Lake Champlain citizens advisory committee urges more funding for flood resilience, septic upgrades and invasive‑species prevention

The Vermont Citizens Advisory Committee on Lake Champlain told the Senate Committee on Agriculture on Jan. 22 that lawmakers should increase funding and speed implementation of nature‑based flood resilience, septic system upgrades and aquatic invasive‑species prevention across the Lake Champlain basin.

Denise Smith, chair of the Vermont Citizens Advisory Committee and executive director of the Vermont Council on Rural Development, said the committee’s recurring duty is to bring “the voices of the citizens to Lake Champlain.” The group delivered its annual action plan and called attention to upstream sources of pollution, public‑access inequities and mounting infrastructure needs.

“The first focus area is on the importance of riparian and flood plain restoration,” said Brett Bowden, a committee member and retired University of Vermont Rubenstein School professor. Bowden told senators that restoring headwater corridors, wetlands and floodplains is a cost‑effective, nature‑based way to store water and carbon, maintain biodiversity and reduce flood damage, and asked that the legislature “invest in these nature based solutions.”

Committee members stressed three closely related priorities: 1) restore riparian zones and reconnect rivers and aquatic corridors, 2) replace and repair aging wastewater and stormwater infrastructure and 3) address widespread on‑site septic systems that can fail and contribute nutrients to the lake. Bowden said dams and undersized culverts fragment waterways and reduce system capacity to absorb floods; he asked for continued funding and research for river connectivity and aquatic organism passage.

Hillary Solomon, a member of the committee who represents the southern lake area and works with a regional conservation district, told senators agriculture and working lands programs need sustained support so farms can diversify and adapt. Solomon said floods in 2023 and 2024 damaged farms across the state and that “the agricultural community, across the state of Vermont lost $18,500,000, because of damages from those floods.” She described heavy demand for small‑scale diversification grants and the working lands enterprise program, where requests have greatly exceeded available funds.

Bob Fisher, water quality superintendent for the City of South Burlington, warned about a separate and accelerating concern: chloride from road salt. “I’m mostly here to talk about chloride at the moment,” Fisher said, noting five impaired streams in the state where rising salinity is affecting aquatic life and could lead to a TMDL. He urged incentives and training for public and private applicators to reduce salt use and to adopt modern application techniques.

Andrew Milliken, a committee member and former U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ecologist, highlighted aquatic invasive species (AIS). “Aquatic invasive species continues to be a significant threat to Lake Champlain, with the discovery of another species…the golden clam,” Milliken said. The committee recommended stronger inspection programs and a mandatory decal program for motorized and non‑motorized watercraft to fund inspections, and closer coordination with New York and Quebec to address pathways through the Champlain Canal and St. Lawrence connections.

Speakers also described gaps in how clean water funds are accessed. Solomon and others said the state’s clean water funding policy excludes or ambiguously defines certain project types — such as some forest and wetland projects and certain kinds of erosion control — and that the application and delivery process could be streamlined to get projects on the ground faster.

The group also urged more equitable public access investments. Laurie Fisher, a long‑time member of the CAC and former executive director of the Lake Champlain Committee, emphasized that recreation contributes roughly $2.1 billion annually to the state’s outdoor economy and that the southern lake lacks adequate launch and low‑impact access. She said federal sportfishing and motorboat funding tends to prioritize motorized launches and recommended looking for ways to expand low‑impact access for marginalized and low‑income communities.

Committee members described the principal funding sources they rely on: grants administered through the Lake Champlain Basin Program and the state Clean Water Fund (supported in part by a share of the property transfer tax through 2027). They urged the Legislature to monitor the clean water fund and consider sustained appropriations to fill gaps identified by local projects and landowners.

The presenters did not ask the Senate for a specific single appropriation during the hearing; rather, they asked the committee to consider the action plan’s priorities as related bills and budget requests move through the session. No formal votes or committee actions were taken during the presentation.

Why it matters: Lake Champlain’s water quality, fisheries and recreation economy are linked to upstream land use, municipal infrastructure and regional coordination with New York and Quebec. Committee members told senators that accelerating climate‑driven flooding, aging infrastructure and new threats such as chloride and AIS require combined investments in restoration, infrastructure replacement and prevention programs.

Following the presentation, senators asked clarifying questions about how many septic systems drain to the lake, whether the governor’s budget includes the requested funding and what specific training or incentives would reduce salt use on roads. Presenters said mapping of septic systems near the lake has not been completed in recent times, that they could not confirm budget line items on the spot, and that education and applicator training — plus updated application technologies such as brine and pavement temperature monitoring — were part of the recommended response.

The Citizens Advisory Committee’s action plan will be available to legislators and department staff; presenters said they would return to answer follow‑up questions and supply further data on specific funding gaps and program delivery issues.