Commentary by Richard Bernstein
Phosphorous Levels Remain High in Lake Champlain
March 24, 2011, page 3.....

Last summer those who swim and fish in Lake Champlain saw a bloom of blue algae in Charlotte. Normally confined to shallow areas in the northern lake, this toxic substance came with warm, still weather and shut down local beaches for a few days.
Algae growth is encouraged by phosphorous. Phosphorous enters the lake from erosion of local soils and from manure and fertilizer applied to farm fields and lawns. A group of volunteers monitoring pollutant levels in Holmes Creek (by the Charlotte Beach), Kimball Brook and Thorp Brook (flowing into Town Farm Bay) once again measured high levels of nitrogen and phosphorous in these streams. Measurements of water clarity, chlorophyll and phosphorous in Town Farm Bay showed that these pollutants reached the lake in higher than average amounts. Deteriorating water quality, increased weed growth and algae blooms are the results of increased phosphorous levels. Phosphorous is considered the primary pollutant of Lake Champlain.
In January the federal Environmental Protection Agency took the unusual step of revoking Vermont’s plan to control the amount of phosphorous entering the lake. Noting that the government has paid over $100 million since 2002 without noticeably reducing the phosphrous levels, the EPA is requiring the state to work with farmers, municipalities, and landowners to come up with a better plan. “It’s not that Vermont’s earlier efforts haven’t had value,” noted Curt Spaulding, regional administrator of EPA’s New England office. “But looking forward, clearly more needs to be done to address the challenges presented by ongoing pollution.”
Clearly there is a problem in Charlotte, and the volunteer’s data will be used to help the state planning process. Charlotters Carol Hanley, Gary Pittman, Lucy Beck, Robert Hyams, Diane Leary and Richard Bernstein were joined by Don and Joan Zeiter from North Ferrisburgh to study Charlotte’s streams. With the help of Watershed Coordinator, Karen Bates, and under a volunteer program of the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation, they and others across the state filled sample bottles with stream water at designated sites. With the help of Winslow Ladue, they sent the bottles to the state laboratory in Waterbury for analysis. This year the group will use more sophisticated techniques to measure flow rates and estimate the amount of pollutants reaching the lake during periods of higher water flows such as during storms.
Here are ten things individuals can do to promote the health of Lake Champlain:
1. Don’t fertilize lawns. There is already plenty of phosphorous in local clay soils. Proposed legislation will outlaw phosphorous in fertilizers in Vermont and New York if passed.
2. Keep pet and animal waste out of the waterways. Clean up after your pets. Keep horses and other farm animals pastured at least 50 feet from stream banks.
3. Use phosphorous-free detergents. Detergents containing phosphorous are already illegal in Vermont.
4. Keep storm drainage out of waterways. Use rain barrels to collect rainwater or direct downspouts onto lawns instead of driveways.
5. Keep a buffer between fields and lake and lawn and streams. Vegetation growing in a 50-foot strip along streams helps soak up phosphorous before it enters waterways. The Winooski Natural Resources Conservation District (1193 South Brownell Rd., Suite 35, Williston, VT 05495, 865-7895 x104) offers low-cost trees for streamside planting.
6. Protect wetlands where plants hold phosphorous back from the lake. Support the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation in its efforts to maintain healthy wetlands.
7. Keep septic systems inspected, maintained and pumped regularly.
8. Bare soils promote erosion. Reseed where vegetation is lacking. Instead of grass, plant natural groundcover that requires no fertilizers and less maintenance.
9. Clean up boats before launching into different bodies of water. Water in bait wells and outboard cooling systems can spread algae and invasive plants to uninvolved parts of the lake.
10. Support local groups such as the Conservation Law Foundation (e-info@clf.org) and Lake Champlain Basin Program (lcc@lakechamplaincommittee.org) that are working for a healthier lake.

Richard Bernstein, M.D.