The Vermont portions of the St Francis River Watershed encompass a total of 589 sq miles including the Vermont portions of the Lake Memphremagog Drainage, as well as, the Tomifobia and Coaticook River watersheds.   The Lake Memphremagog watershed drainage area encompasses a total of about 687 square miles of which 489 square miles (71%) are located in Vermont and 198 square miles (29%) are in the Province of Quebec.  Although the majority of the lake's watershed is found within Vermont, about three-quarters of the lake's 38 square mile surface area is located in Quebec.

There are three main rivers in the Vermont portion of the lake's drainage basin - the Black, Barton and Clyde Rivers, which flow northerly and empty into the southern end of Lake Memphremagog, also known as South Bay.  These three rivers drain close to 65% of the lake's entire watershed area.  A smaller river, the Johns River begins in the Town of Derby, Vermont, flows northwesterly into Quebec for a short distance and then back into Vermont and Lake Memphremagog.

The Vermont portion of this basin is rich in lakes and ponds, encompassing Great and Little Hosmer Lakes, Lake Parker, Crystal Lake, Lake Willoughby, Island Pond, Great and Little Averill Ponds, Norton Pond, Holland Pond and Seymour Lake, along with many others.

For a color map of the Lake Memphremagog basin with major tributaries watersheds highlighted click here (pdf 160KB).

The Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) began a watershed initiative in this basin in the fall of 2006.   Since this date a number of public forums were held in the basin and a watershed council was established.  The Basin 17 Watershed Council prioritized the following issues to be addressed in a water quality management plan.

Nutrient enrichment and Algae blooms caused by:

Exotic Invasive Species

Reduced aquatic habitat conditions caused by:

Contamination caused by:

In 2008 Meetings were held to discuss water quality conditions in the basin, the issue of nutrient enrichment forestland management, road runoff, and stormwater runoff.  Summaries of these meetings are provided in the newsletters which can be downloaded below. 

Meetings planned for 2009 include:

• Uses of waters in the basin
• Exotic Invasive species
• Lakeshore development issues
• Stream corridor management
• Runoff from Agricultural lands
• Water quality monitoring results

In addition, a watershed group has been established for the Vermont portions of the Lake Memphremagog watershed called the Memphremagog Watershed Association which has initiated a number of projects including a lake trash clean, water quality sampling in tributaries, invasive species surveying and boat launch monitors, buffer restoration projects and regular educational events.   In addition to the Memphremagog Watershed Association there are 12 other lake and watershed groups in the basin.

For more information about this important water quality management planning effort, persons can contact Ben Copans in St. Johnsbury at (802) 751-2610.

Memphremagog Watershed Newsletter

• Spring and Summer 2008 (pdf 322KB)
• Fall 2008 (pdf 398KB)

• 2008 Memphremagog Watershed Association Water Quality Sampling Report  (pdf, 1 MB)
• Completed Basin Plan Example: White River Basin (pdf, 1.4 MB)
• Guidelines for Watershed Planning (pdf, 374 KB)
• Map of Vermont's 17 River Basins
• Vermont Clean and Clear Action Plan
• Directory of Watershed & Lake Associations within Vermont (October 2003)
• Lake Memphremagog Watershed Water Quality Assessment Report (March 2006) (pdf, 1 MB)
• Memphremagog Conservation (MCI)

• Northeastern Vermont Development Association (NVDA)

• Northwoods Stewardship Center

• 2008 Quebec-Vermont  report on The Water quality of Lake Memphremagog  (pdf 5MB)
• Seymour Lakes Association
• Echo Lake Protective Association

Updated: January 2009