Pollution in Lake Champlain

* Vermont’s population grew 8.2% between 1990 and 2000

• 11.2% population growth in Chittenden County;
• Urbanized area grew 2.5 times faster than population between 1982 and 1997.

* In Lake Champlain, phosphorus is the pollutant of greatest concern; Vermont is the largest contributor.

* Each acre of developed land generates three times more phosphorus than an acre of agricultural land; 40 times more than an acre of forested land

* Phosphorous pollution has led to beach closing, oxygen depletion, and toxic algae blooms which have killed dogs.

* Under the US Environmental Protection Agency’s Lake Champlain clean-up plan, phosphorous pollution from all Vermont sources must be reduced to 268.4 metric tons per year.

• Allocation is divided between point sources, agricultural non-point sources, and developed land non-point sources;
• Currently, about 344 metric tons per year are being discharged into the lake.

* The Lake Champlain clean-up plan allows 94 metric tons of phosphorous per year to be discharged from developed land.

• In order to meet loading standards for developed land we must achieve a 30% reduction from 1991 loading plus offset additional inputs from recently developed land.