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March 9, 2020. – Agency of Natural Resources (ANR) Secretary Julie Moore invites the public to join her on Tuesday, March 17 from 4:00 to 5:00 pm to discuss a variety of environmental topics. The conversation will start with a discussion on the Lake Memphremagog Brown Bullhead Lesion Investigation.
“Lake ecosystems are complex. The health of the fish in a lake is an important indicator of the overall condition of the waterbody,” said Secretary Moore. “When new or novel problems surface, like the discovery of a high incidence of brown bullhead lesions in the South Bay of Lake Memphremagog, the Agency turns to its team of scientists to investigate possible causes and ultimately, identify solutions.”
At the meeting, Rick Levey, an environmental scientist with the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation and Pete Emerson, a fisheries biologist for the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department, will provide more information about the investigation. Together, the two departments surveyed Lake Memphremagog’s South Bay, Hospital Cove and Derby Bay throughout 2014-2018. Surveys documented brown bullheads with high incidence (20-30%) of skin lesions / tumors. The prevalence of lesions and tumors in wild fish has been used as an indicator of environmental quality for many decades. The Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department, Department of Environmental Conservation, and USGS National Fish Health Laboratory researchers have been working together to determine the causation of these fish lesions. Results of this work will be presented at the meeting on March 17.
After an initial overview of the health of brown bullhead, Secretary Moore will open the floor to hear thoughts, ideas, questions, and concerns from attendees. The Secretary encourages attendees to bring any natural resources questions beyond the featured topic. The gathering will be held in the Dewey Building at 1 National Life Drive in Montpelier March 17, 2020 from 4:00 to 5:00 pm. For those not able to make it in person, a Facebook Live stream will be available at https://www.facebook.com/VTANR/