Lake Champlain
Lake Champlain (/ʃæmˈpleɪn/ sham-PLAYN; French: Lac Champlain) is a natural freshwater lake in North America. It mostly lies between the US states of New York and Vermont, but also extends north into the Canadian province of Quebec.
| Lake Champlain | |
|---|---|
Lake Champlain-River Richelieu watershed | |
Lake Champlain | |
| Location | New York/Vermont in the United States; and Quebec in Canada |
| Coordinates | 44.53°N 73.33°W |
| Primary inflows | Otter Creek, Winooski River, Missisquoi River, Poultney River, Lamoille River, Ausable River, Chazy River, Boquet River, Saranac River, La Chute River |
| Primary outflows | Richelieu River |
| Catchment area | 8,234 sq mi (21,326 km2) |
| Basin countries | Canada, United States |
| Max. length | 107 mi (172 km) |
| Max. width | 14 mi (23 km) |
| Surface area | 514 sq mi (1,331 km2) |
| Average depth | 64 ft (19.5 m) |
| Max. depth | 400 ft (122 m) |
| Water volume | 6.2 cu mi (25.8 km3) |
| Residence time | 3.3 years |
| Shore length1 | 587 mi (945 km) |
| Surface elevation | 95 to 100 ft (29 to 30 m) |
| Islands | 80 (Grand Isle, North Hero, Isle La Motte, see list) |
| Settlements | Burlington, Vermont; Plattsburgh, New York |
| 1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure. | |
The New York portion of the Champlain Valley includes the eastern portions of Clinton County and Essex County. Most of this area is part of the Adirondack Park. There are recreational facilities in the park and along the relatively undeveloped coastline of the lake. The cities of Plattsburgh, New York, and Burlington, Vermont, are on the lake's western and eastern shores, respectively, and the town of Ticonderoga, New York, is in the southern part of the region. The Quebec portion is in the regional county municipalities of Le Haut-Richelieu and Brome-Missisquoi. There are a number of islands in the lake; the largest include Grand Isle, Isle La Motte and North Hero: all part of Grand Isle County, Vermont.
Because of Lake Champlain's connections both to the St. Lawrence Seaway via the Richelieu River, and to the Hudson River via the Champlain Canal, Lake Champlain is sometimes referred to as "The Sixth Great Lake".