Federal Cooperative Agreement Award Summary

The State University of New York at Plattsburgh received a $336,500 Cooperative Agreement from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 2 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 (LTMP) and the Watershed Alliance Education Program. The award, effective April 1, 2026 through September 30, 2029, supports water quality monitoring and ecosystem assessment activities. Under this agreement, the recipient conducts field sampling, processes biological samples for identification and enumeration, and produces reports on collected data to advance scientific understanding of Lake Champlain's water quality conditions, trends, and management approach effectiveness.

In addition to monitoring activities, the funding enables the continued implementation and evolution of the Watershed Alliance Education Program in the New York portion of the Lake Champlain Basin. This education initiative, developed through partnership with Lake Champlain Sea Grant since 2002, provides hands-on watershed education to K-12 students in classrooms, tributaries, and on Lake Champlain. The combined monitoring and educational activities support the Lake Champlain Basin Management Plan's objectives for clean water, healthy ecosystems, and public engagement while building longitudinal environmental education capacity for students in the region.