Phosphorous Data
Phosphorus: We often assume that the most significant phosphorus loading is an agricultural issue. In fact, 37% of the phosphorus contribution in Lake Champlain is from urban areas and other developed land.*
In the Lake Champlain basin, phosphorus continues to be an issue. Burlington Bay has lower phosphorus readings than other parts of the lake, as illustrated in the atlas below.
Research to date by the RAN team indicates total phosphorus average concentration of 0.134 mg/L in the lower monitoring station at Butler Farms/Oak Creek Village in tributary 7, which is below the national standard of 0.26 mg/L.
Yet, there is a nearly a 30% increase in TPconcentration from the upstream to the downstream monitoring stations, which demonstrates, the impact of development on the watershed. While this level of phosphorus is below national levels of concern, the accumulation of phosphorus in Lake Champlain can have significant impact.
