Lay Monitoring Program

panoramic view of lake

The Vermont Lay Monitoring Program (LMP) trains and equips volunteers (or Lay Monitors) to conduct periodic lake water quality sampling from their boat using quality-assured methods. Since the program's inception in 1979, the principal goals have remained the same:

to establish baseline water quality conditions,
to track long-term nutrient enrichment, and
to teach lakeshore homeowners and lake users about lake ecology and stewardship.

In total more than 100 inland lakes and 40 Lake Champlain stations have been monitored by this dedicated group of citizen scientists, with support from the Department of Environmental Conservation. We are grateful for their interest and commitment to better understanding the health of Vermont lakes and ponds.

What We Monitor and Why
How You Can Help
Lay Monitoring Program Manual, Secchi Disk Simulator, Monitoring Forms, Quality Assurance Project Plans
Lay Monitoring Lake Reports & Lake Score Card Trends+Status Reports
View Interactive Google Map of Lay Monitoring Lake Sites and Recent Secchi Depth Measurements
View and Export Lay Monitoring Data
Lakeshore Land Use/Land Cover Maps
Other Volunteer Monitoring Resources and Opportunities

What We Monitor and Why

Lay Monitors sample a lake at an established site from their boat for total phosphorus (nutrient) concentration, chlorophyll-a (algae and cyanobacteria) concentration, and/or Secchi depth (water transparency) every week to ten days from Memorial Day to Labor Day (training conducted on the lake ASAP after Memorial Day). A minimum of eight sampling days is required to calculate a summer mean. Total phosphorus concentration is sampled to determine a lake's level of nutrient enrichment. Phosphorus feeds algae, cyanobacteria (blue-green algae), and aquatic plants (including nuisance and invasive plant populations). Chlorophyll-a is the green pigment in plants, algae, and cyanobacteria. The concentration of chlorophyll-a in a lake is used to describe the amount of algae and cyanobacteria. Generally, lakes with higher phosphorus concentrations will have increased algae and cyanobacteria growth. Water transparency is measured by using a Secchi disk, an eight inch diameter disk painted with black and white quadrants. The disk is lowered into the lake by a rope, marked in meters, until it disappears from sight, which is the Secchi depth. Generally, water clarity decreases as chlorophyll-a concentration increases.

Why do we measure total phosphorus, chlorophyll-a, and water clarity? Nutrient pollution is one of the most widespread environmental issues in lakes, which are typically limited in primary productivity (natural eutrophication) by phosphorus. Unnaturally high levels of phosphorus caused by human activity can result in excessive growth of algae, cyanobacteria, and aquatic plants while decreasing water clarity (cultural eutrophication). Additionally, nuisance algae and aquatic plant growth can interfere with boating, swimming, fishing and other recreational activities. As the excessive growth dies back each year it falls to the lake bottom, causing sediments to build up more rapidly while depleting oxygen during decomposition. When the natural habitat of a lake is altered, fish and wildlife populations using the lake may also change. Human activity along a lake's shoreline and in the watershed can accelerate the amount of phosphorus entering a lake. Sources of phosphorus include: shoreline erosion, fertilizer run-off, run-off from dirt roads, failing septic systems, agricultural runoff, residential runoff, erosion from logging, and erosion from construction.

How You Can Help

Water quality sampling equipment and training are provided by the Department of Environmental Conservation. The monitor supplies their time and a boat. For more information on volunteering, email Mark Mitchell or call (802) 490-6129.

Vermont DEC Lake Ice-Out Reporting Webform
The Vermont DEC's Lakes and Ponds Management and Protection Program collects lake ice out data in order to track Vermont's changing climate and assist water quality monitoring efforts. Let us know when ice leaves your lake! For more information, contact Mark Mitchell (mark.mitchell@vermont.gov).

Lake Score Card Checklist of Lake Protection Actions
This checklist provides guidance on actions that help protect Vermont lakes and is based on the Lake Score Card.

Lakeshores and Lake Wise

The Lake Wise Program is an Agency of Natural Resources initiative that awards lake-friendly shoreland property, including that of state parks, town beaches, private homes and businesses. The goal of Lake Wise is to establish a new normal, a new culture of lakeshore landscaping that is proven to help protect the lake. A property that earns the Lake Wise Award will represent a "model" shoreland property. The Lake Wise Award certifies a property is well managed, using shoreland Best Management Practices, and is maintained to care for the lake. View the Map of Lake Wise Participation.

Report an Environmental Violation

If you observe or have knowledge of any activity that may be in violation of Vermont's Shoreland Protection Act, an unauthorized lake encroachment, or other lake-related violation, please report the violation to the Environmental Enforcement Office (you may remain anonymous).

Lay Monitoring Program Manual, Secchi Disk Simulator, Monitoring Forms, Quality Assurance Project Plans

Vermont Lay Monitoring Program (LMP) Manual
Vermont Lay Monitoring Program (LMP) Sampling Protocol
Depth Charts of Vermont Lakes and Ponds

Secchi Disk Reading Simulator (from Maine Volunteer Lake Monitoring Program)

LMP Secchi Depth Monitoring Webform (submit data online anytime!)
LMP Basic (Secchi depth only) Monitoring Form
LMP Supplemental Water Sampling Form
LMP Rain Gauge Monitoring Form

Lake Champlain Lay Monitoring Program Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP) 2018 - 2022
Inland Lakes Lay Monitoring Program Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP) 2018 - 2022

Lay Monitoring Lake Reports & Lake Score Card Reports

Weather Resources:
Community Collaborative Rain, Hail, and Snow Network (CoCoRaHS.org) Records for Vermont
USGS National Water Information System: Mapper (stream gage sites with links to flow data)
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Online Weather Data for Vermont
NOAA Barre-Montpelier August Minimum Temperature 1948-2017 Increasing Trend Graph

Note: For information on the Inland Lake Score Card Trends+Status Reports, see How Lakes are Scored. For additional Lake Champlain monitoring reports, see Lake Champlain Long-Term Monitoring Project.

INLAND LAKES (Plant Lists, Fish Lists)

LAKE CHAMPLAIN

Past Lay Monitoring Program Annual Reports:

2015 Lay Monitoring Program Report (PDF, 156 MB)
2014 Lay Monitoring Program Report (PDF, 8 MB)
35 Year Vermont Lay Monitoring Program Report - Inland Lakes (1979-2013) (PDF, 8 MB)
35 Year Vermont Lay Monitoring Program Report - Lake Champlain (1979-2013) (PDF, 2 MB)
2012 Lay Monitoring Program Report - Lake Champlain 15 MB
2012 Lay Monitoring Program Report - Inland Lakes 8 MB

View and Export Lay Monitoring Data

Lay Monitoring Lake Water Quality Data - from 1979 to Present (view and export to Excel)

Vermont Integrated Watershed Information System (IWIS): The VTDEC-Watershed Management Division’s new online data portal for water quality information. Here you can access water quality and chemistry testing information from throughout Vermont.

Lakeshore Land Use/Land Cover Maps

A lake's health is directly impacted by the land use and land cover (LULC) around the lakeshore. These maps depict the LULC mapped within a 100-meter or 600-meter buffer zone- of select lakes within the Lay Monitoring Program. These maps were created as an outreach tool and include layers from the Vermont Center for Geographic Information and the UVM Spatial Analysis Lab. For more information about this LULC layer, click here.

Beebe Pond
Berlin Pond
Lake Bomoseen
Lake Carmi
Caspian Lake
Coles Pond
Curtis Pond
Lake Dunmore
East Long Pond
Echo Lake (Charleston)
Lake Eden
Lake Elmore
Lake Fairlee
Fosters Pond
Great Hosmer Pond
Harvey's Lake
Holland Pond
Indian Brook Reservoir
Lake Iroquois
Island Pond
Joes Pond (Danville)
Long Pond (Westmore)
Maidstone Lake
Lake Memphremagog
Miles Pond
Mirror Lake
Nelson Pond / Forest Lake (Calais)
Newark Pond
Lake Parker
Perch Pond (Benson)
Lake Rescue
Lake Salem
Seymour Lake
Shadow Lake (Glover)
Lake Willoughby
Woodbury Lake / Sabin Pond

Other Vermont Volunteer Monitoring Resources and Opportunities

Vermont Volunteer Surface Water Monitoring Guide

The LaRosa Volunteer Water Quality Monitoring Analytical Services Partnerships (LaRosa Partnership): Since 2003 this partnership has helped watershed associations and monitoring groups across the state of Vermont implement new and/or ongoing surface water monitoring projects for waters in need of water quality assessment by helping to alleviate the financial burden of laboratory analysis costs. This testing allows citizens to get out and see their streams and rivers firsthand, learn about water quality issues, and use water testing to identify where impacts are present.

Vermont Invasive Patrollers (VIPs) Program

Vermont Cyanobacteria (Blue-Green Algae) Monitors and Lake Conditions

Vermont Department of Health Swim Water Testing for E. coli

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