Vermont

UVM’s state-of-the-art research vessel studies Lake Champlain health after recent flood

Published

11 months ago

July 25, 2024

UVM’s state-of-the-art research vessel studies Lake Champlain health after recent flood

Early indicators have led local scientists to conclude that recent flooding is not impacting Lake Champlain’s health as much as last year’s storms, although there are still concerns for the watershed’s well-being. The July 10 and 11 storm added large amounts of phosphorus to the lake, which can drive cyanobacteria blooms later in the summer, said researchers aboard the Marcelle Melosira July 18.

Lake Champlain Sea Grant, University of Vermont and the Lake Champlain Basin Program presented information about the lake’s health, discussing stormwater runoff, microplastics and bacteria and how they affect the basin. The presentations were aboard the Marcelle Melosira, the University of Vermont’s research and teaching vessel.

A new way to study

The Marcelle Melosira, named after donor and former Sen. Patrick Leahy’s wife and the previous research vessel, began sailing Lake Champlain July 23, 2023. It’s docked outside the Rubenstein Ecosystems Science Laboratory on the Burlington waterfront.

The “one-of-a-kind” boat hosts cutting-edge technology and research equipment, according to Kris Stepenuck, Lake Champlain Sea Grant associate director.

The Marcelle Melosira runs tests to monitor water clarity, track invasive species and erosion. UVM professors and students, Lake Champlain Basin Program researchers and others use the vessel depending on what they’re monitoring at that time. College interns also help the researchers on the boat.

The hybrid boat can run for up to three hours on electric energy, according to interim Capt. Taylor Resnick. He is aboard the Marcelle Melosira on Monday to Friday, collecting data on the lake and how the basin − with waterways from Cabot to Rutland, and from Saranac Lake to Quebec − all play a role in lake health.

The boat is 20 meters long and 6 meters wide, with a capacity of 32 people. It was projected to be a 60% reduction in fossil fuel use from the previous vessel. The boat is equipped with:

First-of-its-kind winch technology.
Echo-sounding technology to ID and map underwater species distribution.
Multi-net plankton and fish larvae sampler.
Profiler to study large particles and zooplankton.
Echoview software to process hydroacoustic data.
Gas analyzer to measure gaseous compounds.
Corer for sampling lake bottom sediment.

Watershed Alliance offers K-12 programs on the R/V Marcelle Melosira, which give elementary, middle and high school students and teachers the opportunity to learn firsthand about the study of limnology − the study of inland aquatic ecosystems − and to collect their own data on Lake Champlain with the aid of professional educators and lab research staff.

Looking at lake health post-flooding

Matthew Vaughan, chief scientist for the Lake Champlain Basin Program, spoke on the State of the Lake briefly, but refocused to talk about how flooding in the lake’s basin affects the water quality.

With high water flow comes different debris floating down rivers and into the lake. Sea Grant Director Anne Jefferson pointed out that water pollution comes in many forms. Bacteria, microplastics and trash from landfills are all serious concerns when looking at water health. She also said that there are unintentional effects of flooding; for example, someone’s Tupperware − something not intended to be trashed − floating out of their house during flooding.

Bacteria is a large concern when evaluating the lake’s health. Too much of a harmful bacteria can make the water unsafe, leading to closed beaches. While bacterial blooms happen naturally with warm weather and stagnant water, flooding exacerbates it.

“It’s about six times more phosphorus that we can capture on our floodplains than during those smaller, regularly occurring events,” Rebecca Diehl, research assistant professor in the UVM Department of Geography and Geosciences, said about this most recent flood.

Bacteria blooms could be seen from the Marcelle Melosira where the Winooski River meets the lake. It was impossible to miss the murky haze tinting the water, revealing where sediments and bacteria are flowing. Two UVM fellows performed a Secchi disk test, dropping a black-and-white disk attached to a measuring tape into the water to check the clarity. Once the disk becomes invisible to the naked eye, the measurement is recorded. They dropped the disk in the murky runoff water and in the clearer, more standard water. The difference in clarity was about a meter.

The researchers emphasized that it’s still early to have all the data about the effects of the recent flooding. They will continue to monitor the watershed and keep the public up to date with their findings.

Protecting our waters

On July 23, Sen. Peter Welch, D, Vt., Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., introduced the bicameral Lake Champlain Basin Program Reauthorization Act − legislation that would reauthorize the Lake Champlain Basin Program for 10 years at $55 million to support interstate conservation and the health of the Lake Champlain Basin.

The bill would establish the Lake Champlain Basin Program to “formally administer the program to promote climate resilience and mitigation through ecosystem restoration,” according to a press release.

Jefferson said that prevention is the best course of action. Removing bacteria or microplastics is extremely challenging, especially at such a large scale. Learning about the watershed and finding the best solutions to preserve it is the work they’re going to focus on.

Sydney P. Hakes is the Burlington city reporter. Contact her at SHakes@gannett.com.

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Vermont

The 7 Best Vermont Events This Week: June 11-18, 2025 | Seven Days

Published

12 hours ago

June 10, 2025

Press Room

The 7 Best Vermont Events This Week: June 11-18, 2025 | Seven Days

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Courtesy of Emmett Francois
Strawberry Festival

We’re Jammin’

Sunday 15

The annual Strawberry Festival at Middletown Springs Historical Society continues a half-century of sweet summer tradition. Fruit lovers revel in a craft fair of local artisans’ wares, acoustic tunes, kids’ activities and a quilt exhibit. Berries by the quart and decadent shortcake made with fresh fruit,homemade biscuits, vanilla ice cream and whipped cream make a lip-smacking grand finale.

Get Out and Play

Saturday 14 & Sunday 15

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The Island Farm Nature Trail at Burton Island State Park - FILE: JEB WALLACE-BRODEUR

File: Jeb Wallace-Brodeur
The Island Farm Nature Trail at Burton Island State Park

Vermont Days welcomes residents and tourists of all ages for a weekend of free access to state parks, historical sites and museums across the Green Mountain State. Early summer vibes reach new heights with lakeside lounging in beach chairs or a pastoral mid-hike picnic at the peak. If angling is more your speed, Saturday’s glorious Free Fishing Day makes waves with lifted license requirements.

Swamp Things

Friday 13

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Wilson Savoy of Pine Leaf Boys - COURTESY OF CARL ABERNATHY

Courtesy of Carl Abernathy
Wilson Savoy of Pine Leaf Boys

Friday the 13th generally bodes superstition, but there’s nothing to fear when the bayou comes to Burlington for a High Country Boil at Hotel Vermont. Southern spice meets Northern attitude at this twisty take on a traditional Cajun meal, accompanied by two-step dance lessons, local brews and live music by Louisiana’s Pine Leaf Boys — bringing a unique blend of zydeco, swamp-pop and soul to Yankee ears.

If It Ain’t Brogue

Saturday 14

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Vermont Highland Games - © RYAN STEVENSON | DREAMSTIME

© Ryan Stevenson | Dreamstime
Vermont Highland Games

The Vermont Institute of Celtic Arts invites clans clad in flannel and tartans to Greensboro for the Vermont Highland Games at Highland Center for the Arts. Folks explore their heritage — or learn about others’ — with myriad music performances, cultural demos and seminars throughout the day. Gleeful guests try everything from Gaelic to step dancing and show their strength in a rousing tug-of-war.

Free to Be You and Me

Ongoing

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"6.34 AM Primavera" by Christina Lucia Giuffrida - COURTESY

Courtesy
“6.34 AM Primavera” by Christina Lucia Giuffrida

Hexum Gallery exhibits resplendent works by 21 LGBTQ+ artists from across the country at the “Family Jewels” group show in Montpelier. Connoting a bit more than just jewelry, the cheeky title alludes to the gallery’s playful-yet-elegant curation of paintings, drawings and mixed media, where unabashed queer joy, imagination and the importance of chosen family permeate the space.

Field of Dreams

Sunday 15

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Father's Day "Base Ball" - COURTESY

Courtesy
Father’s Day “Base Ball”

Batter up! Families hit it out of the park when they cheer Dad on at Billings Farm & Museum’s Father’s Day “Base Ball” in Woodstock. A friendly, historic game — adhering to the sport’s 1860 rules — awaits players (not just dads), replete with wood-shaving baselines, straw-filled canvas bases, and metal home and pitcher plates. Ash bat reproductions and bare-handed fielders complete the theme.

Tea’s Company

Sunday 15

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Afternoon Tea & Tea Etiquette Talk - © RUTH BLACK | DREAMSTIME

© Ruth Black | Dreamstime
Afternoon Tea & Tea Etiquette Talk

Patrons enjoy a proper partea at the Afternoon Tea & Tea Etiquette Talk at the Governor’s House in Hyde Park. The elegant inn affords an ideal backdrop as fancy folks lift pinkies and dig into a full English spread, while questions about quaffing quandaries — milk first or last? — are answered. Now, go forth and host that formal steep sesh you’ve always dreamed of!

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Vermont

Help VTDigger investigate Vermont’s affordability crisis – VTDigger

Published

1 day ago

June 10, 2025

Press Room

Help VTDigger investigate Vermont’s affordability crisis – VTDigger

Dear Reader,

Vermonters are facing a growing affordability crisis. From housing and health care to child care and groceries, many people are struggling to keep up.

These pressures affect communities in every corner of the state.

That’s why VTDigger is launching a new reporting beat focused on wealth, poverty and economic opportunity in Vermont. This beat will dig into the root causes of economic hardship, examine the systems meant to offer support and elevate the stories of Vermonters navigating these challenges every day.

Thanks to our partnership with Report for America, we have secured partial funding for the role. Now, we’re asking our readers to help us close the gap and bring this position to life.

In order to launch this beat, we need to raise $50,000. A generous Vermont donor will match all gifts made before Saturday, June 14. Will you be one of the readers who makes this new beat possible?

Why this work matters now

Vermont has long depended on imported wealth to sustain its economy, but is this model still working?

This new reporter will explore the challenges and opportunities facing different communities. From rural poverty and housing insecurity to the impacts of demographic shifts sparked by the pandemic, this beat will cover a broad range of topics including:

Root causes of Vermont’s affordability crisis
The experiences of Vermonters most affected by economic challenges
Regional disparities and areas for change
Gaps in state services and nonprofit safety nets
How economic policy affects Vermonters differently depending on geography, age and background

This beat will help ensure that policy conversations are grounded in reality, informed by evidence and inclusive of the full range of Vermonters’ experiences.

Backed by Report for America and readers like you

VTDigger is honored to be selected as a host newsroom by Report for America, a nonprofit journalism service program that places talented reporters in local newsrooms to cover underreported topics. The program covers a portion of the reporter’s salary, but requires that the remainder come from community support.

Unlike some chain-owned commercial media, VTDigger is a nonprofit news organization that does not charge subscriptions to read our work — so readers from all economic backgrounds have access to the information they need. But, we can only hire and sustain our team with our readers’ support. We don’t receive federal funding, and every dollar we raise, we put into fulfilling our mission.

You can help us close the gap and launch this vital work. If you value fact-based reporting that explains complex issues, amplifies unheard voices and holds power to account, please consider making a donation.

Your support — whether $15 or $500 — will be doubled and help us launch this beat with care, accuracy and a community mandate.

Thank you for your readership and support.

Sincerely,