View source for Champlain Valley

{{Short description|Region of the United States around Lake Champlain}}
{{Distinguish|text=[[Champlain River]] in the region of Mauricie, Quebec, Canada}}
[[Image:Lake Champlain Landsat.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Landsat photo of the immediate [[Lake Champlain]] region—only part of the much longer drainage basin and overall valley which reaches the [[Atlantic Ocean]] north of [[Nova Scotia]] via the [[St. Lawrence Seaway]].]]

The '''Champlain Valley''' is a region of the [[United States]] around [[Lake Champlain]] in [[Vermont]] and [[New York (state)|New York]] extending north slightly into [[Quebec]], [[Canada]]. It is part of the [[St. Lawrence River]] [[drainage basin]], drained northward by the [[Richelieu River]] into the St. Lawrence at [[Sorel-Tracy]], Quebec (northeast of [[Montreal]]). The Richelieu valley is not generally referred to as part of the Champlain Valley.

The Champlain Lake Valley is the most heavily populated region in Vermont, broadly stretching eastward from the lake's shore to the base of the [[Green Mountains]]. The state's largest city, [[Burlington, Vermont|Burlington]], is located on the lake, and the city's [[Burlington-South Burlington metropolitan area|associated suburban communities]] encompass part of the central section of the valley. Beyond urbanized [[Chittenden County, Vermont|Chittenden County]], however, the valley's landscape is primarily open pasture and row crops, making the Champlain Valley the most productive agricultural region of Vermont.

The New York portion of the Champlain Valley includes the eastern portions of [[Clinton County, New York|Clinton County]] and [[Essex County, New York|Essex County]]. Most of this area is part of the [[Adirondack Park]], offering tremendous views of the [[Adirondack High Peaks]] region and many recreational opportunities in the park and along the relatively undeveloped coast line of Lake Champlain. The city of [[Plattsburgh, New York|Plattsburgh]] is to the north, and the historic town of [[Ticonderoga, New York|Ticonderoga]] is in the southern part of the region. The northern part of [[Lake George (lake), New York|Lake George]] is located at, and near Ticonderoga, and therefore is a part of the Champlain Valley.

==Geology and physiography==
The Champlain Valley is among the northernmost valleys considered part of the [[Great Appalachian Valley]] reaching from Canada to [[Alabama]].

The Champlain Valley is a [[Physiographic regions of the world|physiographic section]] of the larger [[Saint Lawrence River|Saint Lawrence Valley]] province, which in turn is part of the larger [[Appalachian Mountains|Appalachian]] physiographic division.<ref name="USGS-Water">{{cite web |title=Physiographic divisions of the conterminous U. S. |publisher=U.S. Geological Survey |url=https://water.usgs.gov/GIS/metadata/usgswrd/XML/physio.xml |access-date=2007-12-06 }}</ref> In Vermont, the Champlain Valley is equivalent to the Vermont Lowlands physiographic region,<ref name=VTPhys>{{cite web| url=http://academics.smcvt.edu/vtgeographic/textbook/physiographic/physiographic_regions_of_vermont.htm| title=The Physiographic Regions of Vermont| publisher=Vermont Geographic Alliance| access-date=August 27, 2013| archive-date=May 14, 2011| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110514235917/http://academics.smcvt.edu/vtgeographic/textbook/physiographic/physiographic_regions_of_vermont.htm| url-status=dead}}</ref> and extends southward into the Valley of Vermont.<ref name=VTPhys/> The Vermont Lowlands are primarily underlain by sedimentary rocks, especially [[limestone]] and [[shale]], though metamorphic rocks such as [[marble]] and [[slate]] are also present.<ref name=VTPhys/>

Lake Champlain is situated in the Champlain Valley between the [[Green Mountains]] of [[Vermont]] and the [[Adirondack Mountains]] of [[New York (state)|New York]], drained northward by the [[Richelieu River]] into the [[St. Lawrence River]] at [[Sorel-Tracy]], [[Quebec]] (northeast of [[Montreal]]). Major tributaries of Lake Champlain include [[Otter Creek (Vermont)|Otter Creek]] and the [[Winooski River|Winooski]], [[Missisquoi River|Missisquoi]], and [[Lamoille River|Lamoille]] rivers in Vermont, and the [[Ausable River (New York)|Ausable]], [[Chazy River|Chazy]], [[Boquet River|Boquet]], and [[Saranac River|Saranac]] rivers in New York. Lake Champlain also receives water from [[Lake George (lake), New York|Lake George]] via the [[La Chute River]]

==References==
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==See also==

* [[Champlain Valley National Heritage Area]]
{{Burlington, Vermont}}
{{Vermont}}
{{New York}}
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{{coord |44.45868| -73.42617| format=dms |display=title|type:adm2nd_region:US-NY_dim:27000}}

[[Category:Valleys of New York (state)]]
[[Category:Valleys of Vermont]]
[[Category:Valleys of Quebec]]
[[Category:Regions of Vermont]]
[[Category:Regions of New York (state)]]
[[Category:Physiographic sections]]
[[Category:River valleys of the United States]]
[[Category:River valleys of Canada]]
[[Category:Landforms of Clinton County, New York]]
[[Category:Landforms of Essex County, New York]]
[[Category:Landforms of Chittenden County, Vermont]]