Funding this award will help to implement the lake champlain management plan in the vermont portion of the lake champlain basin as identified in clean water act section 120

The Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation (VT DEC) was awarded a $15,604,872 Project Grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 1 under the Geographic Programs – Lake Champlain Basin Program (CFDA 66.481) to implement the Lake Champlain Basin Management Plan in Vermont. The key activities to be performed include:

Continuing Vermont's participation in the Lake Champlain long-term water quality and cyanotoxin monitoring program, coordinating with the Lake Champlain Basin Program, acquiring priority wetlands for restoration and conservation, and mapping and removing water chestnuts. Additional deliverables will address phosphorus loading through best management practice (BMP) implementation, wetland restoration and conservation, enhanced agricultural practices, and planning/design/construction of green stormwater infrastructure at public schools and state colleges in the Lake Champlain Basin. Subaward activities will support the Lake Champlain Basin Program, stormwater projects for MS4 communities, and implementation programs through state agencies like Fish & Wildlife and Agriculture. The grant will run from July 1, 2023 to December 31, 2028.

These projects will help improve and/or evaluate the water quality and ecological health of the lake champlain basin by conducting lake champlain's long-term water quality and cyanotoxin monitoring program, coordinating with the lake champlain basin program, acquiring priority wetlands for restoration and conservation, and water chestnut mapping and removal. Work to support implementation of the 2016 lake champlain total maximum daily load for phosphorus will also address loading through best management practice implementation, continued support of priority wetland restoration and conservation, enhanced agricultural practice implementation, and the planning, design, and construction of green stormwater infrastructure at public schools and vermont state colleges in the lake champlain basin.activities:activities to be performed with this award include continuation of vermont's participation in the lake champlain's long-term water quality and cyanotoxin monitoring program, lake champlain basin program coordination, priority wetland acquisition, and water chestnut mapping and removal. Subrecipient deliverables, which will also benefit all residents of the lake champlain basin, include addressing phosphorus loading through BMP implementation, continued support of priority wetland restoration and conservation, enhanced agricultural practice implementation, and the planning, design, and construction of green stormwater infrastructure at public schools and vermont state colleges in the lake champlain basin.subrecipient:activities to be implemented through subawards include rent for the gordon house, the home office location of the lake champlain basin program in grand isle, vermont; organizational capacity grant requests for assistance program; grants to MS4 communities for stormwater projects; memorandum of agreements with vermont fish and wildlife department and the agency of agriculture, food, and markets to implement subaward programs; and department of environmental conservation pollution control grants and/or clean water funded projects. Outcomes:anticipated deliverables include data collected to analyze long-term water quality trends for lake champlain data to evaluate successes of the lake champlain management plan, opportunities for action, strategies/goals, progress towards the lake champlain phosphorus tmdl implementation plan, and management activities around the basin; reduction in water chestnut presence to stop the spread of aquatic invasive species; assessment of private, non-municipal roads with associated maps to prioritize BMP implementation that will reduce phosphorus loading; support watershed groups and partners in the lake champlain basin to increase technical expertise, capacity, and workforce development to support clean water project implementation and funding initiatives; design and/or implementation of stormwater treatment practices to support municipal separate storm sewer systems communities and reduce stormwater runoff, phosphorus, and pollutant loading to the lake champlain basin; research and development of tools for onsite wastewater treatment systems' site evaluation and design in fine-textured soils leading to increase knowledge of best practices for onsite wastewater system design, and installation; continued support of vermont's lake wise evaluator training, natural shoreland erosion control trainings, and best management practice installation site identification to improve lake water quality and shoreland habitat; acquisition of 3-5 wetland sites for restoration to reduce phosphorus loading to the watershed and improve natural function; support for vermont's farm agronomic practices program, engineering services, technical assistance, and farmstead best management practices prog