By Kolby R. LaMarche

Lake Champlain has fallen so low that some boat slips sit in mud. At Burlington’s Community Boathouse Marina, staff have spent dozens of hours this summer moving vessels to deeper water by hand. On Monday, the City Council approved $631,000 to dredge the harbor for the first time in over two-decades.

The lake stands nearly three feet below normal — the lowest level since records began in 1918. Drought, upstream water use, and shifting weather patterns have exposed silt that has built up for decades and the marina, home to 58 private slips and docking for the Spirit of Ethan Allen tour boat, can no longer function without intervention.

The project will remove sediment from the marina basin and Perkins Pier. Work will occur over winter, with completion set for spring 2026. The city will issue bids in the coming weeks and fund the effort through bonds.

Dredging is typically required every 10 to 15 years in active harbors, but Burlington’s last full effort was 25 years ago and only partial. Propeller action and natural deposition have since reduced depth in key areas. Parks, Recreation and Waterfront staff reported the summer’s manual boat relocations diverted resources from other duties.

Burlington’s new parks director, Phil Lewis, confirmed on Nov. 3, will oversee the initiative. The waterfront supports 1.5 million annual visitors and hundreds of seasonal jobs. Low water has already forced cancellations and safety adjustments.

The dredging project is not merely a response to low water, it adds-on to broader, long aired concerns about Lake Champlain’s long-term health, from residents, the state, and the federal government. 

Decades of agricultural runoff, urban stormwater, and industrial discharge have loaded the lake with phosphorus, nitrogen, and legacy pollutants like PCBs. These nutrients fuel toxic algae blooms, like Burlingtonians saw this past summer, which degrade fish habitat and threaten drinking water for 200,000 Vermonters. 

The marina’s silt layer, while natural in origin, often traps and grabs up contaminants, making safe disposal a regulatory priority for crews.

Recent state and federal actions signal a renewed push to reverse decades of degradation, however. 

Vermont’s Clean Water Act implementation, bolstered by a 2024 EPA settlement, now requires municipalities to reduce phosphorus loads by 30 percent in priority bays, including Burlington Bay. 

The city has invested $12 million in stormwater upgrades since 2023, including green infrastructure along Battery and Pine streets that filters runoff before it reaches the lake. A new wetland restoration at the mouth of the Winooski River, completed last month, aims to trap sediment and nutrients upstream of the marina.

Dredged material will be tested for contaminants and disposed of at approved sites, per state rules. The Lake Champlain Committee has called for wider sediment studies, but city officials prioritize immediate access.

The dredging ensures the marina opens on schedule next season. For Burlington, it is a necessary response to a lake in flux — and a reminder that climate-driven extremes now demand routine maintenance of public waters