What is the oldest shipwreck in Lake Champlain?

Abenaki dugout canoes have been found Lake Champlain, but they were never examined by archaeologists, so they were neither dated nor preserved. (Five Abenaki dugout canoes with various dates of 200-500 years ago have also been found in ponds in the Lake Champlain Basin.) The oldest dated Lake Champlain shipwreck is probably the 16-gun British sloop Boscawen, which was abandoned in shallow water near Ticonderoga in 1763, after the French and Indian War.  It was a rotted—though artifact-rich—wreck when it was excavated in 1985.  The oldest intact shipwreck in Lake Champlain may be the gunboat Spitfire, of Benedict Arnold’s Revolutionary War fleet.  It sank to the bottom of the deep lake in 1776 after the battle of Valcour Island.  One of its companion gunboats, the Philadelphia, which sank during the battle, was salvaged in 1935 and is on display at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC.   [Sources: Haviland and Powers, The Original Vermonters & Kevin Crisman, Of Sailing Ships and Sidewheelers.]

• Shipwrecks & History of Lake Champlain (LC Maritime Museum)

The Lake Champlain Maritime Museum carefully surveyed several sailing canal boat shipwrecks in Lake Champlain to build the accurate replica, the Lois McClure.

Why were the Lake’s lighthouses no longer lit by the 1930′s?

The main causes were a decline of commercial traffic with the end of the lumber boom, and the economics of the Depression.  In recent years, several lights have been re-lit and restored, thanks to the efforts of many dedicated volunteers.

• Lighthouse Friends Website

In September, 2009, the Crown Point Lighthouse was rededicated as part of the 2009 Quadricentennial celebration.

Are there any records of wave size on Lake Champlain? Maximum height?

There are no official records of wave height on Lake Champlain.  The National Weather Service doesn’t have a data buoy out in the broad lake with which to measure wave heights accurately. It relies on reports from ferry operators to estimate wave heights.  The Weather Service says that during Tropical Storm Floyd in 1999 the wave heights may have been up to six feet.

The images below were taken during a storm in February 2006 that had 40mph+ gusts. The waves crashing into the cliff were creating spray all the way to the top of the cliff! It was a wet day on the ferry!

Big waves from Lake Champlain crashing on the shore of Grand Isle.

A wet and rocky ride on the Lake Champlain ferry.

What is the life span of the zebra mussel? How long is it in the veliger (larval) stage?

Zebra mussels live for 2 to 5 years.  They spend 3 weeks as larvae, called veligers.

• Zebra Mussel (National Invasive Species Info Center)

Adult zebra mussels. Credit: P. Stengal

Has water chestnut harvesting been effective?

Yes, consistent funding for water chestnut harvesting programs has helped limit its range mainly to the most southern portions of Lake Champlain.

2008 State of Lake Report (see page 30)

What is the “latest” aquatic invasive plant or animal that appears to be heading for Lake Champlain?

There are lots of invasive plants and animals that are “knocking on the door” to Lake Champlain because they are found in waterways connected to the Lake. As of 2008, Lake Champlain had 48 known invasive species, whereas the Hudson River had 91 and the St. Lawrence had 87! Even worse, the Great Lakes had 184 species.

The species of great concern for the Lake include: the Eurasian ruffe, and round goby fishes; the plant hydrilla, quagga mussels, and the fishhook & spiny water fleas.

Learn more about these species and tips you can take to prevent them from invading Lake Champlain here:

• Aquatic Nuisance Species Threats (LCBP Website)

What should I do with unwanted prescription and over-the-counter medications?

Do not flush them down the toilet! Wastewater treatment plants are often not able to filter out the chemicals in the medications, so they end up in lakes and rivers. Recent national studies have found low levels of at least one pharmaceutical chemical in 80% of waters tested.

Instead, put them in the trash in an unlabeled, opaque sealed container (for example, a laundry detergent jug or in cat litter).  Also, some solid waste districts will take medications at their hazardous waste collection sites and some pharmacies occasionally host collection days.

• Disposal of Unwanted Medicines: A Resource for Action in Your Community (Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant)

Do boat cleaning products contain phosphorus?

Many boat cleaning products do contain phosphorus, a major contributor to algal blooms in the Lake. The following websites contain suggestions for environmentally safe cleaning practices, including alternative cleaners.

• Vessel Cleaning: Alternatives to Toxic Products
• Boater Fact Sheet for Less Toxic Cleaning

Why do blue-green algae deplete oxygen if they are plants?

First, to clarify, blue-green algae are actually a type of bacteria, they are classed in the phylum “Cyanobacteria.”  Cyanobacteria (that is, blue-green algae) obtain their energy from photosynthesis, which does create oxygen.  But, when blue-green algae die, they decompose by a process that uses cellular respiration, which uses up oxygen.  Respiration disassembles carbon molecules and releases chemical energy.  It is the decomposition of the cyanobacteria that causes oxygen depletion. Green algae also uses up oxygen in the same way when it decomposes.

Why do Lake Champlain beaches close sometimes?

Beaches in Missisquoi Bay and St. Albans Bay have been occasionally closed due to toxic blooms of blue-green algae.  It is thought that these blooms may be due to an excess of nutrients in Lake Champlain, particularly phosphorus.

Beaches are also closed when high levels of Eschercheria coli are detected in the water.  E. coli bacteria can come from untreated sewage or feces from animals such as wildlife, waterfowl, domestic pets and farm livestock.  One well known cause in the Burlington area is dog poop.  A catchment basin was installed on Englesby Brook in Burlington in 2005 to catch and clean the water before it enters the lake, which allowed this beach to reopen. For more information about water sampling and links to beach closure data visit:

• Swimming in Lake Champlain (LCBP website)