According to the 2008 State of the Lake report by the Lake Champlain Basin Program, several areas of Lake Champlain -- which is vital for commerce and tourism for both upstate New York and Vermont -- have experienced rises in the levels of phosphorus in the water. The report states that the phosphorus has attributed to an impressive algal bloom in many parts of the lake, which can have repercussions to the ecosystem and even human health.

The concern over the algae is over the toxic chemicals that the bacteria produce, which has killed fish populations and even a few dogs in the past years. The lake report focused on the five main areas of the lake (Missisquoi Bay, Northeast Arm (Inland Sea), Malletts Bay, Main Lake, and South Lake) and the concentration of the phosphorus in each of those areas. Sewage treatment plants, from which most of the phosphorus had originated in recent years, had a much lower output due to their strict adherence with EPA and state regulations.

The lake report focuses on non-point sources for the in the increase in phosphorus levels. Non-point sources are defined as multiple factors and locations that add to the general problem, such as emissions and groundwater pollution. In the case of Lake Champlain, the problem comes from phosphorus fertilizers, used by large-scale farms and homes alike, that are seeping into the groundwater and contaminating the lake.

The Basin Program has advocated for the use of non-phosphorus fertilizers, but because of success in growing healthier crops using a phosphorus-based fertilizer, many farms and homes still use it, attributing 90 percent of the phosphorus found in the lake.