Climate Change

Climate change is causing long-term shifts in temperature, precipitation, and severe weather events globally. The climate in the Lake Champlain basin is becoming warmer, especially in winter, and wetter, even while experiencing prolonged droughts due to shifts in the water cycle. See the 2021 Vermont Climate Assessment for more data and extensive analysis.

Negative impacts from climate change include more flooding, stormwater runoff, and cyanobacteria blooms. More frequent and intense storms cause flooding along streams, rivers, and lakes, negatively impacting housing, businesses, farms, and water quality. Stormwater runoff in towns and cities resulting from more intense storms, out-of-date wastewater systems, and impermeable surfaces overwhelms infrastructure and increases water pollution. The number and duration of cyanobacteria blooms, catalyzed by excess nutrients mixed with warmer water temperatures, have increased within and across lakes in the region.

As part of Lake Champlain Sea Grant’s mission to develop and share science-based knowledge to benefit the environment and economies of the Lake Champlain basin, climate change is interconnected to many aspects of our work, even if not explicitly named. We work to help people increase climate change resilience at home and in communities by providing guidance and informational resources. Please contact us with questions or comments at seagrant [at] uvm.edu.

Guidance and Informational Resources

Actions to Increase Climate Change Resiliency

Our Outreach Initiatives

Educational Resources from Lake Champlain Sea Grant

Research from Lake Champlain Sea Grant