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Lake Champlain Program

 

Support The Nature Conservancy's Lake Champlain Program!

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We need your help to secure the well-being of Lake Champlain for the plants, animals, and people who depend on it.

This page is under construction, so check back soon for more information and updates on our work!

Lake Champlain is among the largest, cleanest and most ecologically diverse lakes in North America. There are nearly 80 species of native fish and incredible nesting populations of water-birds.

The lake’s watershed, 8,234 square miles in Vermont, New York and Quebec, is largely comprised of forests and wetlands. Yet human activities such as development and agriculture on just 22% of the land have a profound effect on the entire natural system. Dams, erosion and invasive species have also taken a toll.

The Conservancy has been active in protecting the plants, animals and natural communities in the Lake Champlain watershed for many decades, including projects to conserve shorelines, wetlands and tributaries in both Vermont and New York.

Now, as part of an organization-wide focus on freshwater conservation, The Nature Conservancy is adopting conservation strategies for Lake Champlain itself – the lake’s rich aquatic ecosystems and an incredible diversity of native plants, fish, birds, and wildlife.
 
The goal of the Conservancy's Lake Champlain program, launched in 2007, is to understand and restore the natural balance of the lake. When native species of predator and prey are in balance, and stresses to the system like excess phosphorous and sediment are reduced to acceptable levels, the lake can once again act as a resilient and self-regulating ecosystem.

By working collaboratively and focusing on ecosystem management and biodiversity, the Conservancy hopes to attract new sources of federal funding and sustained commitment from government agencies in Vermont, New York and Québec.

Find out more:

Partners in Protecting the Lake:

Project Sites in the Lake Champlain Watershed:

Nature picture credits (top to bottom, left to right): Photo © Candice Black/The Nature Conservancy (View of Lake Champlain from Missisquoi River).