Lake Champlain Committee

The Lake Champlain Committee manages the Lake Champlain Paddlers’ Trail, a recreational corridor for human-powered craft, and produces an annual guidebook for trail users.

Photo by Ben Rose, Lake Champlain Committee

Find great Lake Champlain related gifts for yourself and friends and help support LCC's work at the same time.

High lake levels and flooding have become more common each spring. Photo by Lori Fisher.

Cyanobacteria, also called blue-green algae, occur naturally in Lake Champlain and other freshwater systems. Under warm, calm, nutrient-rich conditions, they multiply rapidly, forming blooms that may pose health risks.

Lake Champlain is the eighth-largest freshwater lake in the continental United States, spanning 435 square miles with over 70 islands, 120 miles of length, and nearly 600 miles of shoreline. It holds 6.8 trillion gallons of water and serves as a drinking source for nearly 200,000 people.

High-alert cyanobacteria blooms were reported in Westport, New York, along Ballard Park Beach shoreline.

Photo by Lisa Liotta Lake Champlain Committee

The Lake Champlain Committee relies on members to support its mission of protecting and preserving Lake Champlain for future generations.

The Lake Champlain Committee’s endowment, managed by the Vermont Community Foundation and Adirondack Foundation, funds programs to protect water quality, habitats, access, and stewardship.

The Lake Champlain Committee participates in EarthShare New England, a federation of the national EarthShare program which provides employees and workplaces with opportunities to support environmental groups in the New England Region through charitable giving drives.

The Lake Champlain Committee is a bi-state nonprofit organization that uses science-based advocacy, education, and collaboration to protect water quality, habitats, recreational access, and stewardship of Lake Champlain.

For over 60 years, the Lake Champlain Committee (LCC) has been a thoughtful, reasoned, vocal advocate for this beautiful lake. LCC was formed by New York and Vermont community members in 1963 to prevent the lake from becoming a commercial seaway for ocean-going vessels. From that victory we went on to advocate against a nuclear power plant being built on the Charlotte, Vermont shore. LCC championed the phosphate detergent ban which reduced nutrient loading from sewage treatment plants by more th

The Lake Champlain Committee is dedicated to protecting Lake Champlain’s environmental integrity and recreational resources for this and future generations through science-based advocacy, education and collaborative action.

Photo by Laura Pratt, Lake Champlain Committee.

The Lake Champlain Committee encourages individuals to adopt the Lake Protection Pledge, a set of actions to improve water quality in the watershed.

Photo by Tom Rogers, Lake Champlain Committee

Vermont’s lakes and ponds experience cyanobacteria blooms that pose health risks. Authorities urge residents to recognize visual signs like discolored water or scum layers to avoid exposure. The state provides resources to monitor and report harmful algal blooms during the summer season.

Jun 2025vermontbiz.comNews article

The Lake Champlain Committee (LCC) appoints **Jenny Patterson** as its new Executive Director. She succeeds Lori Fisher, who retired after nearly four decades leading the organization. Patterson began her role on January 1, 2025, to advance LCC’s mission in environmental stewardship and advocacy.

Jan 2025vermontbiz.comNews article

Lori Fisher is stepping down from her role at the Lake Champlain Committee. The organization focuses on environmental stewardship and water quality initiatives in the Lake Champlain basin. Fisher’s departure marks the end of her tenure after years of contributing to regional conservation efforts.

Aug 2024vermontbiz.comNews article

Senator Peter Welch introduces the **Lake Champlain Basin Program Reauthorization Act**, a bill to reauthorize and expand the **Patrick Leahy Lake Champlain Basin Program**. The legislation aims to enhance cross-border conservation efforts between **Vermont, New York, and Canada**. During the announcement, Welch participated in hands-on activities, including decontaminating a boat and collecting water samples in **Mallets Bay** alongside **LCBP scientists** to demonstrate the program’s focus on environmental stewardship.

Jul 2024Colchester SunNews article