Category: The Environment

Good Samaritans Help Survivors of Dresden Car Wreck

The Post Star reports here on a bad car crash that took place on Route 22 in Dresden. I spoke to some at the scene and from what I can gather, it was quite a bad wreck. A helicopter was brought in to air-lift the survivors out. Everyone who stopped and helped should be commended.

Lake George Park Commission Delays Stream Action Another Month

The LGPC issued this press release recently.

The Lake George Property Owners Group sent out these two press releases which I’m linking to in this post.

The first press release is about the recent vote in Dresden to oppose the Lake George Park Commission’s proposed stream rules. Their take on the vote is interesting.

The second press release is actually a letter which I pass along for the sheer enjoyment of the first line alone; To Editors of Local Newspapers and Blogs. While there are some who are critical of bloggers and even what I do here, the blogosphere is here to stay. This is the first press release/letter that I’ve received that recognizes this. It explains who the founding members of this group are and lays out a serious argument.

The Wyatt’s cove culvert has shown remarkable improvement in water quality over the last 20 years.

I was sitting on the porch today thinking of things to write about and saw the boat from the Darrin Freshwater Institute pull up and take a water sample from what they call the Wyatt’s cove culvert. So I called the Institute and spoke with Larry Eichler and learned a few things.

1.) The Darrin Freshwater Institute regularly samples locations throughout the lake and monitors conditions. The Wyatt’s cove culvert in the center of the Landing has shown dramatic improvements over the last 20 years. Mr. Eichler attributed this to the town sewer system that was installed in the 1980’s. There is lessened algae growth on the bottom of Wyatt’s cove and fecal coliform levels are in accepted ranges. The Institute checks this site numerous times over the course of the summer but it has reached a point, where Mr. Eichler said; “We don’t really see problems with that site anymore. We monitor but that site has shown remarkable improvement.”

2.) When asked if he could give any conclusions about the Lake George basin as a whole, he responded; “We have seen salt levels rise dramatically over the past few decades”. In 1980 (the first year salt was regularly tested for) salt levels averaged 6 parts per million, by 2008 this level had risen to 16 parts per million, almost tripling. When asked what this could be attributed to, Mr. Eichler explained that while waste water does contain salt which usually goes untreated through the sewage treatment cycle, most salt enters the lake through the application of road salt on surrounding area roads in the winter.

3.) Zebra mussels have not been found to date in the Huletts area. They have been found at 8 locations throughout the lake, 6 in the south and 2 in the north, but the lake’s low levels of calcium make it hard for the mussels to survive. Zebra mussel’s need roughly 20 parts of calcium per million in order for the shells to harden, whereas Lake George averages 12 parts of calcium per million in most locations. Where they have been found, calcium levels have been heightened. In these locations, the problem is being dealt with by hand harvesting by underwater divers which seems to be working. In the areas they have been found, calcium levels have been high. Cement seawall’s have known calcification effects and the Darrin Fresh Water Institute is studying these effects.

The Post Star reports on what happened at the Warren County Board of Supervisors meeting on Friday.

I was there for the beginning of the meeting and presented my pictures of the Center for Watershed Protection’s own backyard.

What the Lake George Park Commission is proposing is completely in the extreme. They want no cutting or land disturbance within 100 feet of a stream.

So here are some of the things that I can think of that couldn’t be done under the new regulations. A person couldn’t cut brush to improve their view if the brush was along a stream. This would affect many in Huletts including the line of houses across from the tennis courts. The new green sign that says “Village Green” wouldn’t have been put in this past winter because it would have been disallowed. People living within a 100 feet of a stream will not be able to expand their houses by more than 20%. Work on the golf course would be impacted along Fairy Creek. A walkpath along a stream would need a permit.

The end result is that people who own land with streams will abandon their land because they will not be able to do anything with the property. A lot of taxable property will come off the tax rolls. Taxes WILL increase if these regulations go through.

The sad part is, is that no alternatives are being considered. New and immerging technologies that could help the environment and protect property rights aren’t even being considered.

Boos to the Lake George Park Commission for turning down an extreme path, Bravos to the Warren County Supervisors for thinking this one through.

Read the Post Star article.