General Lake Health

Part of the Outdoor Center's mission is to protect and manage our lake, Great Hosmer Pond. Supporting the ecological health of the lake ensures that the immediate community and its constant flow of visitors will be able to enjoy the recreational opportunities this area provides. We have been working with John Brodhead, Director of Skiing at the Craftsbury Outdoor Center, on two ongoing projects: water quality monitoring and milfoil management. Because Great Hosmer Pond is part of the State of Vermont's lay monitoring program, we collect water samples and Secchi disk readings weekly. These data and samples are collected by the State for lab testing. Lay monitoring provides data on chlorophyll and phosphate levels, water clarity, as well as an opportunity to keep tabs on the health of our greater regional watershed.

Like many bodies of water, Great Hosmer Pond is unfortunately home to Eurasian milfoil, an invasive aquatic plant that first showed up near the "public access" in 2001. Milfoil can completely take over a lake, pushing out native plants and inhibiting swimming and boating. To date we have been lucky that our infestation is not severe, and in fact, much of the lake is too deep for milfoil. Managing this problem involves tremendous manpower and community support. Volunteers, lake neighbors, Outdoor Center employees, Small Boat Training Center rowers and Green Racing Project skiers are regularly spotting and marking milfoil plants with buoys and pulling and properly disposing of the plants. This process is a lot like weeding a garden and involves constant diligence throughout the summer.