On June 26 reporter, Molly Walsh, kayaked down theWinooski river following the huge flooding events that occurred in April 2011.Hunks of bank had collapsed. Downed trees laid on the shores and banks. Thewater they were paddling on was faded to a chocolate color and the turbidity ofthe water became a reminder of the tremendous amount of earth, sand and debristhat was carried down. The flooding from April 2011 surpassed any of the datathat has previously been recorded in Lake Champlain history. All the runoffalong the 90-mile Winooski River caused a drastic alteration of the riversappearance and more importantly water quality. In some parts of the river andespecially in smaller tributaries, the amount of water coursing through was 10,20, even 100 times more than normal due to record rain and the melting of heavysnow pack. The sediment the water carried scraped away gravel bars in certainspots, expanded sandbars in others and made deep pools shallower. On a singleday, April 26, the Winooski River discharged phosphorous equivalent to twotimes the annual amount discharged by all Vermont wastewater plants combinedinto the lake, according to the Lake Champlain Committee. This extra-largephosphorous dump could accelerate algae blooms that are choking some sectionsof Lake Champlain and take cleanup efforts backward. Phosphorus is the mainworry of the Friends of Winooski, Ann Smith, executive director of Friends ofWinooski, described due to the detrimental effect an increase of phosphorus canhave on Lake Champlain.
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