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Michael Abrahamson, LGA lake steward, inspects a boat for invasive species at the Dunham’s Bay launch this summer. Dunham’s was a new location for the program this year.

The Lake George Association (LGA) has released preliminary results from the 2011 Lake Steward program. The LGA has managed training, hiring, supervision and reporting for the Lake Steward Program since 2008.

During the summer of 2011, LGA Lake stewards were posted at six different boat launches: Norowal Marina, Mossy Point, Hague Town Beach, Rogers Rock, Dunham’s Bay, and Million Dollar Beach. The stewards inspected 8,584 boats for invasive species, removed suspicious specimens from 52 boats prior to launch, and educated over 19,000 people about the threats of invasive species and how to prevent their spread.

“We had an extremely busy summer,” said Emily DeBolt, LGA director of education and outreach. “From over 8,500 boats inspected, 1,016 were at risk of bringing invasives into Lake George because they had been in a body of water other than Lake George during the past two weeks,” she said. “Right now, Lake George has only four invasive species. Some of our nearby water bodies have dozens.”

Upon launch, suspicious specimens were removed from 52 boats. Of those, 31 of the boats were carrying at least one invasive species. The LGA recovered 22 samples of Eurasian watermilfoil, 9 samples of curly-leaf pondweed, 4 of water chestnut and 2 of zebra mussel.

The stewards also inspected boats returning to the launch after boating on the Lake. Seventy-three of these boats had suspicious samples removed. Of these, 46 boats contained at least one invasive species. The LGA recovered 15 samples of Eurasian watermilfoil, 6 of curly-leaf pondweed, and 2 of water chestnut.

“Our stewards ask the boaters if they have taken preventative steps to guard against the introduction and spread of invasive species. This year, 75 percent of the boats we interacted with said they had,” said Walt Lender, executive director of the LGA. “While this is definitely positive news, and shows that people are becoming increasingly aware of the need to properly clean their boats, we want to see these numbers go even higher in the years to come,” he said.

The program grew significantly from its 2010 level, when 2,538 boats were inspected at four launches. Additional funding provided this year by the Lake Champlain Basin Program and the Lake George Park Commission allowed for more coverage during peak periods and at launches that receive the highest traffic. Additional financial support was provided by the Helen V. Froehlich Foundation. The program was originally conceived by the Invasive Species Task Force of the Lake George Watershed Coalition.

In addition to inspection, lake stewards collected additional data about lake users and invasive species spread. This information sheds light on the pathways of invasive species, and helps to identify target areas for early detection and control. A full report for the public is being prepared and will be ready later this year.

The program is closely coordinated with similar programs. Lake George, Lake Champlain, and the Adirondack Watershed Institute collaborate on training, printed materials, and data collection as members of a regional partnership, the Adirondack Park Invasive Plant Program (APIPP).

The Lake George Association announced today that Glens Falls National Bank and Trust Company is donating an additional $20,000 to the LGA for the West Brook Conservation Initiative (WBCI) project, located on the former Gaslight Village property. This gift brings Glens Falls National Bank’s total commitment to the project to $25,000.

“In all of our 125 year history, the West Brook Conservation Initiative is the Lake George Association’s largest, most important water quality remediation effort,” said Walt Lender, executive director of the LGA. “This project will treat millions of gallons of stormwater,” he continued, “while also educating thousands of annual Lake George visitors about the importance of water quality. We are so grateful to Glens Falls National for recognizing the importance of this project.”

“Glens Falls National Bank has been a strong partner from the start. We appreciate their increased support,” said Victor Hershaft, LGA president.

Due to the filling of historic wetlands, channeling of the stream, and development in the stream’s watershed, West Brook today is the single largest source of contaminants — pollution, nutrients and sediment — entering the south basin of Lake George. The delta at the mouth of the brook has grown to over 7,000 square meters. To date, $9.4 million has been raised toward the $15 million dollar project.

“Here at Glens Falls National Bank and Trust Company we are well aware of the central role Lake George plays in our region’s economy. We know that protecting the exceptional quality of the lake’s water is essential, and are very excited about this project, as we believe it is key to ensuring a healthy future for the lake and its citizens,” said Tom Hoy, CEO and chairman of Glens Falls National Bank and Trust Company. “And as a result of our donation, we hope other businesses will be able to support this Lake George project as well,” he continued.

Earlier this year, grading and infrastructure for a stormwater treatment complex was completed on the south parcel of the property. This series of sediment ponds and wetlands will naturally slow stormwater generated from the Route 9 corridor and adjoining properties, capture sediment, and filter pollutants. Wetland plants will be installed next year. Project engineers estimate that 90% of the sediment will be successfully treated and over one-half of the nutrients will be removed.

Conceptual designs for an interactive environmental education park and festival space on the property are underway, and were approved earlier this fall by the Warren County Board of Supervisors. Public input for the designs was gathered over the summer, and a public review of the concepts will occur later this fall.

Significant state and federal funding has been acquired to complete the construction of the project, but monies still need to be raised from private individuals and corporations to pay for the conservation easement on the land. In addition to a $2.1 million loan on the Gaslight Village purchase by the LGA and the FUND for Lake George, the Lake George Land Conservancy is carrying a $2.7 million loan on the 1,400-acre Berry Pond tract, which protects the upland watershed for West Brook.