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Article published Mar 9, 2009 What's your watershed address?
Most folks who live in Vermont have a Lake Champlain watershed address, as waterways in 11 of the state's 14 counties drain into the big lake. Many people who visit Vermont are drawn here because of this stunning natural resource. Unfortunately, parts of Lake Champlain are in trouble – and that's bad for the state's environment and economy.
Recently Vermonters' attention was drawn to Peter Greenberg's best-selling travel book "Don't Go There." The focus of the book is on what Greenberg refers to as "must-miss" locations. Lake Champlain, Vermont, is on his list of places to avoid. Why? Because of the lake's poor water quality and the blue-green algae blooms that can close beaches during the summer months.
This piece of unwelcome news, on the eve of the 400th anniversary celebration of Samuel de Champlain's first sighting of this magnificent lake, met with a variety of interesting responses.
Some were in denial.
Gov. James Douglas' reaction was, "Why do we need to highlight it?" And he then added that in some ways his role – and the role of those who care about the state – is "being cheerleaders for Vermont."
Some shot the messenger. The governor's Secretary of Commerce Kevin Dorn, also dodging the obvious, added, "I think it's a sad day when groups are out there advocating against coming to Vermont."
Others were more acknowledging.
The well-known outdoor writer for the Burlington Free Press and longtime avid sport fisherman Matt Crawford concluded that the lake "seems more like a cesspool than a pristine place these days, and the chance for improvements coming on any front seem slim to none."
But the truth of the matter is that while there are many active and involved citizens working within local watershed groups to improve the condition of Lake Champlain, the lake as a whole is not getting cleaner.
For a more scientific read on that opinion one can turn to "The State of the Lake 2008" report, put out by the Lake Champlain Basin Program. The report tells us that zero percent of the lake is in "very good condition" and none of the lake segments is improving. It tells us that less than 5 percent of the lake (three small bays) is in "good" condition. And it reveals that over 95 percent of the lake is in fair-to-poor condition. The lake's water quality is at best treading water – after an expenditure of over $84,000,000 in clean-up measures.
There are many things that Vermont state government can do to accelerate the cleanup of the lake and support the efforts of local watershed and lake protection groups. Such steps include implementing overdue regulatory programs to protect water quality and updating existing programs to meet the urgent need to restore the lake. However, instead of taking the necessary steps to clean up the lake, the governor is proposing to slash staff and eliminate public resources such as the Department of Environmental Conservation's LaRosa Laboratory, critical for the citizens in watersheds across the state who monitor their streams and ponds for pollutants.
We know that we need to take cost-saving measures to address the economic downturn, but let's remember that each year Lake Champlain generates $1.5 billion in revenues for the Green Mountain State, as well as being the primary drinking water source for Chittenden County. We need a healthy Lake Champlain. Cutting programs and services and rolling back protections for the lake is not in our short or long-term interest.
If your watershed address is Lake Champlain, and for most of us it is, let the governor and your representatives in the State house know that we need them to take positive action to protect and restore our great lake.
Elizabeth Courtney is the executive director of the Vermont Natural Resources Council, Vermont's leading statewide environmental organization, and also recently served as one of six members on the Governor's Climate Change Commission. She can be reached at ecourtney@vnrc.org.