Whats Up with the LaPlatte?

Sampling Station McCabes Tributary Watershed LaPlatte River Watershed

Hinesburg Sewage Treatment Plant

Is the LaPlatte harming Lake Champlain?

Why does the LaPlatte run brown when it rains?

Should we worry about high E. coli counts?

The LaPlatte Watershed

Sampling Station McCabes Tributary Watershed LaPlatte River Watershed

he LaPlatte River and its tributary, McCabes Brook, drain a 53 square mile area mainly in Hinesburg, Charlotte

and Shelburne, and discharge into Shelburne Bay (see map, back cover). Clean water in the river and Bay is important for aquatic life, fishing, boating, swimming and drinking water supply.

Hinesburg Sewage Treatment This brochure was produced by the LaPlatte Watershed Partnership with funding Plant

But, alls not well with the LaPlatte. Volunteers with the LaPlatte Watershed Partnership have been measuring water quality in the LaPlatte River and McCabes Brook watersheds since 2004. Heres what weve learned.

support from the Town of Shelburne. Additional support for the monitoring program was provided by the State of Vermonts LaRosa Volunteer Water Monitoring Analytical Partnerships program, the Champlain Water District and the Department of Environmental Conservation.
PHOTOS: A. W. Hoadley; DESIGN: MacWorks.

Printed on recycled paper, 50% post-consumer recycled content.

Phosphorus

Phosphorus in the LaPlatte River

High Flow

Total Phosphorus

Phosphorus enters the LaPlatte watershed at the Hinesburg sewage treatment plant, where stream banks erode and downstream from corn fields and cultivated land draining to McCabes Brook. Phosphorous levels:

Do Something Now!
Improving water quality in the LaPlatte watershed and Shelburne Bay will take many years. And thats why we should start right now. Watershed citizens and town governments can help prevent soil erosion and stop phosphorous and nitrogen runoff from lawns, roofs, roads and farms.

Proposed standard

tend to exceed proposed standards throughout Sampling Stations the river below reach their highest levels where stream bank erosion and urban runoff occur increase continuously from upstream to downstream locations and rise to very high levels during periods of heavy rain Phosphorus concentrations in Shelburne Bay often exceed the Vermont water quality standard for the Bay. The result is increased growth of nuisance aquatic plants and algae and worsening water quality in Lake Champlain and Shelburne Bay.

Watershed Citizens

divert drainage from driveways to permeable surfaces reduce lawn areas plant trees and shrubs create buffers between streams and lawns or fields cut lawns three inches high and minimize fertilizer use move drainage pipe outlets away from streams and roadside ditches talk to your town officials about water quality

E. coli

E. coli in McCabes Brook

are often high throughout the LaPlatte watershed especially after rain are higher where treated sewage and run-off from towns and farms enters the streams

E. coli Counts

The bacterium Eschericia coli (E.coli) is not naturally found in aquatic habitats. It lives in the intestines of warm-blooded animals. So, when E. coli is found in streams and lakes, this points to fecal contamination and may indicate that other harmful bacteria are present. E. coli counts:

Town Governments

Standard

Sampling Stations

When E. coli counts exceed the Vermont water quality standards, beaches are closed to protect human health.

include recommendations of the LaPlatte Water Quality Report and LaPlatte River Corridor Plans in town plans and policies (LWP 2006-2011, http:// www.lewiscreek.org/laplatte-watershed-studies) apply protective road standards maintain grass or stone-lined swales and ditches along town roads use less fertilizer, pest control chemicals and road salt on town land and roads allow streams to regain their natural channel dimensions, slope, and flow protect streams from storm water run-off from roads and parking lots plant trees and shrubs to stabilize stream banks and flood plains maintain stream bank buffers

Suspended Sediment

Turbidity in the LaPlatte River

Turbidity is caused by suspended sediment the brown stuff we see in the rivers and Bay after heavy rains. Suspended sediment limits photosynthesis, damages habitat for aquatic animals, harms breeding areas for fish and transports phosphorus to Lake Champlain. Suspended sediment:

High Flow

Learn More

Standard

Go to www.lewiscreek.org for the publication, Water Quality in the LaPlatte Watershed, an introduction to water quality science and a summary of research results from 2004-10.
The LaPlatte Watershed

Whats Up wi
WAT ER QUA
Watershed Sampling Station McCabes Tributary LaPlatte River Watershed

LITY IN THE

th the LaPlatte
LAPL ATT E WAT ERSHED

Turbidity

An introduction to water quality science Research results , 2004 10 Recommended actions

Hinesburg Sewage Treatment Plant

Sampling Stations

Is the LaPlatte harming Lake Champlain?

Sampling Station McCabes Tributary LaPlatte River Watershed

Why does the LaPlatte run brown when it rains?

Should we worry about high E. coli counts?

is the main source of phosphorus in the river and Shelburne Bay is at very high levels after heavy rains Suspended sediment is generally below the Vermont standard in the LaPlatte watershed. However, levels exceed the Vermont standard when it rains and at places where stream bank erosion is high.

Contact

Watershed

LaPlatte Watershed Partnership Marty Illick Telephone: 802-425-2002 Email: martylewiscreek@gmavt.net

PHOTOS: A. W.

produced by the LaPlatte Waters support from the hed Partnership Town of Shelbu with rne. was provided by the State of Vermo Additional support for the monito funding nts LaRosa Volunt Analytical Partne ring program rships program, eer Water Monito the Champlain of Environment ring Water District al Conservation. and the Depart ment
Hoadley; DESIGN: MacWorks. Printed on recycled paper, 50% post-cons umer recycled content.

Hinesburg Sewage Treatment This brochure was Plant

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he LaPlatte River and its tributa ry, McCabes Brook, LaPlatte Watershe drain a 53 square hip d Partners mile area mainly inC ON TACT: Marty Illick, (802) 425-2002 Hinesburg, Charlo martylewiscreek@g tte and Shelburne, mavt.net and discharge into Shelburne With support from (see map, back Bay cover)LaRosa Volunteer Water State of Vermonts . Clean water Quality Monitorin Analytical Partnershi in the river g and Bay is impor tant for aquati ps Program, Champlain Water District, fishing c life,Town of Shelburne boating, swimm , ing and drinki ng water supply November 10, 2011 But, alls not well . with the LaPlat te. Volunteers with the LaPlatte Waters hed Partnership have been measuring water quality in the LaPlatte River and McCabes Brook watersheds since 2004. Heres what weve learne d.
11/4/11 10:32 AM