Federal Grant Award Summary

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 2 awarded the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation $5.6 million under the Geographic Programs – Lake Champlain Basin Program (CFDA 66.481) on April 1, 2026, to implement New York's portion of the Lake Champlain Management Plan through March 31, 2029. This Project Grant supports four primary initiative areas: flood resiliency improvements, agricultural implementation programs, streambank stabilization projects, and Watershed Implementation Plan (WIP) funding to advance the state's Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) program for phosphorus reduction in Lake Champlain.

The funded activities deliver multiple products and services focused on water quality improvement and flood resilience. Key deliverables include implementation of state-of-the-art flood mitigation studies and projects designed to reduce flooding and ice jam formation in high-priority watersheds across New York State; streambank and roadside stabilization projects coordinated through Soil and Water Conservation Districts to reduce sediment loading from forested lands; and WIP implementation projects addressing urban stormwater management, rural road best management practices, enhanced agricultural practices, and master planning initiatives. These combined efforts target phosphorus pollution reduction from identified source sectors—including agriculture, urban areas, forested lands, septic systems, and wastewater—thereby improving the ecological health and water quality of the Lake Champlain Basin.