Round Goby

The Patrick Leahy-Lake Champlain Basin Program has issued its 2024 State of the Lake and Ecosystems Indicators report. Produced every three years, it documents efforts to manage the lake, its watershed and address challenges. Representatives from the Basin Program talk about the report and potential threats from invasive species.

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and New York State Canal Corporation are expanding operational changes at Champlain Canal locks between Waterford and Stillwater as a precaution after detecting round goby at the lock in Halfmoon.

Lake Champlain Basin Program Director Eric Howe says they and other groups are closely monitoring the location and migration of the Round Goby as it enters the canal system leading into the southern end of Lake Champlain.

Lake Champlain faces the possible incursion of another invasive aquatic species. The Round Goby, native to Eurasia, has been tracked spreading east through the Erie Canal system.

The Lake Champlain Basin Program’s Vermont Citizens Advisory Committee on Lake Champlain’s Future met this week to receive updates on several efforts. The key item discussed is the potential incursion of an invasive fish into the lake through the Champlain Canal.