Lake Champlain

This article is about the lake. For the Canadian steamer, seeSSLake Champlain.For US Naval vessels with this name, seeUSSLake Champlain.For other uses, seeChamplain (disambiguation).

Not to be confused withChamplain Trail Lakes.

Lake Champlain(/ʃæmˈpleɪn/sham-PLAYN;French:Lac Champlain) is a naturalfreshwaterlake inNorth America.It mostly lies between theUS statesofNew YorkandVermont,but also extends north into theCanadian provinceofQuebec.

Lake Champlain
French:Lac Champlain Abenaki:Pitawbagw Mohawk:Kaniatarakwà:ronte
Photo of Lake Champlain taken in August of 2007
Lake Champlain
Location	New York/Vermontin theUnited States;andQuebecinCanada
Coordinates	44.53°N 73.33°W/44.53; -73.33
Primary inflows	Otter Creek,Winooski River,Missisquoi River,Poultney River,Lamoille River,Ausable River,Chazy River,Boquet River,Saranac River,La Chute River
Primary outflows	Richelieu River
Catchment area	8,234 sq mi (21,326 km2)
Basincountries	Canada, United States
Max. length	107 mi (172 km)
Max. width	14 mi (23 km)
Surface area	514 sq mi (1,331 km2)
Average depth	64 ft (19.5 m)
Max. depth	400 ft (122 m)
Water volume	6.2 cu mi (25.8 km3)
Residence time	3.3 years
Shore length1	587 mi (945 km)
Surface elevation	95 to 100 ft (29 to 30 m)
Islands	80 (Grand Isle,North Hero,Isle La Motte,see list)
Settlements	Burlington, Vermont;Plattsburgh, New York
1Shore length isnot a well-defined measure.

The New York portion of the Champlain Valley includes the eastern parts ofClinton CountyandEssex County.Most of this area is part of theAdirondack Park.There are recreational facilities in the park and along the relatively undeveloped coastline of the lake. The cities ofPlattsburgh, New York,andBurlington, Vermont,are on the lake's western and eastern shores, respectively, and the town ofTiconderoga, New York,is in the southern part of the region. The Quebec portion is in theregional county municipalitiesofLe Haut-RichelieuandBrome-Missisquoi.There are a number of islands in the lake; the largest includeGrand Isle,Isle La MotteandNorth Hero:all part ofGrand Isle County, Vermont.

Because of Lake Champlain's connections both to theSt. Lawrence Seawayvia theRichelieu River,and to theHudson Rivervia theChamplain Canal,Lake Champlain is sometimes referred to as "The Sixth Great Lake".

Geology

Sentinel-2 satellite photo

The Champlain Valley is the northernmost unit of a landform system known as theGreat Appalachian Valley,which stretches betweenQuebec,Canada, to the north, andAlabama,US, to the south. The Champlain Valley is aphysiographic sectionof the largerSaint Lawrence Valley,which in turn is part of the largerAppalachianphysiographic division.

Lake Champlain is one of numerous large lakes scattered in an arc throughLabrador,in Canada, the northern United States, and theNorthwest Territoriesof Canada.It is the thirteenth-largest lake by area in the US. Approximately 490 sq mi (1,269 km²) in area, the lake is 107 mi (172 km) long and 14 mi (23 km) across at its widest point,and has a maximum depth of approximately 400 ft (120 m). The lake varies seasonally from about 95 to 100 ft (29 to 30 m) abovemean sea level.

Hydrology

Lake Champlain in Burlington Harbor during sunset on May 27, 2012

Lake Champlain is in theLake Champlain Valleybetween theGreen MountainsofVermontand theAdirondack MountainsofNew York,drained northward by the 106 mi-long (171 km)Richelieu Riverinto theSt. Lawrence RiveratSorel-Tracy, Quebec,northeast and downstream ofMontreal.The Champlain basin collects waters from the northwestern slopes of the Green Mountains and the eastern portion of the Adirondack Mountains, reaching as far south as the 32 mi-long (51 km)Lake Georgein New York.

Lake Champlain drains nearly half of Vermont, and approximately 250,000 people get their drinking water from the lake.

The lake is fed in Vermont by the LaPlatte,Lamoille,Missisquoi,PoultneyandWinooskirivers, along with Lewis Creek, Little Otter Creek andOtter Creek.In New York, it is fed by theAusable,Boquet,Great Chazy,La Chute,Little Ausable,Little Chazy,Salmon andSaranacrivers, along with Putnam Creek. In Quebec, it is fed by thePike River.

It is connected to theHudson Riverby theChamplain Canal.

Parts of the lake freeze each winter, and in some winters the entire lake surface freezes, referred to as "closing".In July and August, the lake temperature reaches an average of 70 °F (21 °C).

Chazy Reef

TheChazy Reefis an extensiveOrdoviciancarbonate rockformationthat extends fromTennesseeto Quebec andNewfoundland.The oldest reefs are around "The Head" of the south end ofIsle La Motte;slightly younger reefs are found at the Fisk Quarry, and the youngest (the famous coral reefs) are in fields to the north.

History

Brooklyn Museum – Green Mountains, Lake Champlain – Winckworth Allan Gay – overall

The lake has long acted as a border between indigenous nations, much as it is today between the states ofNew YorkandVermont.The lake is located at the frontier betweenAbenakiandMohawk(Iroquois Confederacy) traditional territories. The official toponym for the lake, according to the orthography established by the Grand Council of Wanab-aki Nation, isPitawbagok(alternative orthographies include Petonbowkand Bitawbagok),meaning "middle lake", "lake in between" or "double lake".

TheMohawkname in modern orthography, as standardized in 1993, isKaniatarakwà:ronte,meaning "a bulged lake" or "lake with a bulge in it".An alternate name isKaniá:tare tsi kahnhokà:ronte(phonetic English spellingCaniaderi Guarunte), meaning "door of the country" or "lake to the country". The lake is an important eastern gateway toIroquois Confederacylands.

The lake was named after theFrenchexplorerSamuel de Champlain,who encountered it in July 1609.While the ports ofBurlington, Vermont,Port Henry, New York,andPlattsburgh, New York,today are primarily used by small craft, ferries and lake cruise ships, they were of substantial commercial and military importance in the 18th and 19th centuries.

Colonial America and the Revolutionary War

Map ofLac Champlain,from Fort de Chambly up to Fort St-Fréderic inNouvelle France.Cadastralmap showing concessions andseigneurieson the coasts of the lake according to 1739 surveying.

New Franceallocated concessions all along Lake Champlain to French settlers and built forts to defend the waterways. Incolonialtimes, Lake Champlain was used as a water (or, in winter, ice) passage between theSaint LawrenceandHudsonvalleys. Travelers found it easier to journey by boats and sledges on the lake rather than go overland on unpaved and frequently mud-bound roads. The lake's northern tip atSaint-Jean-sur-Richelieu,Quebec (known as St. John in colonial times under British rule) is just 25 miles (40 km) fromMontreal,Quebec. The southern tip atWhitehall(Skenesborough in revolutionary times) is 23 miles (37 km) north ofGlens Fallson the Hudson River and 70 miles (110 km) north ofAlbany, New York.

Forts were built atTiconderogaandCrown Point(Fort St. Frederic) to control passage on the lake in colonial times. Important battles were fought at Ticonderoga in 1758 and 1775. During the Revolutionary War, the British and Americans conducted a frenetic shipbuilding race through the spring and summer of 1776, at opposite ends of the lake, and fought a significant naval engagement on October 11 at theBattle of Valcour Island.While it was a tactical defeat for the Americans, and the small fleet led byBenedict Arnoldwas almost destroyed, the Americans gained a strategic victory; the British invasion was delayed long enough so the approach of winter prevented the fall of these forts until the following year. In this period, theContinental Armygained strength and was victorious atSaratoga.

Beginning of the Revolutionary War

At the start of theRevolutionary War,British forces occupied theChamplain Valley.However, it did not take long for rebel leaders to realize the importance of controlling Lake Champlain. Early in the war, the colonial militias attempted to expel the British fromBoston;however, this undertaking could not be achieved without heavy artillery.The British forts atTiconderogaandCrown Point,on Lake Champlain, were known to have ample supplies of artillery and were weakly-manned by the British. Thus, the colonial militias devised a plan to take control of the two forts and bring the guns back to the fight in Boston.

Charlotte Ferry,Lake Champlain

The necessity of controlling the two forts at Ticonderoga and Crown Point placed Lake Champlain as a strategic arena during the Revolutionary War. By taking control of these forts, Americans not only gained heavy artillery, but control of a vast water highway as well: Lake Champlain provided a direct invasion route to British Canada. However, had the British controlled the lake, they could have divided the colonies ofNew Englandand further depleted theContinental Army.

The Continental Army's first offensive action took place in May 1775, three weeks after theBattles of Lexington and Concord.Ethan Allen,accompanied by 200Green Mountain Boys,was ordered to captureFort Ticonderogaand retrieve supplies for the fight in Boston.Benedict Arnoldshared the command with Allen, and, in early May 1775, they captured Fort Ticonderoga, Crown Point and the southernLoyalistsettlement ofSkenesborough.As a result of Allen's offensive attack on theChamplain Valleyin 1775, the American forces controlled the Lake Champlain waterway.

Siege of Quebec: 1775–1776

The Continental Army realized the strategic advantage of controlling Lake Champlain, as it leads directly to the heart of Quebec.Immediately after taking Forts Ticonderoga and Crown Point, the Americans began planning an attack on British Canada. The American siege of Quebec was a two-pronged assault and occurred throughout the winter of 1775–1776.Brigadier GeneralRichard Montgomeryled the first assault up the Champlain Valley into Canada, while Benedict Arnold led a second army to Quebec via theMainewilderness.

Despite the strategic advantage of controlling a direct route to Quebec by way of the Champlain Valley, the American siege of British Canada during the winter of 1775 failed. The Continental Army mistakenly assumed that it would receive support from the Canadians upon their arrival at Quebec. This was not the case, and the rebel army struggled to take Quebec with diminishing supplies, support, and harsh northern winter weather.

The Continental Army was forced to camp outside Quebec's walls for the winter, with reinforcements from New York,Pennsylvania,Massachusetts,New HampshireandConnecticutallowing the soldiers to maintain their siege of the city. However, smallpox descended on both the sieging forces and their reinforcements and savaged the American force.The reinforcements traveled hundreds of miles up the frozen Lake Champlain and St. Lawrence River, but were too late and too few to influence a successful siege of Quebec. In May 1776, with the arrival of a British convoy carrying 10,000 British andHessiantroops to Canada, the Continental forces retreated back down the Champlain Valley to reevaluate their strategy.

The Champlain Valley as seen fromCamel's Hump

"I know of no better method than to secure the important posts of Ticonderoga and Crown Point, and by building a number of armed vessels to command the lakes, otherwise the forces now in Canada will be brought down upon us as quick as possible, having nothing to oppose them...They will doubtless try to construct some armed vessels and then endeavor to penetrate the country toward New York." (Brigadier GeneralJohn SullivantoGeorge Washington,June 24, 1776).

Both British and American forces spent the summer of 1776 building their naval fleets, at opposite ends of Lake Champlain.By the October 1776, the Continental Army had 16 operating naval vessels on Lake Champlain: a great increase to the four small ships they had at the beginning of the summer.GeneralBenedict Arnoldcommanded the American naval fleet on Lake Champlain, which was composed of volunteers and soldiers drafted from the Northern Army. With great contrast to the Continental navy, experiencedRoyal Navyofficers, British seamen and Hessian artillerymen manned the British fleet on Lake Champlain.By the end of the summer of 1776, the opposing armies were prepared to battle over the strategic advantage of controlling Lake Champlain.

Battle of Valcour Island

On October 11, 1776, the British and American naval fleets met on the western side ofValcour Island,on Lake Champlain.American General Benedict Arnold established the location, as it provided the Continental fleet with a natural defensive position. The British and American vessels engaged in combat for much of the day, only stopping due to impending nightfall.

After a long day of combat, the American fleet was in worse shape than the experienced British Navy. Upon ceasefire, Arnold called a council of war with his fellow officers, proposing to escape the British fleet via rowboats under the cover of night. As the British burned Arnold's flagship, theRoyal Savage,to the east, the Americans rowed past the British lines.

The following morning, the British learned of the Americans' escape and set out after the fleeing Continental vessels. On October 13, the British fleet caught up to the struggling American ships nearSplit Rock Mountain.With no hope of fighting off the powerful British navy, Arnold ordered his men to run their five vessels aground in Ferris Bay,Panton, Vermont.The depleted Continental army escaped on land back toFort TiconderogaandMount Independence;however, they no longer controlled the Lake Champlain waterway.

The approaching winter of 1776–1777 restricted British movement along the recently controlled Lake Champlain. As the British abandoned Crown Point and returned to Canada for the winter, the Americans reduced their garrisons in the Champlain Valley from 13,000 to 2,500 soldiers.

General Burgoyne's Campaign

Lake Champlain,Charlotte, Vermont

In early 1777, British GeneralJohn Burgoyneled 8,000 troops from Canada, down Lake Champlain and into the Champlain Valley.The goal of this invasion was to divide theNew Englandcolonies, thus forcing the Continental Army into a separated fight on multiple fronts.Lake Champlain provided Burgoyne with protected passage deep into theAmerican colonies.Burgoyne's army reached Fort Ticonderoga and Mount Independence in late June, 1777. During the night of July 5, the American forces fled Ticonderoga as the British took control of the fort. However, Burgoyne's southern campaign did not go uncontested.

On October 7, 1777, American GeneralHoratio Gates,who occupiedBemis Heights,met Burgoyne's army at the SecondBattle of Freeman's Farm.At Freeman's Farm, Burgoyne's army suffered its final defeat and ended its invasion south into the colonies. Ten days later, on October 17, 1777, British General Burgoyne surrendered his army atSaratoga.This defeat was instrumental to the momentum of the Revolutionary War, as the defeat of the British army along the Champlain-Hudson waterway convincedFranceto ally with the American army.

Aftermath of 1777

Following the failed British campaign led by General Burgoyne, the British still maintained control over the Champlain waterway for the duration of the Revolutionary War.The British used the Champlain waterway to supply raids across the Champlain Valley from 1778 to 1780, and Lake Champlain permitted direct transportation of supplies from the British posts at the northern end of the lake.

With the end of the Revolutionary War in 1783, the British naval fleet on Lake Champlain retreated up to St. John's.However, British troops garrisoned at Fort Dutchman's Point (North Hero, Vermont) andFort au Fer(Champlain, New York), on Lake Champlain, did not leave until the 1796Jay Treaty.

Post-Revolutionary War period

Dutton House,Shelburne Museum

Stagecoach Inn,Shelburne Museum

Sawmill,Shelburne Museum

Eager to take back control of Lake Champlain following the end of the Revolutionary War, Americans flocked to settle theChamplain Valley.Many individuals emigrated fromMassachusettsand other New England colonies, such asSalmon Dutton,a settler ofCavendish, Vermont.Dutton emigrated in 1782 and worked as a surveyor, town official and toll-road owner.His homehad a dooryard garden, typical of mid-19th century New England village homes,and his experience settling in the Champlain Valley depicts the industries and lifestyles surrounding Lake Champlain following the Revolutionary War.

Similar to the experience of Salmon Dutton, former colonial militia Major GeneralHezekiah Barnessettled inCharlotte, Vermont,in 1787.Following the war, Barnes worked as a road surveyor; he also established an inn and trading post in Charlotte, along the main trade route from Montreal down Lake Champlain. Barnes' stagecoach inn was built in traditionalGeorgianstyle, with 10 fireplaces, a ballroom on the interior and a wraparound porch on the outside.In 1800, Continental Army Captain Benjamin Harrington established a distillery business inShelburne, Vermont,which supplied his nearby inn.These individual accounts shed light on the significance of Lake Champlain during the post-Revolutionary War period.

War of 1812

During theWar of 1812,British and American forces faced each other in the Battle of Lake Champlain, also known as theBattle of Plattsburgh,fought on September 11, 1814. This ended the final British invasion of the northern states during the War of 1812. It was fought just prior to the signing of theTreaty of Ghent,and the American victory denied the British any leverage to demand exclusive control over theGreat Lakesor territorial gains against theNew Englandstates.

ThreeUS Naval shipshave been named after this battle:USSLake Champlain(CV-39),USSLake Champlain(CG-57)and a cargo ship used duringWorld War I.

Following the War of 1812, the U.S. Army began construction on "Fort Blunder":an unnamed fortification built at the northernmost end of Lake Champlain to protect against attacks from British Canada. Its nickname came from a surveying error: the initial phase of construction on the fort turned out to be taking place on a point3⁄4mi (1.2 km) north of the Canada–U.S. border. Once this error was spotted, construction was abandoned. Locals scavenged materials used in the abandoned fort for use in their homes and public buildings.

By theWebster–Ashburton Treatyof 1842, the Canada–U.S. border was adjusted northward to include the strategically important site of "Fort Blunder" on the US side.In 1844, work was begun to replace the remains of the 1812-era fort with a massive newThird Systemmasonry fortification, known asFort Montgomery.Portions of this fort are still standing.

Modern history

A 1902 photograph of Fort Henry at Lake Champlain

In the early 19th century, the construction of theChamplain Canalconnected Lake Champlain to theHudson Riversystem, allowing north–south commerce by water from New York City to Montreal andAtlantic Canada.

In 1909, 65,000 people celebrated the 300th anniversary of the French discovery of the lake. Attending dignitaries included PresidentWilliam Howard Taft,along with representatives from France, Canada and the United Kingdom.

In 1929, then-New York GovernorFranklin Rooseveltand Vermont GovernorJohn Weeksdedicated the first bridge to span the lake, built from Crown Point toChimney Point.This bridge lasted until December 2009. Severe deterioration was found, and the bridge was demolished and replaced with theLake Champlain Bridge,which opened in November 2011.

On February 19, 1932, boats were able to sail on Lake Champlain. It was the first time that the lake was known to be free of ice during the winter at that time.

Lake Champlain briefly became the nation's sixthGreat Lakeon March 6, 1998, whenPresident Clintonsigned Senate Bill 927. This bill, which was led by U.S. SenatorPatrick Leahyof Vermont and reauthorized theNational Sea Grant Program,contained a line declaring Lake Champlain to be a Great Lake. This status enabled its neighboring states to apply for additional federal research and education funds allocated to these national resources. However, following a small uproar, the Great Lake status was rescinded on March 24 (although New York and Vermont universities continue to receive funds to monitor and study the lake).

"Champ", Lake Champlain monster

In 1609, Samuel de Champlain wrote that he saw alake monster5 ft (1.5 m) long, as thick as a man's thigh, with silver-gray scales a dagger could not penetrate. Thealleged monsterhad 2.5 ft (0.76 m) jaws with sharp and dangerous teeth. Native Americans claimed to have seen similar monsters 8 to 10 ft (2.4 to 3.0 m) long. This mysterious creature is likely the original Lake Champlain monster.The monster has been memorialized in sports teams' names and mascots, e.g., theVermont Lake Monstersand Champ, the mascot of the state's minor leaguebaseballteam.A Vermont Historical Society publication recounts the story and offers possible explanations for accounts of the so-called monster: "floating logs, schools of large sturgeon diving in a row, or flocks of blackbirds flying close to the water".In 2022, it was reported that a feature dramatic film,Lucy and the Lake Monster,was in the works about a young orphan girl and her grandfather looking for Champ.

Ecology

A pollution prevention, control and restoration plan for Lake Champlainwas first endorsed in October 1996 by the governors of New York and Vermont and the regional administrators of theUnited States Environmental Protection Agency(EPA). In April 2003, the plan was updated, and Quebec signed on to it. The plan is being implemented by theLake Champlain Basin Programand its partners at the state, provincial, federal and local levels. Renowned as a model for interstate and international cooperation, its primary goals are to reducephosphorusinputs to Lake Champlain, reduce toxic contamination, minimize the risks to humans from water-related health hazards and control the introduction, spread, and impact of non-native nuisance species to preserve the integrity of the Lake Champlain ecosystem.

Senior staff who helped organize theEnvironmental Protection Agencyin 1970 recall thatInternational Paperwas one of the first companies to call upon the brand-new agency, because it was being pressured by both New York and Vermont with regard to a discharge of pollution into Lake Champlain.

Agricultural and urbanrunofffrom the watershed ordrainage basinis the primary source of excess phosphorus, which exacerbatesalgae bloomsin Lake Champlain. The most problematic blooms have beencyanobacteria,commonly called blue-green algae, in the northeastern part of the lake: primarilyMissisquoi Bay.

To reduce phosphorus runoff to this part of the lake, Vermont and Quebec agreed to reduce their inputs by 60% and 40%, respectively, by an agreement signed in 2002.While agricultural sources (manure and fertilizers) are the primary sources of phosphorus (about 70%) in the Missisquoi basin, runoff from developed land and suburbs is estimated to contribute about 46% of the phosphorus runoff basin-wide to Lake Champlain, and agricultural lands contributed about 38%.

In 2002, the cleanup plan noted that the lake had the capacity to absorb 120 short tons (110 t) of phosphorus each year. In 2009, a judge noted that 240 short tons (218 t) were still flowing in annually: more than twice what the lake could handle. Sixty municipal and industrial sewage plants discharge processed waste from the Vermont side.

In 2008, the EPA expressed concerns to the State of Vermont that the lake's cleanup was not progressing fast enough to meet the original cleanup goal of 2016.The state, however, cites its Clean and Clear Action Planas a model that will produce positive results for Lake Champlain.

In 2007, Vermont banned phosphates for dishwasher use starting in 2010. This will prevent an estimated 2–3 short tons (1.8–2.7 t) from flowing into the lake. While this represents 0.6% of the phosphate pollution, it took US$1.9 million to remove the pollutant from treated wastewater: an EPA requirement.

Despite concerns about pollution, Lake Champlain is safe for swimming, fishing and boating. It is considered a world-class fishery for salmonid species (lake troutandAtlantic salmon) and bass. About 81 fish species live in the lake, and more than 300 bird species rely on it for habitat and as a resource during migrations.

By 2008, at least seven institutions were monitoring lake water health:

1. Conservation Law Foundation,which in 2002 appointed a "lakekeeper" who reviews the state's pollution controls
2. Friends ofMissisquoi Bay,formed in 2003
3. Lake Champlain Committee
4. Vermont Water Resources Board, which hired a water quality expert in 2008 to write water quality standards and create wetland protection rules
5. Vermont Agency of Natural Resources,which in 2007 appointed a "lake czar" to oversee pollution control
6. Clean and Clear, an agency of the Vermont state government, established in 2004
7. The Nature Conservancy,a non-profit group which focuses on biodiversity and ecosystem health.

In 2001, scientists estimated that farming contributed 38% of the phosphorus runoff. By 2010, results of environmentally-conscious farming practices, enforced by law, had made a positive contribution to lake cleanliness. A federally-funded study was started to analyze this problem and to arrive at a solution.

Biologists have been trying to controllampreysin the lake since 1985 or earlier. Lampreys are native to the area, but have expanded in population to such an extent that they wounded nearly all lake trout in 2006, and 70–80% of salmon. The use of pesticides against the lamprey has reduced their damage to other fish to 35% of salmon and 31% of lake trout. The goal was 15% of salmon and 25% of lake trout.

The federal and state governments originally budgeted US$18 million for lake programs for 2010. This was later supplemented by an additional US$6.5 million from the federal government.

Natural history

In 2010, the estimate ofcormorantpopulation, now classified as a nuisance species because they take so much of the lake fish, ranged from 14,000 to 16,000. A Fish and Wildlife commissioner said that the ideal population would be about 3,300, amounting to 7.8/sq mi (3/km²). Cormorants had disappeared from the lake (and all northern lakes) due to the use ofDDTin the 1940s and 1950s, which made their eggs more fragile and reduced breeding populations.

Ring-billed gullsare also considered a nuisance, and measures have been taken to reduce their population. Authorities are trying to encourage the return ofblack-crowned night herons,cattle egretsandgreat blue herons,which disappeared during the timeDDTwas being widely used.

In 1989,UNESCOdesignated the area around Lake Champlain as theChamplain-Adirondack Biosphere Reserve.

Infrastructure

Lake crossings

The Alburgh Peninsula (also known as the Alburgh Tongue), extending south from the Quebec shore of the lake into Vermont, and Province Point, the southernmost tip of a small promontory approximately 2 acres (1 ha) in sizea few miles to the northeast of the community ofEast Alburgh, Vermont,are connected by land to the rest of the state only via Canada. This is a distinction shared with the state ofAlaska,Point Roberts, Washington,and theNorthwest AngleinMinnesota.All of these are practicalexclavesof the United States contiguous with Canada. Unlike the other cases, highway bridges across the lake provide direct access to the Alburgh peninsula from within the United States (from three directions), but Province Point is still accessible by land only through Canada.

The formerChamplain Bridgebetween New York and Vermont, demolished in December 2009

Road

Three roadways cross the lake, two connecting New York and Vermont and one connecting two towns in New York:

• Since November 2011, theLake Champlain Bridgehas crossed the lake's southern part, connectingChimney Pointin Vermont withCrown Point, New York.It replaced theChamplain Bridge,which was closed in 2009 because of severe structural problems that could have resulted in a collapse.

In 2009, the bridge had been used by 3,400 drivers per day,and driving around the southern end of the lake added two hours to the trip. Ferry service was re-established to take some of the traffic burden. On December 28, 2009, the bridge was destroyed by a controlleddemolition.A new bridge was rapidly constructed by a joint state commitment, opening on November 7, 2011.

• To the north, US 2 runs fromRouses Point, New York,toGrand Isle County, Vermont,in the town of Alburgh, before continuing south along a chain of islands toward Burlington. To the east,Vermont Route 78runs from an intersection with US 2 in Alburgh through East Alburgh toSwanton.The US 2-VT 78 route technically runs from the New York mainland to an extension of the mainland between two arms of the lake and then to the Vermont mainland, but it provides a direct route across the two main arms of the lake's northern part.
• In the southern section of the lake,New York State Route 22crosses the South Bay connectingWhitehall, NYandDresden, Washington County, New York

Ferry

TheLCTCferry slip atGrand Isle, Vermont

North of Ticonderoga, New York, the lake widens appreciably; ferry service is operated by theLake Champlain Transportation Companyat:

• Charlotte, Vermont,toEssex, New York(may not travel when the lake is frozen)
• Grand Isle, Vermont,toCumberland Head,part ofPlattsburgh, New York(year-round icebreaking service)

While the old bridge was being demolished and the new one constructed, Lake Champlain Transportation Company operated a free, 24-hour ferry from just south of the bridge to Chimney Point, Vermont, at the expense of the states of New York and Vermont, at a cost to the states of about $10 per car.

The most southerly crossing is theFort TiconderogaFerry, connecting Ticonderoga, New York, withShoreham, Vermont,just north of the historic fort.

Railroad

Four significant railroad crossings were built over the lake. As of 2021, only one remains.

• The "floating" rail trestle fromLarabees Point, Vermont,toTiconderoga, New York,was operated by the Addison Branch of theRutland Railroad.It was abandoned in 1918, due to a number of accidents which resulted in locomotives and rail cars falling into the lake.
• The Island LineCauseway,a marble tailings and granite rock landfill causeway that stretched fromColchester(on the mainland) three mi (4.8 km) north and west toSouth Hero, Vermont.Two breaks in the causeway were spanned by a fixed irontrestleand aswing bridgethat could be opened to allow boats to pass. The Rutland Railroad (laterRutland Railway) operated trains over this causeway from 1901 to 1961, with the last passenger train operating in 1953. The railroad was officially abandoned in 1963, with tracks and trestles removed over the course of the ten years that followed. The marble tailings and granite rock causeway still remains, as does the fixed iron trestle that bridges the lesser of the two gaps. The swing bridge over the navigation channel was removed in the early 1970s.

The Swanton-Alburgh trestle spans Lake Champlain between the two Vermont towns: a distance of about 0.8 mi (1.3 km).

Now called Colchester Park, the main 3-mile (5 km) causeway has been adapted and preserved as a recreation area for cyclists, runners and anglers. Two smaller marble tailings and granite rock landfill causeways were also erected as part of this line that connectedGrand IsletoNorth Hero,and spanned from North Hero toAlburgh.

• TheAlburgh, Vermont–Rouses Point, New York,rail trestle. From sometime in the late 19th century until 1964, this wooden trestle carried two railroads (the Rutland Railroad and theCentral Vermont Railroad) over the lake just south of the US 2 vehicular bridge. The iron swing bridge at the center (over the navigation channel) has been removed. Most of the wooden pilings remain, greatly deteriorated, and can be seen looking south from the US 2 bridge. Part of the trestle on the Rouses Point side has been converted for use as an access pier associated with the local marina.
• TheSwanton–Alburgh, Vermontrail trestle. Built in the same manner as at Rouses Point, it crosses the lake just south of Missisquoi Bay and the Canada–U.S. border, within yards south of the Vermont Route 78 bridge. It is still in use by theNew England Central Railroad.

Waterways

Lake Champlain has been connected to theErie Canalvia theChamplain Canalsince the canal's official opening on September 9, 1823, the same day as the opening of the Erie Canal fromRochesteronLake OntariotoAlbany.It connects to theSt. Lawrence Rivervia theRichelieu River,with theChambly Canalbypassing rapids on the river since 1843. Together with these waterways, the lake is part of theLakes to Locks Passage.TheLake Champlain Seaway,a project to use the lake to bring ocean-going ships from New York City to Montreal, was proposed in the late 19th century and considered as late as the 1960s, but rejected for various reasons. The lake is also part of the 740-mile (1,190 km)Northern Forest Canoe Trail,which begins inOld Forge, New York,and ends inFort Kent, Maine.

Surroundings

Major cities

Burlington, Vermont(pop. 44,743, 2020 census) is the largest city on the lake. The second and third most-populated cities/towns arePlattsburgh, New York,andSouth Burlington, Vermont,respectively. The fourth-largest community is the town ofColchester.

Islands

At sunset, looking west from Grand Isle to Plattsburgh and Crab Island

Lake Champlain contains roughly 80 islands, three of which comprise four entire Vermont towns (most ofGrand Isle County). The largest islands:

• South Hero Island,the largest, containing the towns ofGrand IsleandSouth Hero, Vermont
• North Hero Island, containing the town ofNorth Hero, Vermont
• Isle La Motte, containing the town ofIsle La Motte, Vermont
• Valcour Island,New York
• Juniper Island
• Three Sisters
• Four Brothers
• Savage Island
• Burton Island (State Park)
• Cloak Island
• Garden Island (Gunboat Island)
• Crab Island
• Dameas Island
• Hen Island
• Butler's Island
• Carleton's Prize
• Young Island
• Providence Island
• Stave Island
• Sunset Island

Lighthouses

The lighthouse in Lake Champlain at dusk, as seen from Burlington

• Bluff Point Lighthouse,onValcour Islandnear the New York shore, was built in 1871; it was manned by a full-time lightkeeper until 1930, making it one of the last lighthouses to be manned on the Lake
• Cumberland Head Light,which operated until 1934, is an historic stone lighthouse located onCumberland Headwhich is privately owned
• Isle La Motte Light,on the northern end of the island, was originally red, but faded to pink over time; it is privately owned
• Juniper Island Lightis a cast-iron lighthouse that dates from 1846; in 1954, it was deactivated and replaced by a steel tower; it is privately owned
• On Point Au Roche, part ofBeekmantown, New York,there is a privately owned, historic lighthouse
• Split Rock Lighthouse is located south ofEssex, New York,near a natural boundary of the territory between the Mohawk and Algonquin tribes

Aids to navigation

USCG, Burlington, Vermont – main installation

All active navigational aids on the American portion of the lake are maintained byCoast Guard Station Burlington,along with those on internationalLake Memphremagogto the east. Aids to navigation on the Canadian portion of the lake are maintained by theCanadian Coast Guard.

Parks

There are a number of parks in the Lake Champlain region, in both New York and Vermont.

Those on the New York side of the lake includePoint Au Roche State Park,which park grounds have hiking and cross country skiing trails and a public beach; and Ausable Point Campground within theAdirondack Park.Cumberland Bay State Parkis located onCumberland Head,with a campground, city beach and sports fields.

There are various parks along the lake on the Vermont side, includingSand Bar State ParkinMilton,featuring a 2,000 ft (610 m) natural sand beach, swimming, canoe and kayak rentals, food concession, picnic grounds and a play area. At 226 acres (91 ha),Grand Isle State Parkcontains camping facilities, a sand volleyball court, a nature walk trail, ahorseshoe pitand a play area.Button Bay State ParkinFerrisburghfeatures campsites, picnic areas, a nature center and a swimming pool. Burlington's Waterfront Park is a revitalized industrial area.

Public safety

Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife boat docked nearECHO Aquarium

Coast Guard Station Burlington provides "Search and Rescue, Law Enforcement and Ice Rescue services 24 hours a day, 365 days a year".Services are also provided by local, state and federal governments bordering on the lake, including theU.S. Border Patrol,Royal Canadian Mounted Police,Vermont State Police,New York State PoliceMarine Detail,and Vermont Fish and Wildlife wardens.

See also

• Champlain Sea,post-glacial predecessor to Lake Champlain
• Île aux Noix
• List of lakes of Vermont
• List of New York rivers
• List of rivers of Quebec
• List of rivers of Vermont
• Odziozo

External links

• Bloom: the Plight of Lake Champlain(PBS film series)
• Champlain: The Lake BetweenArchivedJune 12, 2016, at theWayback MachineDocumentary produced byVermont Public Television
• ECHO, Leahy Center for Lake ChamplainArchivedJune 11, 2021, at theWayback Machine
• Ethan Allen Homestead MuseumArchivedJanuary 11, 2010, at theWayback Machine
• Lake Champlain Community Sailing CenterArchivedMarch 11, 2014, at Wikiwix
• Lake Champlain Basin AtlasArchivedFebruary 27, 2021, at theWayback Machine
• Lake Champlain Basin ProgramArchivedJune 28, 2021, at theWayback Machine
• Lake Champlain Maritime MuseumArchivedMay 6, 2021, at theWayback Machine
• Lake Champlain QuadricentennialArchived2009-07-03 at theWayback Machine
• International flood studyArchivedDecember 16, 2017, at theWayback Machine
• Shelburne MuseumArchivedJune 26, 2021, at theWayback Machine
• Lake Champlain UnitedArchivedMarch 21, 2021, at theWayback Machine
• Lake Champlain InternationalArchivedOctober 16, 2020, at theWayback Machine