Lake George Waterkeeper joins forces in supporting the New York State Sewage Pollution Right to Know Act.

The Lake George Waterkeeper has teamed with other New York State environmental organizations to increase public awareness regarding the discharge of untreated or partially treated sewage. This effort was coordinated through Riverkeeper, the Waterkeeper program of the Hudson River, and is summarized in a Memorandum of Support. This law would require municipal sewage treatment works to report discharges of sewage into the state's waters to local and state agencies as well as the public. This law is an important step towards improving the health of New York's exceptional marine and freshwater resources, from Long Island Sound to the Hudson River to our Adirondack lakes.

The Sewage Pollution Right to Know Act unanimously passed the Assembly on June 21, 2012 (A10585A) and passed the Senate on June 21, 2012. Currently, the bill has been sent to the Govenor's desk. Please contact our office to find more information about this important bill.

As we have witnessed on Lake George from the July 4, 2010 sewage spill at Shepard Park and at Rogers Park in Bolton Landing, sewage in waterways is a problem that poses a serious health risk and can have a tremendous impact on our local economies. Just look at the Beach Closure photos and the empty beach chairs at lake front resorts in the Village.

Federal funding for wastewater treatment infrastructure has declined dramatically in recent decades. This lack of funding has contributed to a significant decline in maintenance and upgrades of New York's wastewater infrastructure. This has placed capital upgrade costs on the local districts, like the Town of Bolton recent sliplining projects.

Major Asian Clam Treatment Efforts are Underway.

2012 has seen a major expansion of the Asian clam (Corbicula fluminea) treatment efforts at four sites in the south basin and west side of Lake George. Active treatments are underway in Boon Bay, Lake George Village, and Norowal Marina. Over 1,200 mats have been installed in these areas.

This spring, a rigorous survey was completed of the four areas known to be infested, Boon Bay, Lake George Village, Norowal Marina and Middleworth Bay. This survey found that the overall area of infestation in Boon Bay was considerably larger than first estimated. An extensive area of infestation was found across the entire north end of the bay in front of Sandy Lane beach. Another major infestation was found along the Boon Bay side of Hemlock Point. No clams were found at the south end of Hemlock Point, around Rush Island, or on the Lake George side of the point. The area of infestation also extended farther south than initially thought.

The four areas were surveyed this past spring during a 7 week survey paid for by the Lake Champlain Basin Program, the Nature Conservancy's Dome Island Committee, and the FUND for Lake George. This survey helped to determine the north and south extent of the infestation in Boon Bay and the significantly larger infestation in areas farther from shore in Lake George Village. This survey will be repeated starting in mid-August to determine the success of the spring-summer 2012 treatments and to help plan for the fall treatments that will begin in October.

All told in Boon Bay, a nearly 8 acre area of infestation exists with high densities in several locations. It's likely the clams have been in the bay for 5-7 years. Over 800 50' x 7.5' PVC benthic barrier mats were installed in Boon Bay in April-May 2012 and removal is currently underway. This was a massive effort. One secondary treatment was started parallel to the west shore at the north end of the bay where 76 mats were installed and will be removed in mid-August.

After the survey crew completed its work surveying nearly 3 acres in Norowal Marina, 48 mats were installed in six different locations. In the fall of 2011, over 275 mats were blanketed across Norowal Marina and other properties to the North. The spring treatment was significantly reduced in scale, which is a hopeful sign of how this infestation may be slowly contained. Mats will be removed from Norowal in early July and a fall treatment will be undertaken after Columbus Day.

In Lake George Village, the survey showed that the two 2011 treatment efforts were largely successful in controlling clam populations. This was the good news. The bad news was that the three major additional infestations were found in waters farther from shore, or 250-350 feet, where it was believed the clams did not exist, as well as farther south near the north end of the Boardwalk Restaurant. The total infested area in Lake George Village now tops eight acres, extending from Shepard's Park to the south edge of the English Brook Delta. Over 250 mats have been installed in Lake George Village and will be removed in two phases in early July and mid-August.

Surveys from this past spring found clams extending south from north Middleworth Bay. Further assessment work is underway to determine the total extent of the infestation to help prepare a fall treatment. A one-acre suction harvesting effort in north Middleworth Bay was undertaken in the fall of 2011, which a great deal of sediment and clams were removed, but the treatment ultimately failed to thoroughly remove all the clams.

The Darrin Fresh Water Institute is developing a new PILOT project for suction harvesting of Asian clams. This is needed for areas that are impossible to treat with benthic barrier due to extensive rock fields or other issues with the lake bottom. The spring-summer treatments have cost nearly $400,000 for a survey of infested areas ($88,000), new materials ($66,000), mat reprocessing ($12,000), installation ($98,000), maintenance ($44,000), removal ($60,000) and scientific services ($30,000). The fall treatment costs are likely to be around $300,000 to cover the 2nd phase of a lakewide survey of other infested areas, fall survey of the four infested areas, mat reprocessing, installation, and removal. Additional funds will be needed for a suction harvesting pilot project.

The Lake George Asian Clam Rapid Response Task Force is very grateful for support in 2012 from the Lake Champlain Basin Program ($60,000), the Nature Conservancy's Dome Island Committee ($25,000), state support organized by State Senator Betty Little ($100,000), the Lake George Park Commission ($200,000), Adirondack Park Invasive Plant Program ($10,000), Lake George Association ($30,00), FUND for Lake George ($30,000), Warren County ($100,000), Village of Lake George ($10,000), Town of Lake George ($10,000), Town of Bolton ($10,000), Town of Hague ($5,000), Town of Queensbury ($5,000), Town of Putnam ($3,000), and Essex County ($2,500). Additionally, a generous donor in Boon Bay has put up a $50,000 challenge donation to his neighbors, against which a total of $10,000 has been raised to date.

To keep up with developments, go to www.stoptheasianclam.info.

Lake George Waterkeeper participated in the 2012 New York State Envirothon.

The efforts and expertise of the Low Impact Development Project of the Lake George Waterkeeper has been recognized outside of the Lake George watershed. The New York State Envirothon contacted Chris Navitsky, Lake George Waterkeeper, and asked for his participation in their 2012 competition. The New York State Envirothon is a hands-on environmental education competition where teams of five high school students work together in hopes of winning scholarships and awards. The teams compete in five different environmental categories (i.e. soils/land use, aquatic ecology, forestry, and wildlife) and a current environmental issue.

This year's current environmental issue was Nonpoint Source Pollution/Low Impact Development. The Envirothon Committee asked the Lake George Waterkeeper to participate and prepare the test examination for Low Impact Development. The Waterkeeper was also asked to judge for the Oral Presentation portion of the competition.

This year's Envirothon was held on May 23-24 at Hobart College in Geneva, NY. The Waterkeeper's time was donated for the event. Other sponsors included the Environmental Education Foundation of Soil & Water Conservation Districts of New York, Iroquois Pipeline, Canon Envirothon, Natural Resources Conservation Service and NYS Conservation Districts Employee Association as well as others.

2nd Annual Keep the Queen Clean - Lake George Cleanup Day to be held Saturday, August 4, 2012.

In August 2011 the FUND and Waterkeeper held the first annual Keep the Queen Clean - Lake George Cleanup Day. This event was a major success as trash was picked up along the shore and removed from the lake bottom all around Lake George. A renewed consciousness about our clean water and the need to protect its quality is the main focus of this annual one day event. This years Keep the Queen Clean - Lake George Cleanup Day will be held on Saturday, August 4, 2012. Check our website regularly for updates on the event.

Save the Date of August 11th
FUND for Lake George Annual Meeting

The FUND for Lake George and Lake George Waterkeeper will hold its 2012 Annual Meeting on Saturday morning August 11, 2012 at 10:00 AM at the Algonquin in Bolton Landing. This is an excellent opportunity to meet the Board of Trustees and staff of the FUND and Waterkeeper and learn about the major issues facing Lake George.

Registration information will be sent out later this month, but mark your calendars now.

1000 trees can make a difference.

When a shorefront neighborhood loses 1000 of its mature trees, what happens to all of the water that would normally be taken up by the extensive root systems that no longer exist or the water that is held in the trees' cavities and transpired from the trees' many leaves? This is the question that was being asked by concerned citizens, with special emphasis on the long term impacts to Lake George and its water quality.

After Tropical Storm Irene hit Lake George last fall, local residents walked the Assembly Point peninsula and actually tallied the effects of the storm in lost trees, many that had been there for nearly a century. The strong winds blew from the north and downed a large swath of trees that scarred a path on Assembly Point, taking nearly 1,000 trees. The residents, organized as the Assembly Point Water Quality Awareness Committee (APWQAC) contacted New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) to help implement a restoration. Fortunately, the Lake Champlain Basin "Trees for Tributaries" program, one of several Lake Champlain conservation projects and a part of President Obama's America's Great Outdoors (AGO) initiative, was available to assist the restoration on Lake George, which is part of the Lake Champlain watershed.

Residents identified locations on Assembly Point that had lost trees and worked with NYSDEC employees to select specific sites for restoration, based on need and resident's desire to revegetate after the storm's devastation. On Arbor Day April 27, 2012 more than 550 trees and shrubs were planted by Assembly Point residents Lisa Adamson and Carol Collins, NYSDEC employees Rich McDermott and Rebecca Moore and FUND for Lake George/Lake George Waterkeeper staff Kathy Bozony, with many residents accepting trees to plant on their individual properties that weekend.

This was the start of a very special initiative within the Lake George watershed, the encouragement to replant every tree that is taken down for development, blown down or broken during heavy storms, or dies natural death. Every tree that we lose should be replaced.

Independent public oversight of land use and development throughout the Lake George Watershed. The Waterkeeper tracks and monitors the major projects throughout the watershed.

The Lake George Waterkeeper provides independent public oversight of the regulatory review of major development projects in the Lake George watershed by local and state agencies. This is hard work and nobody does it better than the Lake George Waterkeeper. This is the most comprehensive and professional oversight effort around the lake. The Waterkeeper program provides expert public comments based on knowledge and experiences with state and local development regulations as well as professional stormwater engineering education, training and certification.

The Waterkeeper adds to this work extensive public education and outreach about the benefits of utilizing Low Impact Development techniques as well as how to improve stormwater treatment and management.

Lochlea Subdivision: The Waterkeeper continues to monitor the individual lost site development plans for the Lochlea subdivision in the Town and Village of Lake George at the mouth of English Brook. The 13 lot subdivision was approved in 2009 and proposed modest dwelling in character with the existing cottages on the property. The approved plans and environmental review were based on the proposed structures of approximately 1200 sf. footprint and associated limited clearing, including maintaining 50 foot buffer along English Brook. However, we are observing Site Plan Review applications of building footprints approaching 3400 sf. which are significantly larger than the approved plans and results in significant increases in clearing, grading and impervious cover. After two site plans were approved by the Town of Lake George Planning Board despite our citing the conditions of the approved subdivision, the Waterkeeper prepared a legal opinion for the need to comply with the approved plans and environmental review and the public statements justifying the variances on modest building sizes. This opinion was forwarded to both the Village and Town of Lake George Planning Boards since three individual Site Plan Review Applications are currently under review (Crisafulli in the Town, and Proctor and Sultana in the Village). The Village Planning Board has made a request of the Town Planning Board to review the potential environmental impacts of increasing the proposed building footprint and modification of the buffer along English Brook. Up to this point, the Town Planning Board has neglected to acknowledge the Waterkeeper's requests for review of current applications with compliance to the approved plans and previous environmental reviews.

San Souci: The San Souci Restaurant has recently requested an after-the-fact variance and modification to an existing Special Use Permit to add an outdoor patio area to their restaurant on Cleverdale. The applicant is also proposing to install grass pavers in some areas of the parking area for stormwater management. In 2009, the San Souci received variances and a Special Use Permit to expand the kitchen and storage areas of the restaurant that was conditioned on minor stormwater management improvements along with incorporating recommendations from the Waterkeeper. In addition, the owners received approval to replace the existing onsite wastewater treatment system with a series of three holding tanks. Unfortunately, after three years the building addition has yet to be completed on the exterior, no stormwater improvements have been made and the holding tanks have yet to be installed. The Waterkeeper expressed concern to the Town of Queensbury Zoning Board of Appeals at the May 2012 meeting regarding disregard for stormwater management on the site and ignoring conditions of approval. The Zoning Board also expressed concern about the progress at the site and tabled the application to amend site permeability calculations.

Davis: A land owner has applied to the Lake George Park Commission to install two 44' long and 34' wide docks as part of an association dock complex on a point in Glenburnie. The applicant claims the docks will be for residents of the Glenburnie Association who will be able to walk or access the docks via golf carts. It is claimed that the standard LGPC requirements for a marina are not applicable since the slips would be used by local residents. The Lake George Park Commission has agreed to consider this application as an association dock even though the dock is owned as private property and not part of an association property. The Lake George Waterkeeper expressed concern about this determination and the precedent it could establish around the watershed for expansion of shoreline access. The Town of Putnam Planning Board requested the LGPC consider the following items regarding the application: access, road ownership, parking, garbage, sanitation (sewage), stormwater controls, water safety control, adjacent to public dock, renting of slips, potential for sale of slips outside basin, conformance to Town of Putnam Residential Ordinance, emergency vehicle access and day use of docks.

Herttua: The Lake George Waterkeeper was contacted regarding land use activities for a property on Lake George Way, north of Glenburnie. The activities include the construction of a driveway along an existing stream, clearing of all vegetation between the home and the lake, construction of retaining walls including one near the shoreline and the construction of a patio on the shoreline. It appears all construction was performed without permits from the Lake George Park Commission, Adirondack Park Agency and the Town of Putnam. It does not appear any stormwater management controls have been incorporated into the activities and the total disturbance exceeds the amount that requires stormwater management.

Germano: A lake front project just north of Tea Island received site plan approval in April 2011 that proposed to maintain the existing shoreline buffer. Recently, the applicant has proposed to modify the approved site plan to increase impervious cover by installing a large patio and walkways between the dwelling and the lake. In addition to this expansion of the project, the applicant has cleared most vegetation between the dwelling and the lake, which was limited due to the presence of ledge rick and minimal soils. It is the opinion of the Waterkeeper the Town of Lake George should issue violations for shoreline clearing and require a new site plan review.

FUND partners with local officials to hold press conference on the need for boat inspection and decontamination program for Lake George. FUND releases new report Clean Boats Only.

On May 3, 2012 the FUND and local officials joined together to hold a press conference at Million Dollar Beach calling upon the Lake George Park Commission to develop a new boat inspection and decontamination program to protect Lake George. Millions of dollars have been spent on direct management and control efforts by the State of New York and Lake George community over the past 25 years to control four known aquatic invasive species. With Lake George being surrounded by water bodies infested with various aquatic invasive species the threats of new infestations increase each year. The NYS Lake George Park Commission is currently studying this issue. Meanwhile local governments are calling on the Park Commission to implement a new mandatory boat inspection and decontamination program promptly. "This is not the time for inaction. It's time for sacrifice, a time for education and a time for regulation" said Village of Lake George Mayor Robert Blais. Join with us in support of this initative by clicking on the Clean Boats Only box above to sign the petition.

The FUND and Waterkeeper released a new publication Clean Boats Only: The case for a pro-active and mandatory boat inspection and decontamination program for Lake George to prevent new aquatic invasive species infestations. Lake George is the most important economic asset of this area and today faces great risk from new infestations of aquatic invasive species. "A mandatory inspection and decontamination program will do a great deal to preserve the Lake George experience as we know it today. Lake George is one of the most beautiful and extraordinary landscapes in the world. This great lake deserves a great protection program to save it from further invasive species infestations. Such a program cannot be implemented overnight, but it can be put together in the next year or two" said Peter Bauer. Copies can be downloaded from our website.

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