoration Program.  The project is located on the corner of Academy Street and Route 7.  The sea of pavement that was there is now an area that is designed to soak the water away and filter the sediment.  The soil was all sand and we were able to infiltrate the water into the ground.  

 

We are on a mission this year!  During the summer we launched a postcard campaign with the Missisquoi River Basin Association and the Franklin Watershed Committee to the Governor's Office asking that something be done to help our water quality.  We hosted a Legislative Water Quality Forum at the Bayside to raise awareness and demand leadership from our representatives on this issue.   Our 2015 Action Plan is being circulated.  We are working with groups all along the Lake and statewide to explore ways to get the message to all of the candidates and representatives that something significant needs to be done about our water quality.  We need your help!  It is extremely important that you contact your representatives and ask them to help fund clean water and make it a priority in Vermont!