For a tiny state, Vermont has a lot of lakes and ponds, over 800 total. In the 1950s and 60s, many seasonal cottages were constructed on very small lots to serve a limited occupation and use. Today, there is pressure to use these cottages more frequently as rentals or to convert them to year-round residences. … Continue reading
The Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission (CCRPC) and the Town of Underhill are pleased to announce the completion of the Underhill Stormwater Master Plan. The plan identifies five priority sites for projects that will maximize water quality benefits in local streams. With detailed conceptual designs and cost estimates completed, the town is well prepared to … Continue reading
After a long winter of ice push followed by high water and waves in the spring, you may be wondering how to best approach your eroded lake shoreline or crumbling retaining wall. While erosion is a natural process, an eroding shoreline can result from a combination of both upland runoff and in-lake ice and wave … Continue reading
It was a day of seasonal contrast. The temperature was rocketing past 80 by mid-morning, and the air shimmered as it would in mid-July. The trees were bare and leafless, and the lakes and ponds of Woodbury held a surprise – a near-full cover of ice, albeit rotten and eating away at the edges. … Continue reading
Would you be willing to hike to a remote lake once a week during the summer months? What about following up that hike with a paddle in an inflatable boat to collect lake water samples? Sound challenging? Well this is exactly how a Vermont Lay Monitor spent last summer. Let us begin with High Pond. … Continue reading
Wetlands: Nature’s Filter Today is World Wetlands Day, a day to appreciate the value of wetlands. Wetlands make up a small proportion of the Earth’s surface – in Vermont, only about 4 percent of the land surface is comprised of wetlands. Despite this they are disproportionately important. Most Vermont animals use wetlands as habitat and … Continue reading
This past year, there were multiple stories in the media covering massive algal blooms in Lake Carmi, tons of phosphorus pouring into state surface waters, and the seemingly never-ending efforts to clean up Lake Champlain. These stories would leave many Vermonters to believe that Vermont’s lakes are in deep trouble. While these issues are very … Continue reading
