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clean and clear
how you can help! |
 Volunteer
Monitoring |
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Vermont
Lay Monitoring Program - The Vermont Lay Monitoring
Program equips and trains local lake users to measure
the nutrient enrichment of lakes by collecting water
quality data following a rigorously documented and quality
assured methodology. This citizen monitoring program
is mainly based on trophic parameters and monitors approximately
40 lakes and 25 Lake Champlain stations per year. |
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Citizen
Lake & Watershed Survey
- The Citizen Lake and Watershed Survey Program provides survey sheets and technical
training for volunteers, lake and watershed associations, and other interested
groups to enable them to perform screening-level assessments to identify potential
sources of pollution to lakes by conducting in-lake, lakeshore, and lake watershed
surveys. |
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Watershed,
Lake and River Groups:
 Watershed
Associations in Vermont (17
pages, PDF) Citizen groups are becoming increasingly
involved in monitoring, education, protection and restoration
projects
in Vermont. VTDEC provides assistance and training to
volunteers whenever possible. This is a directory of
Vermont’s
watershed and lake associations offered to help organizations
and agencies build a communications network in support
of their protection, restoration, and stewardship programs.
An outline of the Water Quality Division’s programs
is also offered to help direct calls for project assistance.
Also
see Clean
and Clear's Watershed, Lake and River Groups searchable
web site. You’ll find more than 160
listings of these organizations which are dedicated to
the task of maintaining, improving and restoring the
quality of water in Vermont’s lakes, streams, rivers
and ponds. You can
search for a group near you by the watershed that it
is based in, by a statewide listing of all organizations,
or by typing in its proper title.
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Water
Education in Schools - Vermont Project WET,
Water Education for Teachers, is an interdisciplinary
water education
program for kindergarten through twelfth graders designed
to facilitate and promote awareness, appreciation, knowledge
and stewardship of Vermont's water resources.
Project WET focuses on people’s relationship to
water throughout their lives. Students learn that water
is not only a shared resource but a shared responsibility.
Many activities include action steps to move students beyond
the classroom to involve their families, friends and community
in their learning process. |
Ecological Solutions... Simple ways we can help Vermont's environment
every day. Includes tips on Lawn & Yard
Care and Lakes & Rivers |
 Lawn to Lake - Lawn care tips for green lawns, not green
lakes!
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 More Clean Lake Tips -
From the Lake Champlain Committee
Take
the Pledge! - Lake Champlain Committee Lake Protection
Pledge form |
 Smart
Water Ways - Find out how simple it is for you to improve
water quality by changing common household behaviors -
such as car washing
and lawn care. These easy tips and information about local
events and programs, and resources for more information are
provided by the Chittenden County Regional Stormwater Education
Program (RSEP).
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| Lake
and Watershed Protection - Information from the VT Dept.
of Environmental Conservation |
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 Better
Backroads Program -The Vermont Better Backroads Program
works with landowners and town road crews to apply common
sense techniques to maintain gravel roads that protect
the environment at the same time. |
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Only
You Can Save Your Lake! (2
pages, pdf) - The actions of lake and pond
shoreland owners are critical to healthy waters. This
is a brief list of how you can save your favorite lake and
protect its ecology, health and your enjoyment into the future. "How-to" pamphlets are available on any of the topics from the Lakes and
Ponds Section. |
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 Go
Wild! Plants & Plantings for Lakeshores (8
pages, pdf) The
value and importance of well-vegetated lakeshores cannot be
overstated. A mix of trees, shrubs and
un-mown groundcover
is ideal; this is known as a buffer strip. This publication
covers all sorts of information about buffers.
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 Protecting
Water from Non-Point Source Pollution - "As water
from rainfall and snowmelt flows over and through the landscape,
it picks up and carries contaminants from many different
sources. This is called Non-Point Source pollution...." This
web site/project was originally jointly funded by a Federal
Clean Water
Act
grant from the U.S. EPA,
the Hawaii State Dept. of Health Clean Water Branch,
and the City and County of Honolulu Department of Environmental
Services. |
 Vermont
Association of Conservation Districts - Backyard Conservation
Program - The nation's farmers have worked at protecting
soil and water resources for more than 60 years. This site
shares these successful conservation practices with non-farm
neighbors.
This project encourages homeowners
to use some of the same soil conservation, water quality,
wildlife habitat and natural resource
protection practices farmers have been installing. More
than 92 million acres of U.S. land is developed land
and much of it is in the care of homeowners. |
 Lake
Friendly Gardening (2
pages, pdf) - University of Vermont Extension
Service -
The Vermont and New York Master Gardener Programs, supported by the University
of Vermont and Cornell Extension and Lake Champlain Sea Grant, support the objectives
of the Lake Champlain Management Plan and Basin Program. These factsheets are
intended to help prevent or reduce pollution coming from residences within the
Lake Champlain Basin. |
Lake
Champlain Basin Program - |
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 - Cleaning
Product & Tips - Lake Friendly Cleaning! - Many
common household cleaners are toxic to Lake Champlain,
people,
pets and the environment.
Try these environment friendly recipes for a clean home
and a clean outdoors!
- Lawn
and Garden Contacts - Try these contacts for lawn
and garden tips. These experts can help you create a beautiful
lake-friendly
yard and garden!
- Phosphorus
Reduction Tips - Save the Lake Tips! |
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