Officials describe Lake Champlain underwater preserves, dive-site maintenance and statewide roadside marker program

Senate Institutions — Feb. 4, 2026: The Division for Historic Preservation briefed lawmakers on underwater preserves in Lake Champlain and the roadside historic‑marker program, outlining visitor metrics, preservation work and maintenance costs.

Laura Treisman said the underwater‑preserves mission is to preserve, protect and interpret the cultural and natural heritage of Lake Champlain. She told the committee there are “over 300 wrecks on the bottom of Lake Champlain,” with the division monitoring about 100 in partnership with the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum and maintaining 11 sites open to public diving.

Budget and operations: Treisman said the $46,000 funding line pays for annual mooring maintenance, equipment replacement, buoys, tie‑lines, signage and regular inspections; the museum dives several times per season to check lines and safety. Usage numbers presented included approximately 120 registered divers this year, an estimated 250 actual divers (dive‑shop reports) and about 700 dives across the preserved sites last season.

Roadside markers: The division also described its roadside‑marker program, in place since 1947, with roughly 365 markers statewide. New double‑sided markers (with poles) cost about $3,000 and replacement work and maintenance costs can range from $1,000 to $2,400 per marker. Treisman noted that some older markers need rewritten text to correct historical framing and that replacement often involves community consultation.

Reallocation note: Staff said they proposed reallocating $31,000 from an older unmarked‑burial fund (floors from FY21 balances) with approximately $20,000 of that reallocation proposed to cover marker program overages; staff emphasized this is a one‑time reallocation and no new burial appropriation is being created.

Next steps: Officials said they will continue inventory work, public education and collaboration with dive shops and law enforcement to protect underwater cultural resources and install and repair markers as site and weather conditions allow.