Vermont Celebrates Lake Champlain
Visitors from around the world are drawn to Lake Champlain for its beauty, fish and wildlife, lakeside communities, regional culture and recreational opportunities. Embark on a voyage of discovery in 2009 to experience the many reasons why Lake Champlain is truely a very great lake.
Lake Champlain
“The next day we entered the lake, which is of great extent, say eighty or a hundred leagues long…” ~ Samuel de Champlain, July 1609
 Lake Champlain lies in a deep, glacially carved valley between the Adirondacks of New York and Vermont’s Green Mountains—and it has only existed for the past 10,000 years, making it very young in geologic terms. Before that a salty arm of the Atlantic Ocean called the Champlain Sea was in its place for about 2,000 years.
Beluga whale skeletons offer evidence of this time period and the Lake’s Atlantic salmon are present day reminders. Prior to the salty sea, the area was covered by Lake Vermont, an extensive lake formed by glacial melt waters that covered the region just after the last Ice Age.
Lake Champlain shares a similar geologic history to the Great Lakes of North America and it is connected to them by canals and rivers. And it is vast: Lake Champlain extends 120 miles (193 km) from Whitehall, New York to its outlet at the Richelieu River in Quebec. At its widest point, it spans 12 miles (19 km). It has 435 square miles (1127 sq. km) of surface water and a water volume of 6.8 quadrillion gallons (25.8 trillion cubic meters). Some parts of the Lake are 400 feet (122 m) deep, but it averages only 64 feet deep (19.5 m).
“There are also many rivers falling into the lake, bordered by many fine trees of the same kinds as those we have in France…” ~ Samuel de Champlain, July 1609
 Lake Champlain is surrounded by a vast watershed—nearly the size of New Jersey—that extends from Vermont’s Green Mountains to the Adirondacks of New York to southern Quebec. Simply put, a “watershed” or “basin” is the surrounding land that drains via rivers into a water body. More than 90% of the water delivered to the Lake flows through the watershed. Eleven major rivers and many smaller streams drain to Lake Champlain, including the Missisquoi River, Lamoille River, Winooski River, and Otter Creek in Vermont. Before roads and railroads came to the Basin, the Lake and rivers were crucial for boat transportation.
The biological diversity of the Lake Champlain Basin is astounding: 81 fish, 20 reptiles and amphibians, 318 birds, and 56 mammal species inhabit the Lake and its surrounding landscape. The Lake itself holds a wide range of habitats, from cold, deep waters to shallow, warm bays. Around the Lake, the landscape ranges from soggy wetlands to mixed deciduous forests to alpine peaks.
In Samuel de Champlain’s time, the rivers provided spawning grounds for many fish and runoff to the Lake was filtered clean by verdant forests and wetlands. Today, because of the efforts of many, the lake remains a favorite fishing destination for many, and sailboats, canoes, kayaks and motorboats ply the waters. On- shore people of all ages and interests enjoy lake-side recreation paths, parks, and campgronds.
To learn more about Lake Champlain:
ECHO Lake Aquarium and Science Center at the Leahy Center for Lake Champlain!
Visit ECHO can see more than 60 different fish, reptiles, and amphibians—all of which live in the Basin!
Lake Champlain Maritime Museum Explore the vast history of Lake Champlain through hands-on exhibits, shipwreck discoveries, and full-scale replica vessels.
Lake Champlain Basin Atlas
This online atlas includes more than 40 maps and articles about Lake Champlain and its watershed.
Lake Champlain Committee (LCC)
(LCC) is the only bi-state organization solely dedicated to protecting Lake Champlain’s health and accessibility.
Perkins Museum of Geology
Explore this website for geology resources and visit the museum to see “Charlotte”—the famous beluga whale skeleton!
Read more about the Lake:
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