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Washington County Soil & Water Conservation District Explained

As everyone knows, Washington county is a large county with much of its total acreage dedicated to farming and dairy production. I like to occasionally spotlight things going on in the county that might be of interest. Today, I wanted to explain what the Washington County Soil & Water Conservation District (SWCD) does.

The Washington County Soil & Water Conservation District (SWCD) is a unique unit of local government that was founded in 1945. Their mission is to assist agricultural producers, rural landowners and municipalities with the management, conservation and best use of our natural resources. In plain terminology – they protect the County’s soil and water resources while maintaining the viability of agriculture as a preferred land use.

In that regard, I subscribe to their newsletter which spotlights what they do in the county. Recently, they published an article which focused on their work at a nearby farm which I found interesting and which the SWCD gave me permission to reprint here. Red Top farm is located in Granville, NY.

Ag Non-Point Source Grant – Round 20 – Red Top Farm
By Ben Luskin, Natural Resource Technician

Last Autumn Red Top Dairy completed a bedded pack waste storage and transfer system. All of the farm’s heifers were moved into the system where manure and feed nutrients are contained and controlled. The engineered system was put into place with the help of the Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) because the heifers were being fed on concrete pads with no curbing or roof structures to control clean or dirty runoff. The 340 Animal Units were allowed free access to the entire stream corridors in the pastures; polluting the watercourse, eroding stream banks, and denuding vegetation. The feeding areas in both locations were upslope from Class C(T) trout tributaries to the Mettawee River.

This Spring the heifer facilities, Diplock and Red’s House, where the livestock were previously housed were remediated. Concentrated manure from the feeding and loafing areas was scraped up and spread on farm fields that needed the nutrients. All of the headlocks and concrete infrastructure used for feeding at the Red’s House facility was removed and disposed of. The equipment crossing at Diplock’s was renovated by installing an adequate culvert, cleaning out sediment deposition at the inlet, and constructing large headwalls at the inlet and outlet. Both sites were graded and shaped to stable more attractive slopes which involved trucking in additional clean fill when on site material was not available. Farm equipment was used to prepare a good seed bed before Car-O-Vail came to broadcast the seed. The farm ensured seed to soil contact by cultipacking the acreage. Areas along the stream that were hard to access with equipment were hand seeded by the SWCD. For now, both facilities will remain vacant but the farm looks forward to working with the SWCD to develop grazing plans on each site that will supply vegetation to a suitable amount of heifers, while protecting the areas natural resources.


Diplock Before


Diplock After


Red’s House Before


Red’s House After

Click all images to see full-scale.

Administrators Note: Many thanks to the Washington County Soil & Water Conservation District for their permission to reprint their article and pictures here.

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LGLC Protects Wetlands in Putnam to Protect Lake George


Map of Bridge the Nose Initiative (Click image to see larger view.)

The Lake George Land Conservancy (LGLC) has acquired 65 acres in the Town of Putnam from Thomas and Christine Bain. The land contains important wetlands and includes a significant part of the Sucker Brook marsh, which drains directly into Lake George at Glenburnie.

The acquisition also protects a large area of rare northern white cedar swamp. This habitat type is threatened State-wide by development, habitat alteration, and recreational overuse, as well as invasive species, such as purple loosestrife and reedgrass.

“Sucker Brook and its marsh have been a part of my family for five generations,” said Thomas Bain. “Purchased by my Great Grandfather around 1945 it has been enjoyed by generations of the Bain Family down through my children. The serenity and quiet beauty of that location is treasured by myself and my extended family. I can recall hiking through the marsh in the middle of winter as a boy and being amazed by the stark contrast of the rich jet black mud bottom of Sucker Brook to the surrounding bright white snow.”

“Knowing that it is protected,” Bain continued, “and in turn offers a small portion of protection to Lake George into which it runs, gives me great satisfaction. My family and I enjoy our visits to Putnam and always stop and take in the grand views of Lake George from Gull Bay or Glen Bernie. Keeping the lake in a pristine condition is essential to maintaining that beauty. The Lake George Land Conservancy has allowed us to contribute to maintaining that legacy for many generations to come.”


Photo of Lake George, South from Record Hill/Anthony’s Nose © Carl Heilman, II (Click image to see larger view.)

“The Bains have been respectful caretakers of this land for generations and understand its important connection to protecting the lake,” said LGLC Executive Director Jamie Brown. “We are extremely grateful to them for their conservation ethic and for working with us on this important protection project. This really is a clear example of working with a landowner who understands how important the land is what we are talking about when we say protecting the land to protect the lake.”

The acquisition is part of the LGLC’s Bridge the Nose Initiative, which will allow the LGLC to complete its ten-year effort to conserve the 2,000-acre Sucker Brook complex in order to protect the water quality of Lake George, connect existing lands protected by the LGLC and New York State for recreation and wildlife, and conserve the region’s rare northern white cedar swamp ecosystem.

Sucker Brook is one of Lake George’s ten largest tributaries, which means that the water flowing through it may significantly impact the lake’s water quality. Its protection by the LGLC provides a safeguard against excess storm water, erosion of the stream corridor, and nutrient loading from neighboring sources of fertilizers and road salt, further protecting the lake’s water quality.

This most recent acquisition is adjacent to the LGLC’s Gull Bay and Last Great Shoreline Preserves, filling in a gap between the properties. The LGLC expects to extend the preserves’ trail systems to include a strategically placed boardwalk along or through the northern white cedar swamp with wildlife viewing platforms.

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Survival Skills Theme for LGLC’s 2nd Annual Kids’ Scavenger Hunt and Hike


Group of youth and parents enjoy the view at the top of the Pinnacle during the LGLC’s Scavenger Hunt and Hike event.

The Lake George Land Conservancy (LGLC) hosted its 2nd annual scavenger hunt and hike for kids on Tuesday, July 26. Designed by 15-year-old Jahnavi Bhavsar of Huletts Landing, this year’s hike focused on wilderness survival skills.

Starting with a brief lesson in map reading led by volunteer Todd Earl, the group of 23 youth and a parents were divided into teams before heading for the trail at The Pinnacle Preserve in Bolton Landing. The Pinnacle, which is owned by the Town of Bolton and managed by the LGLC, was protected through a unique partnership between the LGLC, the Town of Bolton, and the Fund for Lake George in 2015.

The teams encountered trivia questions along the trail that tested their knowledge in hiking safety and wilderness survival. Lunch at the summit concluded with an additional challenge of finding a list of edible and poisonous plants in the woods and along the trail on their descent. Prizes were awarded and everyone cooled off with some ice cream from Ben and Jerry’s, where they all were able to look up at the Pinnacle peak from the front porch.

Bhavsar has big plans for 2017, including a shelter building challenge and animal tracking at the LGLC’s Amy’s Park. The date for this free event is to be determined, but those interested may contact Helen Barton Benedict at hbartonbenedict@lglc.org or check lglc.org for updates

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Froehlich Foundation Grants LGLC Over $200,000 Toward Conservation Projects


An aerial view over the wetlands of Amy’s Park, which is a major part of the Indian Brook watershed. The peak in the middle is Pole Hill; on the right is High Nopit, and on the far left is Walnut Ridge. Walnut Ridge is part of the New York state Pole Hill Pond Forest Preserve, and the future Isabel La Roche Godwin Preserve lies adjacent, to the east. (View southeast toward Bolton, (near side of lake) and Diamond point, (opposite side of lake).(Click image to see full-scale.)

The Lake George Land Conservancy (LGLC) has received a grant of $200,250 from the Helen V. Froehlich Foundation in support of focused conservation projects and initiatives that will help protect the land that protects the lake forever.

The grant will be used on priority projects highlighted within the LGLC’s recently adopted Strategic Plan, which focuses on core conservation values that include: community partnerships to protect land and places that are important to the people who live and play in Lake George; and projects that protect land vital to protecting the water quality of Lake George as well as provide recreational opportunities, and protect habitat, viewshed, and historical and cultural resources.

Of the amount received, $82,000 will be used to support land protection efforts within the relatively undeveloped area of the Indian Brook watershed in Bolton.

An additional $82,000 will go towards several key parcels on the northeastern shore of the lake that will link the proposed ridgeline trail along South Mountain to the LGLC’s Last Great Shoreline and Gull Bay Preserves. New properties will also be added to the Preserves, increasing the acreage of protected wetlands and tributaries so as to protect water quality, as well as important wildlife habitat and hiking trails.

The LGLC is currently working to conserve a total of 470 acres in these two regions that will result in the immediate protection of the water quality of Lake George, as well as provide better access to state protected land, link trail systems, preserve a wetland complex, and create additional recreational opportunities. By working with willing landowners to ensure that sensitive lands are protected forever, the LGLC is making a substantial, lasting impact on the water quality of Lake George.

An additional $36,250 will enable LGLC staff to further the organization’s mission. The staff are responsible for managing over 35 miles of trails, monitoring easements, and working with landowners to protect sensitive lands.

“We are so grateful to the Froehlich Foundation for its generous support of our work,” stated LGLC Executive Director Jamie Brown. “They have been an important part of what we do for a long time, and helped us to make a real impact on the protection of Lake George They are making a real difference.”

The Helen V. Froehlich Foundation was created in 1993 with funds provided by the late Helen V. Froehlich to assist with the conservation and preservation of Lake George. The Lake George Land Conservancy is just one of several local organizations that benefit from the Foundation’s generosity. This most recent gift is the 22nd consecutive grant awarded to the LGLC by the Froehlich Foundation, a total of over $3 million.

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400 Dance the Night Away at LGA Gala, Raising More Than $120,000 to Protect LG


400 people attended this year’s Lake George Association Gala at the Sagamore. (Click for full-scale.)

It may be known as the best party on the Lake, but the Lake George Association’s annual gala has another important function: To raise money to protect Lake George’s famous water quality. Thanks to the generosity of more than 400 guests at The Sagamore Resort in Bolton, the 2016 Gala (themed “Celebrate at the Speakeasy to Safeguard our Queen”) raised more than $120,000 after expenses, according to the LGA’s preliminary estimates.

All of that money will be used on projects that benefit the Lake George watershed from Ticonderoga to Lake George Village. “We are so pleased that people from every community around the Lake came to Celebrate at the Speakeasy,” said Nancy Cobb-Zoll, LGA Director of Development. “It is the largest gala and most support we’ve ever had.”

“There are few places other than Lake George where you can get that kind of wide support, and we are humbled that our Lake and the Lake George Association has that kind of endorsement from the public,” Cobb-Zoll said.

The evening included cocktails, dinner, a silent auction that included hundreds of items that were donated by local businesses and restaurants, and constant conversations as attendees renewed old friendships and made new ones. Many dressed to the Speakeasy theme of “Prohibition and Pearls,” and danced to the music of The Bob Halek Band.

A final tally will be released after everything has been settled, and planning is already beginning for the 2017 gala!

The LGA’s next two gatherings are Sunday, August 14 – a Clambake at the Boathouse Restaurant – and Friday, August 19 – the LGA’s Annual Meeting at the Lake George Club. See their website for more details.

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Jessica Rubin Begins FHHL Speaker Series


Lucinda Bhavsar, Board Trustee for the Fund for Lake George and Huletts Landing resident (left), welcomes Jessica Rubin, Director of Development and Marketing for the Fund for Lake George (right), to Huletts Landing prior to Ms. Rubin’s talk to the Friends of Historic Huletts Landing on Thursday night.

Ms. Rubin spoke about the Fund for Lake George’s important work to a large group of Huletts Landing residents and visitors. To learn more about the Fund for Lake George, visit their website at: fundforlakegeorge.org

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Froehlich Foundation Grants LGA $327,000 Toward Lake Preservation

The Helen V. Froehlich Foundation has granted the Lake George Association $327,000 for 2016, a significant investment in the future of Lake George and the twenty-third year that the Froehlich Foundation has financially underwritten the LGA’s programs and projects that protect Lake George water.

That money will go directly to work in Lake George, said C. Walter Lender, LGA Executive Director. “We’re pleased to see the trust that the Helen V. Froehlich Foundation has again put in the Lake George Association to wisely invest the foundation’s money in projects and programs that benefit the whole lake.”

This grant award will provide $119,000 toward our Lake-Saving Projects that include “priority” projects that slow or stop stormwater from entering Lake George, identified as the largest threat to Lake George water quality.

It will also provide $66,000 toward our education and outreach programs like our EPA award-winning Floating Classroom, our in-school programs and our Lake-Friendly Living educational program.

It will also provide $142,000 toward our Lake Quality Programs, including invasive species management, land use management, winter road maintenance (including salt reduction strategies and equipment) and outreach into local communities.

The Lake George Association focuses on actions that, if taken now, will protect the Lake’s water quality now and for the long term – including using the grant money to help pay to clean the Beach Road porous pavement, install stormwater reduction projects on the east side of Lake George, and reduce runoff in Glenburnie and Huletts Landing.

The Froehlich Foundation grant money will also be used for stream monitoring and water quality testing, as well as to continue our regular testing and experiments performed during the Floating Classroom programs.

In some cases, the money that the LGA invests in projects is used to fulfill matching grant requirements for municipalities – grants that ensure projects to protect Lake George water are able to be completed.

All of the money donated to the Lake George Association stays in Lake George and is focused on projects that benefit the Lake George watershed from Ticonderoga to Lake George Village.

“We’d like to thank the Froehlich Foundation for their grant and their trust. With these resources, we can continue our mission as guardian of Lake George water, and continue our century of service to the Lake,” said Lender.

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FHHL Speaker Series: Jessica Rubin – Thursday July 21st – MGM Church

Jessica Rubin, Director of Development and Marketing for the Fund for Lake George, will speak at the Mountain Grove Memorial Church on Thursday, July 21st.

The Friends of Historic Huletts Landing Speaker Series begins on Thursday July 21st at 7:30 pm at the Mountain Grove Memorial Church.

Jessica Rubin, the Director of Development and Marketing for the Fund for Lake George, a not-for-profit, privately funded organization dedicated since 1980 to the protection of Lake George will show a short video and then talk about Legacy and Low Impact Development (LID) strategies, especially as they effect storm-water runoff. The U.S. EPA has declared storm-water runoff and pollution to be the “Nation’s largest source of water quality problems.”

More than 30 years of water chemistry monitoring at Lake George reveals a decline in lake health including measurable losses to the lake’s signature water clarity. The “Queen of American Lakes” provides an ideal test bed for demonstrating how to reduce storm-water impacts through application of Low Impact Development (LID). LID practices manage storm-water as near to its source as possible, allowing for, rather than altering, the natural processes that filter and clean runoff entering the lake.

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They’re Back


Two flocks of geese with approximately 75 members swimming off of the beach this morning. There were so many I couldn’t fit them all in one picture. (Click image to see full-scale.)

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Work Progresses on 6B Bridge


The final segment of the new deck was lifted into place on the new 6B bridge on Tuesday. (Click image to see full-scale.)

Washington county is making a concentrated effort to have the new 6B bridge completed soon. Yesterday, the final segment of the new deck was lifted into place. If you have not been to Huletts in awhile, please proceed with caution as your approach the bottom of the mountain. Work is progressing this week.

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House on Mountain Burns Overnight

Update: 3:30 p.m. Tuesday June 28th

I spoke to Huletts Landing fire chief, Jay Vander Plaat, who conveyed the following. The fire has been extinguished and he had the unfortunate task of notifying the owner that the house had been totally consumed. The Huletts Landing Volunteer fire company was on the scene until 2:30 pm when they were officially released. They secured a drafting location at the beaver pond down the road, and shuttled water to the fire (along with the Dresden company) from 5:45 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. The fire did consume the entire structure, causing it to collapse from within and continuing to burn for hours. He wanted to convey special thanks to his entire crew for their dedicated work and to Lee Storms and Tom Conrad who provided coffee and donuts to those working the blaze. Conditions are especially dry this year. Today’s event shows the destructive power of fire and should be a reminder to all to be extra vigilant.

Around 5:00 a.m. this morning, an unoccupied house on the top of the mountain was seen entirely engulfed in flames. Both the Huletts Landing and Dresden fire departments are at the scene and the fire is now almost completely extinguished. As can be seen in the pictures below, not much remains of the structure.


The aftermath as seen from County Route 6.


Smoke still rising from the ashes as of 9:30 am.


The Huletts Landing Volunteer Fire Company responded quickly.


Multiple fire companies are at the scene to see that the fire is completely out.

(Click all images to see full-scale.)

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Fire on Nobles Island Extinguished

Update: 6:00 pm Monday

I spoke to the Narrow Island forest ranger and he said the fire had been extinguished. The Lake George Park Commission, the Bolton fire department, and the Hague fire department all responded. The fire was most likely started by some embers that were blown out of a fire pit by a strong south wind blowing today. In situations like this, they are concerned that the fire could get underground which makes extinguishing it much harder. All in all, we were quite fortunate that the smoke was seen and the fire was spotted early.

Shortly after noon today, a fire was spotted on Nobles Island off of Huletts. The ranger station on Narrow Island was alerted and responded quickly. Below are two pictures I took by boat. (Click image to see full-scale.)


A state forest ranger boat pumps water from the lake onto the fire on Nobles Island.


Smoke rises from the fire on Nobles.

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County Route 6B Bridge Update

I wanted to give a quick update on the work progressing on the 6B bridge to Bluff Head. I spoke to the county crew yesterday and they’re hoping to have it completed by the first week in July. A lot depends on the weather but they’re finishing up on the abutments and work is progressing rapidly. There is water to the golf course and work will continue next week. Below is what things look like as of this morning. (Click images to see larger view.)

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Second Annual Lake George Fishing Derby


Lake George is ready for the second annual King George Fishing Derby July 8-10. Are you ready? Do you have what it takes to win money for catching the biggest Lake Trout or Bass?

If you think so, join hundreds of other anglers and get your entries into the Derby officials by July 1.

You can find the entry form – electronic or in PDF form – on the event’s website at http://www.KingGeorgeFishingDerby.com

Three prized fish are the targets for the derby — Lake Trout, Largemouth Bass and Smallmouth Bass.

Adults and children are invited to compete, as there are separate divisions for each. In each division, the top five sizes of each of the three species of fish will be given prizes: Cash prizes for the adult division are $2,500 for first place, $1,000 for second, $750 for third, $500 for forth and $250 for fifth. There will be merchandise prizes for the Junior division (for those who are under 16 by the end of the tournament).

Adults can register for $40 by July 1, and juniors can register for $30. It will cost $10 more after July 1. Fees for the entries are non-refundable.

For more information, please visit the event’s website at KingGeorgeFishingDerby.com or email info@kinggeorgefishingderby.com