What has a Vermont lake in crisis on the mend

A Vermont lake in crisis is on the mend.

Algae blooms, plant growth and poor water clarity made one of the state's most popular recreation spots a public and environmental health risk.

In 2018, the state designated Lake Carmi in Franklin as "Lake in Crisis" and invested $1.4 million into fixing its water quality issues.

Now, they say that investment is paying off with a 41% reduction in phosphorus and they say this effort could serve as an example of water cleanup moving forward.

"We know that the types of interventions we're doing in the watershed with the ag sector, with reducing water runoff from roads, with working with lakeshore properties, those can work in other lake watersheds, as well. And the successes we've achieved at Lake Carmi will really motivate us to achieve these types of interventions at other lakes," said Oliver Pierson of the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation.

The DEC says Lake Carmi is the only Vermont lake currently designated as a "lake in crisis."

Watch the video for our Cat Viglienzoni's full interview with Oliver Pierson.