By #13804 Matt Storey and #20001 Marnie McDonagh

For generations, our Camps have made spectacular real-time program adjustments to allow the fellowship and fun to thrive when the wind blows, the rain falls, or the sun bakes down on our campuses. D-Heads and Leaders have some of their most creative moments when the weather is less than ideal for routine camp fun. Alumni can recall the divisional Bingo or dodgeball tournament, the afternoon movie, the unrivaled dance party at the waterfront, the extra hour of rest period, or even the fun of “playing through” in the rain. Making the best of whatever Mother Nature sent our way was part of the magic of Camp.

Today, it is no different, except that the complexities of environmental extremes seem to occur more frequently and require constant vigilance to ensure our campers and campuses remain safe and functional. Consider that this past summer, we were affected by two tropical weather systems that dumped a year’s worth of rain on our camps in just a few hours—other periods of daily rain kept Lake Champlain high throughout the summer. Strong winds and water caused flooding and damage that impacted local infrastructure and camp property. The details of the impacts are summarized below. The most significant damage sustained this summer was the collapse of the wall at the LaGrange Memorial Garden overlook behind the Dudley Chapel and subsequent landslide, this on the heels of the damage to Kiniya’s Senior Beach docks following high lake levels in 2023. We are thankful they were replaced with floating docks for the summer of 2024. Most folks remember the landslides and flooding at Dudley and Kiniya just before the summer of 2011. (Did someone say “Yurts?”) The extreme wind events that occurred in 2012 and then again in 2022 also impacted our facilities. 

In addition, there is the increased threat of blue-green algae blooms that can jeopardize the swimming and boating programs of both Camps. This hazard occurs most frequently along shorelines with relatively shallow water. Algae blooms are caused by cyanobacteria and aggravated by increasing phosphorus runoff into Lake Champlain. Their occurrence is more likely in calm, hot periods of the summer when our need for the refreshing lake programming is greatest. This requires daily vigilance to ensure our campers stay safe from this growing health hazard. Read more about the “State of the Lake” with the links we offer below.

All is not doom and gloom around the environmental matters that affect our camps. Our efforts to manage the trees around our critical buildings before they are uprooted or blown over have been successful. Separately, we recently learned of an encouraging report about the return of lake trout to our treasured lake from our friends at the Adirondack Explorer. Fortunately, the erosion control and mitigation efforts we implemented after the events of 2012 and the repairs to the Avery Boathouse and beach have withstood the recent environmental challenges. 

As we look to the future, we don’t see any reduction in the vigilance required to ensure protection from environmental challenges. We anticipate continued work with the communities and resources around our Camps and the Board of Trustees to evaluate, manage, and mitigate threats to our beloved Camps and their life-changing programs. 

2024 Environmental Impacts on Camp

• Road washouts and closures creating access issues for our remote locations
• Stacy Brook lean-tos filled with silt but still secure on their foundations
• Stacy Brook footbridge supports moved
• Vermont hiking trails closed, causing program adjustments
• Kiniya Senior Beach use limited due to high waters from Vermont Flooding
• NY hiking trails restricted access, causing program adjustments
• LaGrange Memorial Garden landslide and wall collapse, restricting access
• Kiniya Challenge Course damage from uprooted tree
• Van Munching Rifle Range foundation erosion
• Record seasonal water levels at Swim Point and Senior Beach with dock damage at Dudley this year
• High winds caused damage to the roof of Coleman Hall

RESOURCES

The State of The Lake Report 2024

DEC Harmful Algae Blooms (HAB) Background

Lake Champlain Basin Program

Revival of Lake Champlain Lake Trout