The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is extending the public comment period on the draft Watershed Implementation Plan for Lake Champlain to April 5, 2023. The draft plan creates a detailed path forward to reduce phosphorus that impairs Lake Champlain and contributes to harmful algal blooms (HABs).

The plan draws from collected data, modeling, and analysis, identifies potential projects that will significantly reduce the amount of phosphorus entering the lake to improve water quality, and complements the existing Lake Champlain Phosphorus Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) 'pollution budget' that established limits from all contributing sources to attain applicable water quality standards

Highlights of the draft Watershed Implementation Plan include:

• Analysis of ambient water quality trends in the major Lake Champlain tributaries;
• Comparison of in-lake water quality data to TMDL criteria;
• Updated analysis of how different land uses contribute to phosphorous pollution;
• Descriptions of funding programs available to support TMDL implementation;
• And a list of potential implementation projects by sector.

The draft watershed implementation plan is available on DEC’s website https://www.dec.ny.gov/lands/124146.html. Public comments will now be accepted until April 5, 2023 and can be submitted by email to waterlog@dec.ny.gov.

For more information on the TMDL, visit DEC’s Clean Water Plan webpage https://www.dec.ny.gov/chemical/23835.html.