By Kate Kelly and Portia Butrym, LCA Program Manager and LCA Intern
Volunteers remove European frogbit plants in Town Farm Bay. Photo credit: Portia Butrym
Volunteers, from nurses to ornithophiles, paddled throughout the lively wetlands of Lake Champlain to remove European frogbit, a non-native invasive plant species, for the sixteenth consecutive summer. In 2007, Lewis Creek Association (LCA) initiated the “Water Quality Stewardship Program” and has since worked annually to manage the invasive plants and water quality of the rivers and streams that drain directly into Lake Champlain. The volunteer-driven frogbit project is the result of cooperation between many individuals and groups, including LCA, the towns of Charlotte, Shelburne, and Hinesburg, Shelburne Bay Boat Club, and a supportive Charlotte property owner.
European frogbit, a common aquarium plant, spread to the United States via the St. Lawrence River after it was introduced to arboretum ponds in Ottawa in 1932. It is now considered an aquatic invasive species (AIS) because it dominates native species in the competition for sunlight, nutrients, and surface area. LCA’s volunteer efforts have proven highly successful since friends of LCA discovered frogbit covering 50% of Town Farm Bay in 2007. Annual paddling and weeding trips, with a side of bird- and turtle-watching, have reduced the coverage of frogbit to around 4% cover. In contrast, when frogbit was discovered in the wetlands of the LaPlatte Natural Area, it had a much lower percentage cover; this gave LCA’s program and volunteers the opportunity for “early detection, rapid response.” Though the invasive plant will never be eradicated in either location, maintaining this low population allows native plants and animals to thrive. This summer, volunteers spent 172 hours removing 1,057 pounds of frogbit from Town Farm Bay and 30 pounds from the LaPlatte River wetlands.
Seven Northern Map Turtles basking on a log at the LaPlatte River wetlands. Photo credit: Portia Butrym
LCA’s Water Quality Stewardship Program also includes the annual monitoring of water quality in the LaPlatte River, Patrick Brook, McCabe’s Brook, Thorp Brook, Kimball Brook, and this year, Lewis Creek, by volunteers for South Chittenden River Watch. Volunteers collect water samples which are then analyzed by the Vermont Agricultural and Environmental Laboratory, and interpreted by LCA technical consultants. The sampling season has recently wrapped up, and included sampling for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen) and chloride, in order to understand sources of nutrient loading to Lake Champlain while informing water quality improvement project plans. 2022 results will be available on LCA’s website (lewiscreek.org) in the spring of 2023; to see last years’ results, visit https://bit.ly/LCA-WQ-2021. Check out more information on water quality and what you can do to improve it on LCA’s YouTube channel at https://bit.ly/3iS2z4b.
This water quality stewardship program is important for maintaining productive, functioning, and scenic waters, and also allows residents of Charlotte, Shelburne, and Hinesburg to become advocates for water quality. Volunteers in each town help share this information with neighbors and friends, helping improve water quality in the future. This program being funded through your Town budget is crucial, since it allows the whole community to take ownership of local water quality and natural resources that are extremely important to protect. This will result in healthier ecosystems that all citizens can enjoy. If you are interested in assisting with water quality monitoring or invasive plant removal in 2023, please reach out to Kate Kelly, LCA Program Manager, at lewiscreekorg@gmail.com or 488-5203.