Lake Champlain Basin and TMDL

Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) Informational Meetings Scheduled

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in conjunction with the Vermont Department of  Environmental Conservation and the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets, is holding a  series of six public meetings in December 2013, to discuss the new phosphorus plan that is under  development by the EPA for the Lake Champlain Basin, referred to as a Total Maximum Daily Load  (TMDL).

The meetings will be moderated by the Lake Champlain Basin Program staff and held around the Lake  Champlain Basin. There will be morning, afternoon, and evening sessions in an attempt to  accommodate and encourage all interested persons to participate. No pre-registration is required.   Please refer to the table below for the meeting schedule.

Phosphorus runoff and discharges from numerous sources within the Lake Champlain Basin are causing  excessive growth of algae in the form of “blooms” in some areas of the lake that turn water murky  shades of green, brown, or blue. Some of these algae blooms can be toxic to pets and people.   Excessive phosphorus loading also increases the costs of drinking water and wastewater treatment,  affects businesses that depend on clean water such as tourism and recreation, and depresses  property values. Excessive phosphorus loading can also degrade the water quality of local streams  and rivers that feed into Lake Champlain.

The TMDL will place a cap on the maximum amount of phosphorus that can be allowed to enter Lake  Champlain and still meet Vermont’s water quality standards. It will allocate that maximum amount to  each river basin draining to Lake Champlain and among the various phosphorus sources. Phosphorus  sources include discharges from wastewater treatment facilities, runoff from developed lands,  runoff from state and municipal road networks, runoff from agricultural lands and timber lands, and  streambank erosion stemming from channel instability.

For more information, please contact Kari Dolan, kari.dolan@state.vt.us

DATE TIME LOCATION
2-Dec-13 2:00pm — 4:00pm Bliss Room, St Albans Historical Society 9 Church Street, St. Albans
2-Dec-13 7:00pm — 9:00pm Swanton Municipal Building 120 First Street, Swanton
3-Dec-13 9:30am — 11:30am Auditorium, Pavilion Building 109 State Street, Montpelier
10-Dec-13 2:00pm — 4:00pm ECHO Lake Aquarium and Science Center 1 College Street, Burlington
10-Dec-13 7:00pm — 9:00pm Founders Room, Middlebury Inn 14 Court Square, Middlebury
11-Dec-13 10:30am — 12:30pm Fox Room, Rutland Free Library 10 Court Street, Rutland

Archives