An act relating to lakes in crisis and requirements for designation

This bill declares Lake Memphremagog a "lake in crisis" and removes the requirement that a municipality must show declining real property values to qualify for this designation. The legislation directly affects Lake Memphremagog, which spans Vermont and Quebec, by mandating that its crisis response plan include controls on effluent discharges to the lake's tributaries. By eliminating the property value decline criterion, the bill makes it easier to trigger emergency measures aimed at addressing phosphorus runoff and algal blooms that threaten public health and water quality. The changes take effect immediately for the Lake Memphremagog declaration, while updated criteria for future lake designations will apply starting July 1, 2023.