The Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation's Water Quality Division monitors the water quality of lakes, ponds, rivers, streams and wetlands across Vermont. These monitoring activities are carried out in conjunction with Vermont's Ambient Water Quality Monitoring Strategy (pdf, 915 KB) and are outlined in our Field Methods Manual (pdf 1.7MB). This strategy outlines several objectives, which include the following:

• Identify the status of Vermont's aquatic and wetland resources;
• 2006 Assessment & Listing Methodology (pdf, 347 KB)
• Identify trends in the condition of Vermont's aquatic and wetland resources;
• Identify existing and emerging threats to Vermont's aquatic and wetland resources;
• Identify where watershed-level activities are impacting aquatic and wetland resources;
• Provide information to support and evaluate Agency management and regulatory programs, including the development of environmental indicators;
• Respond to citizen complaints and emergency situations regarding Vermont's aquatic and wetland resources (as appropriate);
• Determine compliance with VT Water Quality Standards.

The following is a list of monitoring programs and special studies with links to more information:

• Aquatic Macrophyte Monitoring Program
• Aquatic Nuisance Species Searches and Surveys
• Aquatic Nuisance Species Watchers Program
• Biodiversity Monitoring Program
• Citizen Lake and Watershed Survey Program
• Diagnostic Studies
• Lake Assessment Program
• Lake Bioassessment Project
• Lake Water Quality Summary Reports
• The Long-Term Water Quality and Biological Monitoring Project for Lake Champlain
• The Long-Term Monitoring (LTM) Acid Lakes Program
• National Lake Survey, 2007-8
• Paleolimnology of Vermont LakesProject
• REMAP Assessment of Mercury in Sediments, Waters and Biota of VT and NH Lakes Project
• Spring Phosphorus Program
• Water Level Monitoring Program
• The Vermont Lay Monitoring Program
• Vermont Volunteer Surface Water Monitoring Guide

• Ambient Biomonitoring Network (ABN)
• Aquatic Nuisance Species Searches and Surveys
• BMP Effectiveness Monitoring at Englesby Brook and Little Otter Creek
• Biodiversity Monitoring Program
• Lake Champlain Basin Agricultural Watersheds Monitoring Project
• The Long-Term Water Quality and Biological Monitoring Project for Lake Champlain
• River Assessment Program
• The Stream Geomorphic Assessment Program

• Biodiversity Monitoring Program
• Vermont Wetlands Bioassessment Project

Biological Monitoring Projects (either ongoing or conducted on a periodic basis)

• Northern Leopard Frog Surveys in the Lake Champlain Basin
• Monitor macroinvertebrate community compositional changes before and after the mechanical shredding of water chestnut on Lake Champlain.
• Monitor the effectiveness of SONAR® chemical treatment on Eurasian watermilfoil and non-target aquatic biota on two lakes in 2000.
• Monitor the effects on both target and non-target organisms of copper sulfate treatments to control the snails partially responsible for swimmer's itch in a pond.
• Monitor the effects on non-target fish and macroinvertebrates in those rivers subject to lampricide (TFM) treatments.

Citizen groups are becoming increasingly involved in monitoring, education, protection and restoration projects in Vermont. VTDEC provides assistance and training to volunteers whenever possible. Watershed associations are presently active on approximately 26 rivers and many lakes in the state.

• Aquatic Nuisance Species Watchers Program
• Citizen Lake and Watershed Survey Program
• The Vermont Lay Monitoring Program
• Vermont Volunteer Surface Water Monitoring Guide
• Volunteer Acid Precipitation Monitoring Program
• Volunteer Water Quality Monitoring Analytical Services Partnerships (pdf, 27 KB)

• Citizen's Guide to Bacteria Monitoring in Vermont Waters (pdf, 472 KB)
• The Fish Contaminant Monitoring Program
• Volunteer Water Quality Monitoring Analytical Services Partnerships (pdf, 33 KB)

Updated: August 2006