During the summer of 2009, the Winooski Natural Resources Conservation District, UVM Extension Lake Champlain Sea Grant, and the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation coordinated the State's first "Artistic Rain Barrel Project". A rain barrel is a 50 or 55-gallon recycled food-grade barrel used to capture runoff from roofs, which can be reused to water lawns and gardens. Rain barrels help to conserve water and improve water quality through reducing the volume of storm water runoff entering local streams and lakes and preventing erosion.

Twelve local artists and two local youth groups donated their time and talent to paint rain barrels, which were displayed and auctioned off at the Burlington City Arts Waterfront Art Festival in July 2009. The “Artistic Rain Barrels” were painted with designs inspired by "The Lake, the Land, and the People of the Champlain Valley" in honor of the 400th anniversary of Samuel de Champlain's arrival on Lake Champlain and his exploration of its surroundings.

This project greatly contributed to the public's understanding of an important water quality problem and one potential solution. Thanks to the local artists who participated in this project: Sue Mowrer Adamson, Susan Alden, Sam Balling, Gail Beckwith, Alex Costantino, Kevyn Cundiff, Gillian Klein, Keith Long, Stacey Luba, Jamal Reid, Catherine Seidenberg, Jodi Whalen, and youth from the Boys & Girls Club of Burlington and Burlington City Arts. Thanks, also, to the Lake Champlain Basin Program for their support and Burlington City Arts for donating display space at the Waterfront Art Festival.