This agreement provides support to the recipient to operate the NY portion of the lake champlain long-term monitoring program (LTMP) and the NY watershed education program

Environmental Protection Agency Region 2 awarded a $336,500 Cooperative Agreement to State University of New York at Plattsburgh on April 1, 2026, under the Geographic Programs – Lake Champlain Basin Program (CFDA 66.481) to operate the New York portion of the Lake Champlain Long-Term Monitoring Program and the New York Watershed Education Program through September 30, 2029.

The recipient will conduct field sampling, process biological samples for identification and enumeration, and produce reports on collected data to support the Lake Champlain Basin Program's clean water objective of improving scientific knowledge and understanding of water quality conditions and trends in Lake Champlain and the effectiveness of management approaches. The recipient will also continue implementation and evolution of Watershed Alliance education programs for K–12 students in the New York portion of the Lake Champlain Basin, providing hands-on watershed education in classrooms, tributaries, and on Lake Champlain to elementary, middle, and high school students.

Place of performance is New York.

The LTMP primarily supports the clean water objective I.A. Improve scientific knowledge and understanding of water quality conditions and trends in lake champlain and the effectiveness of management approaches 1.a.2 fund and interpret monitoring programs but also supports aspects of the healthy ecosystems and informed and involved public objectives as LTMP information is used to address issues under most of the opportunities for action objectives. Funding this project will also allow for continued implementation and evolution of watershed alliance education programs in the new york portion of the lake champlain basin under lcbp opportunities for action goal IV.a.1 - implement programs for K-12 students.activities:recipient will conduct the field sampling, process the biological samples for identification and enumeration, and also provide reports on the data collected/produced. Funding this project will also allow for continued implementation and evolution of watershed alliance education programs in the new york portion of the lake champlain basin (LCB) under lake champlain basin program opportunities for action goal IV.a.1 - implement programs for K-12 students. Since 2002, lake champlain sea grant (LCSG) has partnered with suny plattsburgh to sponsor the watershed alliance program. This program provides elementary, middle and high school students with hands-on watershed education in the classroom, in tributaries, and on lake champlain. Complementing educational initiatives of partner organizations, through watershed alliance, suny plattsburgh strives to provide longitudinal hands-on watershed education to new york state K-12 students in the lake champlain basin. This work will enhance current lake champlain sea grant efforts and allow for continued watershed alliance presence in new york schools within the lake champlain basin.subrecipient:no subawards are included in this assistance agreement.outcomes:this project will produce lake champlain long-term monitoring program (LTMP) data sets for zooplankton, phytoplankton, and mysid long-term monitoring. The data collected will be archived with VT DEC with copies held at suny plattsburgh and uploaded to EPA's water quality program. This data will also be used to produce the lake champlain state of the lake report as well as guide implementation efforts to continue to improve the water quality of lake champlain. This project will also help facilitate watershed alliance K-12 programming across the basin and develop new hands-on stem education programming to engage students and work closely with the lake champlain basin program's champlain basin education initiative efforts. Students will gain hands-on experience with monitoring techniques resulting in an increased understanding of watershed issues facing our basin. These activities will benefit the people of lake champlain basin by implementing the LTMP on the NY side of the lake champlain watershed and providing this data publicly, and providing environmental education for children K-12.