Commission urges co-operation on Vermont-Quebec lake

NEWPORT, Vt. – An organization that focuses on international water issues between the United States and Canada is recommending that the state of Vermont and province of Quebec work together to prevent algae blooms in Lake Memphremagog, which straddles the border.

The draft report by the International Joint Commission recommends that the Vermont and Quebec governments reauthorize a Quebec-Vermont steering committee and provide more funding for local communication about issues affecting the watershed.

The impetus for the study is the increase in the blooms of cyanobacteria, known as blue-green algae, in the lake.

The Caledonian Record reports it’s the first time the two countries studied Lake Memphremagog.

The report was commissioned by the International Joint Commission, which exists to manage boundary waters between the two countries.