Category: The Environment

New laws in the village and town of Lake George make it illegal to apply fertilizer containing phosphorus. Replacing turf with native plants, like those pictured here, benefits not only waterways, but wildlife as well.

With spring here at last, and the snow all but gone, area residents are finally getting outside to start spring yard work. As they do so, the Lake George Association (LGA) is reminding property owners in the Lake George watershed about lake-friendly actions they can take this spring to protect the Lake’s water quality.

“Most importantly, people need to know that it is now illegal to apply phosphorus fertilizer in the village and town of Lake George, and we have more complete information on the new laws here at the LGA,” said Emily DeBolt, director of education. “We generally do not recommend fertilizing at all until the fall, and then, we urge people to use only phosphorus-free fertilizer, no matter where a property is located within the watershed,” she said.

During the spring, property owners can follow these lake-friendly steps to keep the Queen of American Lakes at her best:

1. Minimize paved or impervious surfaces and bare soil areas to keep stormwater runoff under control. Consider installing a rain barrel, permeable pavers, a rain garden or native plants.

Controlling stormwater runoff is a key practice for lake-friendly gardeners. One way to do so is to install a rain barrel like the one pictured above, available for purchase at a discounted price at the Lake George Association.

2. Rake or blow leaves, clippings, winter debris, salt and sand away from paved surfaces, storm sewers, streams and the Lake. Leaves and clippings are loaded with phosphorus. Keep metals, pesticides, pet waste, household cleansers, and automobile fluids from entering the Lake as well.

3. Schedule septic system maintenance, so all will be well when summer visitors arrive.

4. To prevent polluted runoff, do not apply pesticides near wells, driveways, sidewalks and other impervious surfaces, and do not apply pesticides when heavy rains are expected or if the ground is already
saturated or frozen. Always follow the label and only use pesticides to treat an identified problem if absolutely needed. Many times there are other things you can do to avoid the use of these harsh chemicals all-together.

5. Minimize areas of lawn by planting more native plants, which provide benefits for water quality and wildlife. For areas of lawn you wish to keep, take the necessary steps to keep it dense and healthy. A healthy lawn will reduce surface runoff and will filter and purify water before it enters the soil and groundwater. Follow these tips from Dr. Frank Rossi of Cornell Cooperative Extension:

Avoid fertilizing if your lawn looks good, or if you fertilized last fall. Excess fertilizer in the early spring promotes top growth at the expense of root growth.

Weigh how much time, energy and money you want to spend on lawn care with what the lawn’s function will be. A plot of green lawn so the kids can play ball makes sense. Large expanses of turf that exist only to be mowed, probably not.

Grow the right type of grass. (Tall fescues and fine-leaf fescues, not Kentucky blue grass. Tall fescues have deep roots, tolerate shade and tolerate high foot traffic.)

Do not apply fertilizer before Labor Day. Nitrogen is all that grass needs to achieve dense vegetation. (Potassium can lead to an abundance of dandelions.) New recommended concentration levels are lower than before: 3/10 – 5/10 lbs per 1000 square feet. (NOT what the fertilizer bag says.)

Leave legumes, like white clover, in your lawn to add nitrogen, naturally.

For more information about how to create lake-friendly landscapes, or to receive on-site technical support, the public can contact the LGA at 518-668-3558. A Lake-friendly Living Open House, free to the public, will be held at the LGA on Saturday, June 4, 2011 from 10 am – 2 pm. In addition, the LGA’s new website has extensive information on the topic. Visit www.lakegeorgeassociation.org and search on “lake-friendly living.”

The Lake George Association (LGA) has issued a comment letter in response to proposed changes in baitfish regulations by the New York State Dept. of Environmental Conservation (DEC), urging the agency to maintain the current regulations, without change.

An organization with 125 years of experience in protecting and conserving Lake George, the Lake George Association supports maintaining the current New York State baitfish regulations. “Revising the laws to allow transportation corridors in the state is a mistake, and a disappointing step backwards in our fight to protect New York waters from invasive species,” said Walt Lender, LGA executive director.

“The best defense against invasive species is identifying the pathways of invasion and establishing spread prevention programs to address those pathways. Current regulations address baitfish transport as a major pathway. These laws must remain as strong and enforceable as possible,” said Emily DeBolt, LGA director of education. “Once an invasive species is established, the costs to control it far outweigh any preventative measures,” she said. Currently Lake George is estimating a cost of over $400,000 to combat a new invasive believed to have been in the Lake only two or three years – the Asian clam.

Baitfish are well documented vectors for spreading aquatic invasive species (AIS) from infected to uninfected waters (Litvak and Mandrak 1993; Ludwig and Leitch 1996; Litvak and Mandrak 1999; Goodchild 1999). Viral hemorrhagic septicemia (VHS), largemouth bass disease, and spiny waterflea are just a few of the known AIS threats that can move to new waters via the baitfish pathway.

In 2007, New York State (NYS) became a leader in addressing the baitfish pathway by instituting several regulations that control the use of baitfish. Since then, at least three other states, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Vermont, as well as the Canadian province of Ontario, have followed New York’s example and instituted similar regulations. There is wide-spread agreement that if the regulations, as they stand, are followed and properly enforced, the chance is low for VHS and other AIS to spread to waters via the baitfish pathway.

Some people feel that restricting the overland transport of uncertified baitfish places an unfair burden on law-abiding anglers. However, the LGA believes that the DEC’s proposed revisions to current regulations will:
· Make baitfish regulation difficult to enforce in large areas of the state;
· Weaken prevention measures put into place to stop the spread of AIS via the baitfish pathway; and,
· Increase the likelihood of new AIS invasions into the waters of the state.

Said LGA Executive Director Walt Lender:
“New York State has the opportunity to continue to be a national leader in the prevention of aquatic invasive species from entering state waters. The baitfish regulations, in conjunction with several new policies under consideration, including ballast water initiatives, the four-tier invasive species regulatory list, and an aquatic species transport law, represent a powerful shield against further invasion. If the overland transport of baitfish were to be allowed, even in corridors, a huge gap would be created in an otherwise strong prevention strategy.”

The Lake George Association and the Lake Champlain/Lake George Regional Planning Board are distributing a free 18″ x 24″ four-color poster entitled Rain Garden. Designed and illustrated by Sheri Amsel, the poster depicts a rain garden design for a home in the Adirondacks, including 10 native plants. Teachers, gardeners, municipalities, and people who are interested in lake-friendly landscaping are encouraged to call the LGA to receive their free copy.

Rain gardens are landscaped depressions that are designed to capture and filter stormwater from roofs, driveways and other hard surfaces. “By collecting water and allowing it to slowly soak into the ground, rain gardens reduce the potential for erosion and minimize the amount of pollutants flowing from your lawn into a storm drain, and eventually into our lakes, rivers and streams,” said Emily DeBolt, the LGA’s director of education. “Planting your rain garden with native plants not only enhances the beauty of your yard, but also provides valuable habitat for birds and butterflies,” she said.

Funding for the project was provided by the Champlain Watershed Improvement Coalition of New York, the LGA, and the Lake Champlain/Lake George Regional Planning Board. Funding for printing and a paper donation were provided by the International Paper Foundation.

In coordination with the poster’s release, the LGA is offering talks about rain gardens for public groups, both children and adults. People interested in scheduling a talk can contact Emily DeBolt at the LGA at 518-668-3558 or info@lakegeorgeassociation.org

Click on the above image to see a larger version.

Hello,

I’m writing to inform you that the Lake George Coliform Monitoring and Bathing Beach Assessment Program has not been funded for the 2011 season. The original sponsor, the FUND for Lake George, while still supporting the efforts of this program, is unable to fund this program due to other committments. The FUND for Lake George has contributed more than $300,000 in cost sharing for this program over the past 25 years. The LGA has also indicated that while they support the goals of the project, have financial committtments which preclude them from underwriting this effort. We continue to believe that this program provides a valuable service to the Lake George community through assurance of water quality at our public bathing beaches and by instigation of corrective actions when septic or sewer leaks are discovered. I have provided a brief description of the value of this project to the residents and visitors to the Lake George region. I would ask that you encourage some level of water quality testing at the public bathing facilities within your towns or villages and encourage regular inspection and testing of septic or sewer systems serving your community. I would be happy to discuss services that the Darrin Fresh Water Institute could provide.

Lake George Coliform Monitoring Program

Bacterial water quality is evaluated at sites with chronically high levels of coliform bacteria, areas with the potential for drainage related problems (e.g. elevated water tables, poor soils, exposed bedrock etc.), or areas with excessive growth of algae or fungi. Excessive bacterial levels serve as indicators of the presence of animal or human waste, and suggest that potentially disease-causing protozoans, bacteria and other microorganisms may be present in the water. In addition to pathogens, wastewaters contain high levels of phosphorus and nitrogen, the primary agents responsible for declining water quality. The Lake George Coliform Monitoring Program is designed to be a proactive water quality program. Prompt identification and remediation of wastewaters entering Lake George is one of the most efficient ways to protect water quality. Working with local and regional regulatory agencies on a regular basis insures a good working relationship. With semi-monthly distribution of interim reports, the program also serves as an educational tool to remind local authorities and individuals of the importance of proper septic and sewer maintenance. Evaluation of bathing beach water quality provides a reminder that water quality is not guaranteed and proper maintenance and surveillance is critical.

In the last few seasons, the Lake George Coliform Monitoring Program has provided direct support to regulatory agencies in the correction of 2 sewer leaks in the Town of Bolton, correction of one leaking septic system and ongoing investigation of a second in Dresden, capping of a contaminated drainage pipe in Lake George, and correction of a gray water/stormsewer cross connection in Lake George. In addition to direct action, recurring identification of bacterial contaminants and long-term datasets instigated stormwater runoff management in several sub-watersheds; including Prospect Mountain Brook (Sheriffs? Dock Stormsewer), Lake Avenue Beach drainage (Vortechs Stormsewer System), West Brook, and Foster Brook. An improved small community sewer system was installed in Huletts Landing as a result of identification of chronic sewage spills, with additional districts added annually over the past few years.

Thank you for your consideration.

Larry
Lawrence Eichler
Research Scientist
Darrin Fresh Water Institute
5060 Lakeshore Drive
Bolton Landing, NY 12814
Ph (518) 644-3541
Fax (518) 644-3640

I received this flyer in the mail from the Lake George Land Conservancy announcing their art raffle. For more information you can Helen Barton Benedict, the Conservancy’s Development Manager, at hbartonbenedict@lglc.org or 518-644-9673.

The Lake George Association has released a report for the public with findings from the 2010 Lake Steward program. The Lake George Lake Steward Program is a critical part of protecting the water quality of Lake George and preventing the spread of invasive species between waterbodies by boaters throughout the Lake Champlain Basin and the Northeast. While dozens of different aquatic invasive species reside nearby, only four are currently found in Lake George.

In 2010, Lake Stewards were posted at four launches around Lake George: Norowal Marina, Mossy Point, Hague Town Beach and Rogers Rock. Lake Stewards inspected a total of 2,538 boats at these sites, and educated boaters about the threats of Eurasian watermilfoil, zebra mussels, curly-leaf pondweed, and the Lake’s most recent invader, the Asian clam. Thirty-six samples of Eurasian watermilfoil were removed during the season. Nine samples of curly-leaf pondweed were found, three samples of zebra mussels, and five of water chestnut, an invasive that is not currently found in Lake George.

In addition, the program collects data on the body of water most recently visited prior to Lake George within the past 2 weeks, and whether spread prevention steps were taken prior to launch. In 2010, 65 boaters stated that the body of water they visited prior to Lake George was Lake Champlain, a lake with 49 documented invasive species. Thirty-three boaters had most recently visited the Hudson River, a waterbody with 91 invasives. Ninety-five percent of the boaters reported that they had taken spread prevention measures prior to their launch. Stewards also inspected bait buckets and educated boaters about New York State’s new baitfish and firewood regulations.

The 2010 Lake Steward Program was funded by the Bolton Local Development Corporation, the town of Hague, the town of Ticonderoga, the Lake George Park Commission, the Helen V. Froehlich Foundation, and the NYS Department of State with funds provided under Title 11 of the Environmental Protection Fund. The program was originally conceived by the Invasive Species Task Force of the Lake George Watershed Coalition and is currently coordinated by the LGA.

The entire report can be viewed at: http://www.lakegeorgeassociation.org/documents/2010LakeStewardReport.pdf