Category Archives: Ecology

Ecology of Lake Champlain and how to protect our lake.

Invasive Plants

Plant Invaders

Invasive plants are non-native species that are capable of moving or, more likely, being moved into a habitat and then monopolizing resources such as light, nutrients, water, and space at the expense of and to the detriment of other species. They are more aggressive and successful than native species at dominating the available resources.

Invasive Plants in the Lake Champlain Basin

  • hydrilla

    Hydrilla

    Hydrilla (Hydrilla verticillata): is a highly aggressive plant. Hydrilla has clogged drainage canals in the southeast and it’s been reported as close as Massachusetts, Maine, and southern New York. Fragments falling from boats, trailers, and live wells can start new populations, which often begin near boat launches.Hydrilla was first introduced to the United States as a popular aquarium plant, which was then accidentally released into the wild in Florida. Hydrilla is capable of completely clogging waterways. Its vertical branches often out-compete native plants, affecting water quality and restricting flow. The widespread growth of this plant has dramatic impacts on recreational uses such as boating, fishing and swimming.Compared to other aquatic plants, Hydrilla grows well in deeper, darker waters and new infestations may establish a foothold there before spreading into shallower waters and out-competing other resident plants..

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EURASIAN MILFOIL

Eurasian Milfoil

  • Eurasian Water milfoil (Myriophyllum spicatum), first discovered in the Basin in 1962, is found in many areas throughout the Lake and Basin. In some areas infestations are severe. Detailed watermilfoil studies have been conducted for many of Lake Champlain’s bays and for 35 other lakes within the Basin, but many areas have little or no study regarding the presence and extent of infestation. Because Eurasian water milfoil is spread by plant fragments transported by waves, wind, currents, people, and to some extent, animals, it is not easily controlled.

 

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  • Variable-leaved Milfoil (Myriophyllum heterophyllum) : Related to Eurasian Water milfoil was found in 2009 in Missisquoi Bay; it too can become a nuisance. Because milfoil spreads by stem pieces, roots and seeds, plant parts can easily hitchhike on recreational equipment if not removed. Boaters are advised to avoid beds of watermilfoil to prevent spreading the plant further. Boaters, anglers and other recreational enthusiasts should take precautions to avoid transporting this and other invasive species to other waters or other parts of Lake Champlain.

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  • Japanese Knotweed

    Japanese Knotweed

    Japanese knotweed (Polygonum cuspidatum) was first introduced to the United States as an ornamental plant in the late 1800’s for its appealing flowers. It was also used for erosion control because of its prolific growth. It has since spread into the wild across the United States, including the Lake Champlain Basin. It spreads by underground rhizomes that easily fragment and spread to other areas. This is a problem especially along stream banks where natural forces contribute to the spread of knotweed.

Japanese knotweed has already altered the natural characteristics of the Lake Champlain Basin. Since it grows early in the season and is very dense, it excludes the growth of native plant species. When dense stands are removed from river banks there can be increased erosion until native plants are able to reestablish themselves.

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  • European Water Chestnut

    European Water Chestnut

    European water chestnut (Trapa natans), first documented in Lake Champlain in the 1940s, displaces other aquatic plant species, is of little food value to wildlife, and forms dense mats that change habitat and interfere with recreational activities. Water chestnut is a fierce competitor in shallow waters with soft, muddy bottoms. Uncontrolled, it creates nearly impenetrable mats across wide areas of water. In South Lake Champlain, many previously often fished bays are now inaccessible and floating mats of chestnut can create a hazard for boaters. This noxious plant also blocks light into the water, a critical element of a well-functioning aquatic ecosystem, reduces oxygen levels which may increase the potential for fish kills.

Submersed leaves are feather-like; each leaf is divided into segments that are whorled around the leaf stem. White flowers form in the axils of the surfacing leaves in July. Fruit are nut-like and “woody” with typically four sharp, barbed spines. Long cord-like rarely branching stems can attain lengths of up to 16 feet. Water chestnut grows in freshwater lakes and ponds and slow moving streams and rivers. It prefers calm, shallow, nutrient-rich waters.

  • Invasive Plants Didymo

    Didymo or ‘Rock Snot’

    Didymo: Didymosphenia geminata, commonly referred to as “didymo” or “rock snot” is a freshwater algae. Native distribution of the species includes cool temperate regions of Northern Europe and Northern North America. While not much of a threat to Lake Champlain itself, didymo may pose a threat to rivers and streams because it can form dense mats in stream beds. Scientific studies conducted around the world have yet to show that didymo has significant impacts to salmon and trout.

    Didymo attaches to the streambed by a stalk. It has a rough texture similar to wet wool and mimics strands of toilet paper, as opposed to other species of algae which feel slimier.

    Didymo can be accidentally spread by people using rivers, as its microscopic cells can cling to boats, waders, fishing gear, sandals, and anything else that comes in contact with water. Gear must be dried for a minimum of 48 hours or cleaned with a bleach solution to get rid of the algae.

 

What else poses a threat to Lake Champlain’s ecosystem?

Next: Are There Other Invasive Threats to Lake Champlain? ( Next >> )

Previous:  Invasive Invertebrates ( << Previous )

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Invasive Invertebrates

Invasive Invertebrates

 

These invaders are trying to ‘mussel’ and claw their way into Lake Champlain. Some have already established themselves, and we can only hope to contain their spread.

  • Invasive Invertebrates Quagga Mussels
    Quagga Mussels

    Quagga mussels (Dreissena bugensis) are a nonnative nuisance species native to the Caspian Sea area. First introduced to the Great Lakes in 1989, they can now be found throughout the Great Lakes, the St. Lawrence River and in a few inland water bodies in New York. They threaten the Lake Champlain Basin by having the potential to cause many of the same problems that have resulted from zebra mussels.

A close relative to the zebra mussel, scientists believe that it poses a greater threat. Quagga mussels are able to colonize a wider variety of lake bottom surfaces than zebra mussels and have a greater range of tolerance to temperatures, depth and other environmental conditions. In the Great Lakes, quagga mussels are already out-competing and replacing zebra mussel populations, but in greater numbers, resulting in greater negative impacts.

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  • Invasive Invertebrates Asian Clam
    The Asian Clam

    The Asian clam (Corbicula fluminea) was first found in the Lake Champlain Basin in August 2010. This bivalve is native to tropical areas in Asia, the eastern Mediterranean, and Australia. Their shells are brown or yellow-green with thick concentric rings on the outside and smooth with a purple tinge on the inside. They are generally smaller than a penny in diameter, but can reach sizes of up to 5cm. Unlike zebra mussels, which hitchhike on boat hulls and colonize on other hard surfaces, the clams prefer open, sandy areas with limited plant growth. They can form thick mats.

The Asian clam is a filter feeder that excretes fecal matter into the water. Research suggests the clams are associated with algal blooms and their presence may change the water chemistry, possibly providing a calcium-rich breeding ground for other potential invasive species such as zebra or quagga mussels. The Asian clam crowds out native species and reduces biodiversity on the lake bottom. Asian clams can clog water intake systems of boats, homes, industry, and municipalities.

..Invasive Invertebrates Zebra Mussels

Zebra mussels take over spawning habitats for Lake Trout, Smelt, and other fish. They consume microscopic plants and animals in large quantities, in competition with juvenile fish and native mussels. This also has the effect of increasing water clarity, which has some benefits, but can aid the spread of invasive plants to deeper areas of the lake. Zebra mussels have begun to kill many of Lake Champlain’s native mussels by attaching to their shells, preventing them from opening to feed and respire. Seven mussel species native only to the Basin are now severely threatened.

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  • Invasive Invertebrates Rusty Crayfish

    Rusty Crayfish

    The rusty crayfish (Orconectes rusticus)  a species native to Ohio and Tennessee that is  rapidly spreading to many other parts the country including New York and all New England states, except Rhode Island. They have been found in Lake Carmi and were spotted in the lower Winooski River in 2005. Rusty crayfish typically displace or hybridize with native crayfish populations and opportunistically prey on native plants, benthic invertebrates, fish eggs, and small fish. Their aggressive predation of native species decreases diversity, destroys habitat and has an overall negative impact on many aquatic ecosystems. They also may spread Eurasian watermilfoil by fragmenting the plants and defoliating native flora clearing the way for further milfoil infestation.

 

We’ve looked at the invasive invertebrates that threaten Lake Champlain; what about invasive plants?

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Next:   What About Invasive Plants? ( Next >>)

Previous: Invasive Fish Species ( << Previous)

 

Invasive Fish Species

Fish Invaders

Lake Champlain’s Invasive Fish Species

 

Let’s begin with a look at some of the invasive fish species that are threatening Lake Champlain and its native ecosystem. .

 

Round goby: lake Champlain invasive fish - Round Goby(Neogobius melanostomus) Native to the Caspian and Black Sea regions, Gobies were probably introduced to the Great Lakes from a ship’s discharged ballast water in the 1980’s. They are bottom-dwellers perching on rocks and substrate. They grow up to ten inches long and have large heads, soft bodies and dorsal fins lacking spines. Often confused with sculpins, the round goby is distinguished by its fused pelvic (bottom) fin which forms a suction disk that allows them to anchor to the bottom. No native North American fish has this feature.

Round gobies are predators of many native fish such as darters, sculpins, and logperch; this has led to serious declines in populations of some of these native species in other areas. Gobies also eat eggs and fry of lake trout, and eggs of lake sturgeon. They have been implicated in major bird die-offs in the Great Lakes because they can harbor the bacterium that causes avian botulism; this bacteria is then transmitted to the birds that have eaten the Gobies.

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Lake Champlain Invasive fish - Ruffe

The Eurasian Ruffe: (Gymnocephalus cernuus) is a nonnative nuisance fish threatening the ecosystem and sport fish population of Lake Champlain. First found in Lake Superior in 1986, the ruffe has since expanded its population and range considerably. It is a perch-like fish native to Eurasia that usually grows no bigger than six inches.

Ruffe impact native species and sport fish populations by eating their eggs and competing for food and habitat.  Since they mature quickly, they are highly competitive, have high reproductive potential, and are adaptable to a wide variety of habitats.

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Alewife (Alosa pseudoharengus) were confirmed in Lake Champlain in 2003. In 2008, widespread alewife die-offs occurred in the Lake, confirming that large numbers are now present. Although alewives do undergo periodic mass mortality events, the specific cause of the Lake Champlain die-off is unclear.

Lake Champlain invasive fish alewife

The alewife is a marine fish species from the herring family. Native populations of this fish inhabit the Atlantic Ocean. Each spring, adult alewives migrate into freshwater rivers to spawn. The young hatch in the rivers, reside there for the summer, and then migrate out to sea in early fall where they mature as adults. Alewives can, however, survive in freshwater. Alewife populations have become established in Great Lakes and many landlocked lakes in New York, Maine, Connecticut, and other New England states.

Alewife threaten the native species of Lake Champlain by altering zooplankton communities, competing with other fish for food, and feeding on native fish eggs and larvae. They also pose a threat to Lake Trout and Atlantic salmon who can experience reproductive failure when feeding on an alewife diet due to a severe vitamin B deficiency. Biologists are concerned that the establishment of this exotic fish species in the Lake and other Basin waters could prove to be a major threat to native forage and game fish populations.

 

Tench: (Tinca tinca), Invasive fish of Lake Champlain - Tenchoriginally from Germany, was first caught and identified on the Great Chazy in New York in May 2002. Similar to carp, tench live on lake or river bottoms. They are a slimy, slow moving carnivorous member of the minnow family that prefer shallow water and weedy areas where they feed on invertebrates. It is not known how the tench found its way to the Great Chazy, although the Richelieu River already has a viable tench population.

The tench has a tendency to cloud the water where it lives by stirring up the bottom sediments. These fine sediments can suffocate the eggs and newly hatched fish of native species such as pike, perch or crappie.

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White PerchLake Champlain Invasive fish: White Perch: (Morone americana)  are a relatively new non-native invasive species of increasing concern in the Lake. In 2003, Quebec researchers found that white perch far outnumber native perch in Missisquoi Bay and are now that Bay’s most abundant fish. They may displace native perch by feeding on their larvae and compete for zooplankton which can lead to an increase in algal growth. White perch are also known to prey on walleye eggs along with white crappy, which has contributed to the significant decline in the walleye population.

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Next we’ll look at some of the invasive invertebrates trying to ‘mussel’ and claw their way into Lake Champlain.

Next: Invasive Invertebrate Threats to Lake Champlain ( Next >> )

Previous: Invasive Species ( << Previous )

 

Invasive Species in Lake Champlain

What are Invasive Species?

 

Any species that are not native to Lake Champlain and may be likely to cause ecological or environmental harm are considered ‘invasive species.’

Lake Champlain Invasive Zebra Mussels

Lake Champlain Zebra Mussels

People, animals and natural forces have been moving plants and animals, intentionally or accidentally, from one habitat to another throughout history. Sometimes, introduced species are not a threat to new habitats. If the newcomers have natural predators in their new home they don’t significantly upset the ecosystem. Invasive species, however, lack predators in their new habitat and have aggressive growth patterns. If the ecosystem can’t keep a newcomer’s population controlled. Without natural, ecological controls such as disease and predators, the balance of that ecosystem is tipped. The non-native species out-compete the native plants and wildlife causing the native species to suffer, decline or become extinct. This reduces Lake Champlain’s native bio-diversity. Once they’ve established themselves, these species can be nearly impossible to eliminate.

Some examples of Invasive Species:

  • Zebra mussels that entered Lake Champlain around 1993, have proliferated and smothered the native mussels, choked water intake pipes, and sliced swimmers’ feet .
  • Alewives– first found in the lake in 2003- have become a dominant forage fish. Recent winter kills of alewives have resulted in tons of rotting fish washing ashore after the ice has melted (see picture below). This die-off does seem to have affected the overall lake-wide population of that fish, however.
Invasive species- Alewife

Alewife die-off in Lake Champlain

  • Eurasian Milfoil has spread throughout Lake Champlain, affecting both swimmers and boaters. Its cousin Variable-leaved Milfoil was found in 2009 in Missisquoi Bay; it too can become a nuisance.
Lampreys on Lake Trout in lake Champlain

Lampreys on Lake Trout

  • Sometimes native species can also get out of balance with the ecosystem. Sea Lampreys are believed to be a native species, but their populations are currently so high that they threaten the survival of other native species, like Lake Trout.

 

Where are they from?

More than 60 percent of the invasive species (that we know about) have entered by way of canals, especially the Champlain Canal at the southern end of the lake. Many other invasives are ready to join them. The Hudson River (which is connected to Lake Champlain by The Champlain Canal) hosts more than twice the number of exotic species as Lake Champlain; the Great Lakes host nearly four times as many.

Now let’s look at some of the current and up-coming threats to Lake Champlain’s current ecosystem.

Next: Invasive Fish Threats to Lake Champlain ( Next >> )

 

Champlain Hudson Power Express

What is the Champlain Hudson Power Express?

Hudson River image

Hudson River

The project is a 330 mile, 1,000-megawatt (MW) underwater and underground transmission line originating at the U.S.-Canadian border in Vermont, traveling under Lake Champlain and the Hudson River and terminating in New York City. The project is designed to help the New York metro area meet its ambitious clean energy goals. In addition, the energy will be derived from carbon-free wind and hydro power generated sources.

The submitted proposal call for two, 5-inch diameter cables to be placed underwater or underground. The submarine portions of the preferred route include Lake Champlain and the Hudson River between Albany and Manhattan. Construction is expected to begin in 2013 and last for three and a half years.

The $2 billion project would be one of the largest investments in New York State history, and could create 300 to 600 direct jobs and an average of more than 1200 indirect and induced jobs during the construction period. It is intended to deliver clean power to meet growing demands, increase the security of the State’s electric grid, reduce emissions and lower energy costs for consumers.

What are the benefits of the Champlain Hudson Power Express?

According to estimates, the project could generate in excess of $20 million a year in tax revenue to areas where the line is buried along railroad tracks and public roads. Taxpayers in Washington, Saratoga, Albany, Schenectady, Greene, and Rockland counties, as well as the City of New York will receive yearly tax benefits from the CHPE. In addition, a one-time payment will be made to the State of New York for easements once the project is completed.

According to prior studies by London Economics, once the Champlain Hudson Power Express is operational, it’s expected to reduce electricity costs by more than $650 million a year in New York state.

What is the Route of the CHPE?

The proposed route is approximately 335 miles (539 km) from the Canada-U.S. border to its southern terminus in New York City. Two 5-inch (127 mm) cables would be buried at varying depths of 3 feet (91 cm) under Lake Champlain and the Hudson, Harlem, and East Rivers.

The cables would cross the border under Lake Champlain and would continue southward to Dresden north of Whitehall, New York. On its way to the Hudson, the cables would be routed briefly taken along State Route 22 and then parallel the Delaware & Hudson Railroad right-of-way to Rotterdam, at which point it accesses the right-of-way of CSX Transportation, continuing southwards until it enters the Hudson River in the Town of Catskill.

Once in the Hudson River, the cables continue south to Stony Point, where the CSX right-of-way is used again until the cables re-enter the Hudson in Clarkstown. They next make landfall in the Harlem River Rail Yard in the Bronx, cross the East River to Queens, and end at a converter station  in Astoria.

What about Environmental Concerns with the CHPE?

Power line

CHPE states this is a very safe project. The HVdc cables that will be used for this project are solid, are made from non flammable materials, are well insulated and do not contain liquids or gels. The HVdc converter stations are solid state and contain no flammable fuel, as compared with thermal generation stations. Electrical protection systems within the HVdc converter stations will isolate any fault, in a small fraction of a second to minimize the possibility of damage.

Placing these cables, which are only five inches in diameter, underwater and underground is intended be minimally invasive to the surrounding environment and to preserve natural views. The cable is solid state and compact, further minimizing risks to the environment. If the cable is damaged, HVdc protection is designed to reduce the current and voltage to zero in a fraction of a second so there is no possibility of damage to persons, fish, or any nearby infrastructure.

The cables will be buried well below the bottom of the waterways to protect against an anchor or fishing equipment snagging the cable. In the unlikely event that the cable is snagged, given the weight of the cable, the boat that has snagged the cable will immediately know that it is attached to a major subsurface feature. There will be both fiber optic thermal and communications protection on the equipment that will detect this “snag” as well as fault protection equipment at both converter stations to clear any fault very quickly. The cable protection equipment is designed to shut down operation in order to protect life and equipment in the very unlikely event that the cable becomes damaged by external equipment.

To avoid environmentally sensitive areas such as the PCB clean-up site in the Hudson River, the line will be taken out of the Champlain Canal North of Fort Edward and buried along Canadian Pacific and CSX rail right of ways for 73 miles The line will also exit the Hudson and be buried underground for seven miles to bypass Haverstraw Bay.

Learn More About the CHPE: