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Two Lake Organizations Propose Merger


During the past week, the Lake George Association (LGA) and The FUND for Lake George announced that their boards have agreed to a merger. The LGA will now bring the proposal to its members. The new entity will retain the LGA name, upholding and carrying forward the tradition of accomplishment as the oldest (1885) lake protection organization in the country.

The proposed new organization will be led by a board of directors selected from the current board members of the LGA and The FUND. Jeff Killeen, currently Chairman of The FUND, will Chair the new organization. Peter Menzies, current President of the LGA board, will serve as Vice Chair. Eric Siy, currently Executive Director of The FUND, will become President of the LGA. Walt Lender, currently Executive Director of the Lake George Association, will serve as Senior Vice President.

Members of the Lake George Association will receive additional details about the proposed merger via email and/or U.S. mail, along with a ballot for voting on the measure.

Read the entire press release here.

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Clear, Cold and Colder

It’s been extremely quiet lately so here are a few pictures from today. The weather has been relatively warm so far this winter but the real cold is on the way. The temperature is expected to hit negative numbers over the next few days. We really do get some extreme weather in the Adirondacks! (Click images to see larger view.)

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DEC Update on Lake George Hemlock Wooly Adelgid Treatment


HWA infestations can be most noticeably detected by the small, white, woolly masses produced by the insects that are attached to the underside of the twig, near the base of the needles.

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and partners recently issued an update about ongoing efforts to limit the spread of the invasive pest Hemlock Wooly Adelgid (HWA) on Forest Preserve lands in Washington County as part of an ongoing, multi-year initiative. DEC confirmed the HWA infestation in August 2020, and began treatment in October on affected hemlock trees in the Glen Island Campground on the shores of Lake George.

Treatment began Oct. 6, 2020 along the shorelines of Lake George and was conducted over a four-week period by DEC staff. DEC prioritized the infestation at Paradise Bay due to the site’s size and levels of infestation. Crews treated 2,374 trees with insecticide on 138 acres of Paradise Bay and injected insecticides directly into the trunks of 80 trees close to sensitive areas. In addition, the New York State Hemlock Initiative released 620 Laricobius beetles, a biological control for HWA, in the treatment area to feed on HWA.

Since the initial finding of HWA at Glen Island, DEC and its partners continued to survey for the insect in surrounding areas. These surveys led to new findings of HWA at Shelving Rock; Buck Mountain Trail Head; Dome Island, private property along the southern shore of Lake George in Queensbury; and Moreau Lake State Park. To address the infestation, DEC is planning consecutive annual treatments to treat many of the trees in the infested areas, as well as additional strategies. Spring treatments at Glen Island Campground will begin after ground thaw when trees begin to transpire and will take up insecticides and end before the campground opens for the season. Treatment dates and strategies are being determined and will help limit the spread of HWA and protect accessible priority hemlock resources that provide habitat and water quality protections, opportunities for recreation, and aesthetic benefits.

Early detection and rapid response to invasive pests is central to protecting New York’s natural resources. DEC and its partners’ efforts to further prevent the spread of HWA are critical to protecting the hemlock forests in the Lake George watershed and greater Adirondack Park.

Signs of HWA on hemlock trees include white wooly masses (ovisacs) about one-quarter the size of a cotton swab on the underside of branches at the base of needles, gray-tinted foliage, and needle loss. DEC is asking the public to report signs of HWA:

Take pictures of the infestation signs as described above (include something for scale such as a coin);

Note the location (intersecting roads, landmarks, or GPS coordinates);

Contact DEC or the local Partnership for Regional Invasive Species Management (PRISM) by visiting DEC’s website.

Report the infestation to iMapInvasives; and

Slow the spread of HWA by cleaning equipment or gear after it has been near an infestation and by leaving infested material where it was found.

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DEC Dresden Wilderness Rescue

Town of Dresden
Washington County
Wilderness Rescue: On Jan. 9 at 5:16 p.m., DEC’s Ray Brook Dispatch received a call from a 28-year-old hiker from Ballston Spa who became disoriented and lost the trail while hiking Erebus Mountain. Three Forest Rangers responded to assist. Ranger Hess entered the Lake George Wild Forest at the end of Shelving Rock Road while Rangers Donegan and St. Claire entered by boat from the Green Island Maintenance Center. At 9:30 p.m., Rangers located the lost hiker and proceeded to warm her and assess her injuries. The hiker was safely escorted down to the boat for transport back to the maintenance center and given a courtesy ride back to her vehicle at the trailhead. Rangers were cleared of the scene and back in service at 10:55 p.m.

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#SaveTheEaglesDay

In 1976 there was only one pair of bald eagles nesting in New York. Conservation efforts have increased that number to 389 territories in 2015.

Bald eagles mate for life – which can be over 30 years.

Nests are reused and added to each year, growing to over six feet across, eight feet deep, and weighing hundreds of pounds.

An eagle’s 2-inch-long talons can exert 1,000 pounds of pressure per square inch.

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Washington County Declares State of Emergency


Huletts has received about 15-16 inches of snow as of approximately noon on Thursday, December 17th.

The Huletts Current is not a weather website per se. However, I do like to focus on the extreme weather we sometimes have to endure in Huletts.

Washington County Board of Supervisors Chairman, Samuel J. Hall, has declared a local state of emergency in effect as of 9:00 AM on December 17, 2020 which will remain in effect for 5 days or until rescinded. The public is strongly encouraged to limit any and all non-essential travel.

The snow is presently letting up but southern Washington county and areas east of Huletts have received even more snow. Please be extremely careful if you have to venture out.

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DEC Statewide Forest Ranger Highlights


Wilderness Rescue in Fort Ann

Town of Fort Ann
Washington County
Wilderness Rescue: On Nov. 28 at 1:06 p.m., Warren County 911 transferred a call to DEC’s Ray Brook Dispatch requesting assistance for a 57-year-old male hiker from Clifton Park with a possible leg fracture one mile from the summit of Buck Mountain. Forest Ranger Lt. Ganswindt and three Forest Rangers responded to assist. After locating the hiker, the Rangers splinted his injured leg and proceeded to carry him to a waiting ATV to drive him out of the woods. Once back at the trailhead, the hiker declined further medical assistance and the incident concluded at 5:14 p.m.


Wilderness Rescue in Fort Ann

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Wilderness Rescue on Black Mountain


A helicopter wilderness rescue on top of Black Mountain in Dresden.

On Nov. 14 at 12:30 p.m., Washington County 911 transferred a call to DEC’s Ray Brook Dispatch reporting a hiker with a non-weight bearing knee injury on the trail near the summit of Black Mountain. Forest Rangers Baker, O’Connor, Donegan, Bode, and Hess responded, along with Dresden Fire Department and Skenesborough EMS, to the trailhead. Forest Ranger Donegan was the first on scene with the 46-year-old woman from South Glens Falls and requested the assistance of New York State Police Aviation. Forest Ranger DiCintio responded to the Schroon Airfield, and at 4:48 p.m., advised that he linked up with New York State Police Aviation and was en route to the hiker’s location. At dusk, NYSP Aviation performed a power-on landing at the summit of Black Mountain and the injured woman was loaded into the helicopter. The hiker was flown to a local airport where she was turned over to an ambulance for transport to the hospital for medical treatment.

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What is an HAB and Why We Should be Concerned?

The New York State DEC has confirmed and the Lake George Association has reported: An isolated harmful algal bloom appeared Saturday, Nov. 7, on Lake George on the northeast side (Harris Bay side) of Assembly Point. (In the southern end.) The bloom quickly dissipated, but reappeared on Monday, Nov. 9. LGA staff returned to the bay on Monday to sample the water, and saw that the bloom had reappeared and was no longer isolated.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association, harmful algal blooms (HABs) occur when algae — simple photosynthetic organisms that live in the sea and freshwater — grow out of control while producing toxic or harmful effects on people, fish, marine life and birds. There are many kinds of HABs, caused by a variety of algal groups with different toxins. The human illnesses caused by HABs, though rare, can be debilitating or even fatal. States have rigorous monitoring programs to ensure that commercially harvested fish are safe to eat. HABs have been reported in every U.S. coastal state, and their occurrence may be on the rise. HABs are a national concern because they affect not only the health of people and marine ecosystems, but also the “health” of local and regional economies.

People and animals should avoid contact with water that is discolored or has algal scums on the surface.

Lake George is not immune to HABs. The Lake George Association is seeking the extent of the problem by asking for two things:
1.) If you took a photo of the Lake surface, no matter where it was taken, anytime after October 20th, the LGA would like to see it. Please send the photo, the date it was taken and the photo location to Director of Education Kristen Wilde at kwilde@lakegeorgeassociation.org
2.) In addition, if you are at the Lake this upcoming week, please take a photo of the water along your shoreline or dock and send it to Ms. Wilde, as well.

The New York State DEC has confirmed and the LGA reports that the initial identification of the cyanobacteria that caused the Harmful Algal Bloom is a type of Dolichospermum.

Dolichospermumis planktonic – a single cell cyanobacteria that floats and moves on its own in the water like plankton. When it blooms, Dolichospermum can produce toxins that can affect nerves, liver, and irritate skin. Late on Friday afternoon, November 13th, the LGA reported the state Department of Environmental Conservation had determined the toxin levels in the water sample that LGA staff took from the Harmful Algal Bloom in Harris Bay on Monday, November 9th, were below the EPA Advisory level. The sample confirmed the presence of cyanobacteria and it was determined that the toxin level of the sample was below EPA’s 10-day drinking water health advisory level of 0.30 micrograms per liter for sensitive populations.

However, please be extra vigilant in preventing any types of pollutants from reaching the waters of Lake George.