Upper Saranac Foundation It still is, and always will be, about Water Quality.

Edition 7 June 2016 “With a Little Help from our Friends...” Expanding the Role of Invasive Management into Fish Creek by Guy Middleton

Paul Smith’s College Adirondack Watershed Institute (AWI) has been monitoring native and Aquatic Invasive plant growth in since 2004 and in Fish Creek Campground since 2006. This Program, funded by the Upper Saranac Foundation (USF,) tracks Milfoil’s response to management, by monitoring Milfoil abundance on underwater transects. We have seen a dramatic decrease in Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) on the main Lake (USL), where USF manages and harvests Milfoil (a removal decrease from 18 tons in 2004 to 300 lbs. in 2015). However, in the Campground, where the USF doesn’t manage AIS, Milfoil growth has substantially increased. Since Milfoil growth in the Campground is upstream, it is now having a profound effect on Fish Creek Pond east of Route 30 and on Upper Saranac Lake. We have known that Eurasian Water Milfoil has been in the Campground since the mid-1990s and Variable Leaf Milfoil, a similar AIS, since 2008. But it wasn’t until early 2014 that the Lake Manager began seeing Variable Leaf growth east of the Route 30 Bridge. Later in 2014, our divers from Aquatic Invasive Management (AIM) discovered some plants in Fish Creek Bay in the main Lake. In that year, the AIM divers removed less than 100 lbs. of Variable Leaf. This increased to 251lbs. in 2015. The alarming escalation in growth within the Campground, an increase in harvesting poundage in our management area east of Route 30, and a surge of AIS sightings floating downstream from the Campground has prompted the USF and the AWI to form a task force to take action to expand our management efforts into the Campground.

In early 2015, the USF obtained permits, from the NYSDEC, to mark off dense areas of Milfoil with buoys within the Campground, deterring motorboat traffic and lessening incidents of fragmenting plants, which furthers distribution. This was a good first step, but it has become increasing apparent, that in order to protect our investments in Fish Creek Pond East and in Upper Saranac Lake, more aggressive action is required. Last summer, in a collaborative effort, the USF, AIM and AWI did a comprehensive survey of native and invasive plants within the Campground’s two ponds, Square Pond and Fish Creek Pond. This provided the data for a report that outlined the extent of the invasive infestation and a cost estimate for harvesting. The report concluded that there is a total of 16 acres of AIS growth of varying densities, and it would take $128,000 over a three year period to bring the Campground to a sustainable and maintainable level similar to the success we have had on Upper Saranac Lake.

continued . . .

The USF is working with the AWI and the Adirondack Foundation to acquire funding for this project, including incorporating partnerships, applying for grants and soliciting private donations. There is a high degree of confidence that partial funding from Grants will be forthcoming to begin the initial startup of the project. In addition, some partnerships have already been established to further participation. We have acquired the appropriate permits from the APA and letters of approval from the NYSDEC, authorizing the project to move forward. Our hope is to begin harvesting as early as late this coming summer.

For updates to the status of this Project, or to help contribute, go to www.usfoundation.net or Facebook at Upper Saranac Foundation. Upper Saranac Lake Watershed Stewardship Program: Preventing the Spread of Aquatic Invasive Species Data Courtesy Paul Smith’s College Adirondack Watershed Institute The Watershed Stewardship Program is an Aquatic Invasive Species Education and Spread Prevention Program implemented by the Paul Smith’s College Adirondack Watershed Institute (AWI). The principle mission of the Stewardship Program is to prevent the introduction of new Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) into our waters, and to prevent the spread of established invasive species between Adirondack waters.

In 2015, beginning Memorial Day weekend, the AWI Stewardship Program had 73 Watershed Stewards at 50 boat launches throughout the Adirondack region. They performed 43,799 watercraft inspections, educated 96,147 people and removed 1,101 Aquatic Invasive Species fragments from watercraft. Stewards are hired by the AWI for the summer to inspect boats at various boat launches around Adirondack Lakes. Stewards look for and remove invasive species, and educate boaters on how to prevent their spread within the watershed and to other lakes. In addition, Lake Stewards collected data about the vessels entering and exiting waterbodies. In the Upper Saranac Watershed, Stewards that were stationed at Back Bay on Upper Saranac Lake (USL) and Fish Creek Campground, inspected 1,770 watercraft and educated 4,087 visitors about AIS and Spread Prevention measures. The Stewards intercepted 163 watercraft with plant and animal fragments. Stewards discovered and removed Aquatic Invasive Species that included Eurasian Watermilfoil, Variable-Leaf Milfoil and Zebra Mussels, preventing them from entering our waters. Steward coverage varied by location, but generally optimized weekend and holiday coverage. Back Bay had 85 days of coverage. Stewards at Fish Creek were present 46 days, Hoel Pond 18 days and Floodwood Pond 14 days. Watercraft coming to the USL Watershed were documented to have been previously used in waterbodies as far away as the Great Lakes (with 184 known AIS), St. Lawrence River (with 87 known AIS) and the Hudson River (with 122 known AIS), but the heaviest pressure came from boats previously used in , Lake Flower, Tupper Lake and , all water bodies with AIS present. This vast extent of previous waterway use indicates how susceptible we are to the next AIS, and how important it is to be diligent in our preventive measures. The number of boats found to have some type of organism present dropped from 14% in 2014 to 11% in 2015. This is a positive trend indicating that our outreach and education for boaters is working. In 2015, 71% of visitors reported taking one or more measures to prevent the spread of AIS prior to arriving at the boat launch. When boats at Back Bay were not considered to be “Clean, Drained, and Dry”, boaters were directed, voluntarily and free of charge, to the newly installed decontamination and rinse station. The Stewardship Program for the Upper Saranac Watershed is funded through various resources. The Upper Saranac Foundation funded the Steward at Upper Saranac Lake at Back Bay through a grant from the Lake Champlain Basin Program and the New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission. The Steward at Fish Creek Campground was funded through the NYSDEC Adirondack Park-wide Aquatic Invasive Species Prevention Program. Funding by the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative provided the Stewards at Hoel Pond and Floodwood Pond. Complete, evaluated data and Program highlights for the USL Watershed has been summarized in a Report that can be found on the Upper Saranac Foundations web page at: http://usfoundation.net/blog/invasive-species/

Weather Fluctuations and Impacts on Upper Saranac Lake by Guy Middleton

Extreme weather involving flooding, blizzards, drought, all seem to be the highlight on the nightly news. It’s not uncommon for Saranac Lake to be mentioned, usually for being the coldest in the nation. Although the news sensationalizes, or even arguably embellishes the weather, some of these extreme weather and climate events have been noticed here on Upper Saranac Lake. The winter of 2011 brought record snowfall in the Adirondacks followed by spring water levels on USL that were the highest ever recorded. This was followed by the lowest water levels recorded in 2012. The winter of 2015 was one of the coldest on record followed by this winter, the warmest on record. According to the March 24th edition of the Adirondack Almanack, February 2016 was the warmest month ever recorded globally, and was 3 to 5 degrees warmer than average in the Adirondacks. In Albany, the high of 81 was 40 degrees above the normal March 9 high, breaking the old record of 68 set on that date in 2000. Snowfall in February was 9 to 16 inches below average for the Western Adirondacks, and up to 6 inches below average for the Eastern Adirondacks. These climate fluctuations are already having worldwide impacts in some aspects of society, the economy, and natural ecosystems. But what can we expect locally, and how are these weather fluctuations affecting Upper Saranac Lake? This season the Lake didn’t freeze over until January 5th, the latest on record, and the ice out date was March 29, the third earliest on record, dating back to 1998, making it the shortest ice season recorded on USL. As temperature, precipitation, and other conditions change, effects on biodiversity (the number and variety of plant and animal species in a particular location) can change, favoring the expansion of some highly adaptive invasive species, giving them an advantage over native species. Although species have adapted to environmental change for millions of years, a quickly changing climate could require adaptation on larger and faster scales than in the past. Increased water temperatures, due to warmer winter temperatures, with less snowfall and less ice cover, can result in a longer more robust aquatic growing season for plants, such as Milfoil. These impacts are also known to contribute to an increase of algae blooms. For Upper Saranac Lake, our native cold-water fish habitat, including trout populations, require a combination of cool water temperatures and oxygen. New species that could adapt and thrive typically are not native and can be invasive, causing harm to the environment and economy. Even the loss of a single species can have cascading effects, because organisms are connected through food webs and other interactions. Air temperature fluctuations can also effect and intensify the water cycle by driving increased evaporation and precipitation. The resulting altered patterns of precipitation include more rain falling in heavy events, often with longer dry periods in between. Arid periods tend to dry out and kill grasses, trees and vegetation that holds together our shoreline soils. This creates an opportunity for heavy downpours to increase sedimentation through runoff, further increasing nutrient and phosphorus deposits in the water supply. Although it is unclear what the extent of extreme weather and climate change is having, it is widely recognized that climate change and biodiversity are interconnected. It is also unlikely that we will see long-term immediate effects of the recent weather variations but, more likely, will see change over periods of time. What’s really uncertain is how these recent weather fluctuations are affecting Upper Saranac Lake and what positive or negative impacts they may bring. Paul Smith’s College Adirondack Watershed Institute

Few in the Upper Saranac Lake Community know, or realize fully, the important contributions of Paul Smith’s College Adirondack Watershed Institute to our Water Quality on Upper Saranac Lake. Without their leadership and dedication, our Foundation’s Programs to maintain the Water Quality of the Lake would never have achieved their extraordinary successes.

History of the Adirondack Watershed Institute and the Upper Saranac Foundation (USF)

1989-1990 Major Blue-Green Algae bloom throughout USL PSC faculty begins monitoring USL Water Quality

1992 PSC establishes Adirondack Aquatic Institute (AAI), Charles Ritchie instrumental AAI monitoring shows DEC’s Fish Hatchery to be source of Phosphorous (P) for major 1989-1990 Algae bloom

1993 USLA sues NYS DEC for failure to adhere to Water Pollution Control Laws

1994 Hatchery upgrades facilities and implements practices to reduce P load US EPA awards Grant for nutrient study and watershed management plan

1996 Eurasian Watermilfoil first discovered in USL

1999 AAI begins managing Milfoil in USL PSC establishes Watershed Stewardship Program (WSP), Eric Holmlund, Director

2001 PSC begins Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) prevention and education at USL

2002 PSC folds AAI and WSP into a new program, Adirondack Watershed Institute (AWI)

2003 Dan Kelting is recruited to serve as Executive Director of AWI Dan meets with Curt Stiles and learns about Milfoil

2004 AWI and USF implement unprecedented Milfoil Control Programs

2006 AWI and USF help develop and implement “Adirondack Park AIS Management Plan”

2007 AWI implements continuous Stream Monitoring Program for USF

2010 AWI begins: (1) publishing AIS works in peer-reviewed Journals, (2) receiving significant funding for AIS work from Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, (3) performing focused work on Road Salt and Water Quality, and (4) participating with USF in Road Salting Conferences

2012 AWI leverages USFL Stream Monitoring program into a regional program with support from federal funds AWI begins publishing Water Quality works in peer-reviewed Journals

2013 AWI develops centralized Water Quality Database of 25 years of USL data and implements an improved Monitoring program for USF

2015 AWI awarded over $1 million from NYS to implement both a Park-wide Boater Education, Inspection and Decontamination Program and a “Rapid Response” Program AWI publishes “AIS Prevention and Preparedness Plan” for USF AWI conducts Water Shield Workshops in collaboration with USF The Board of Directors of the Foundation voted to following Resolution to express its appreciation for the invaluable contributions of the Adirondack Watershed Institute: Upper Saranac Foundation April 11, 2014 Vote and Resolution 2014-2 Whereas: Dan Kelting and his staff at the Adirondack Watershed Institute have performed exemplary work for the Upper Saranac Foundation, acting with admirable professionalism, bringing to bear great expertise and attention to detail--particularly to individual requests - and going the extra mile every time, the staff emulating the commitment and work ethic of Dan Kelting, their leader, and whereas: these extraordinary efforts resulted in building greater awareness of the Foundation and its Programs for the benefit of the entire Watershed, Be it Resolved that: The Board of Directors wishes to acknowledge and thank Dan Kelting and his staff for their enthusiastic dedication and specific contribution to the Lake Community and to the well-being of Upper Saranac Lake and its waters.

Thank you to all who have donated in 2015. Please excuse any errors or omissions.

$10,000 and Up Louise Bennett Thomas & Karen Kalaris Thompson & Susan Swayne James & Deborah Loeb Brice Arthur Loeb Foundation Judith Loeb Chiara Foundation Timothy & Melissa Moriarity $5,000 to $9,999 Anonymous (119 Frog Lane) Bruce McLanahan Charles & Sally Svenson Michael & Nancy Lester Elitzer Les & Carleen Menkes Colgate University Phil & Kathleen Forlenza Town of Santa Clara St. Lawrence University Jonathan Holman James & Anne Schoff Young Life’s Saranac Village Lyon Family Deer Island, Inc. Joe & Ding Li Stevens $2,500 to $4,999 Lee Bailey & Linda Rosenstock Jonathan & Gina Landsberg Wendy & Howard Tuthill, III James & Anne Bodnar Paul & Martha Leitner David & Katherine Welch Larry & Nancy Cohen Robert & Judith Lievense Foundation Young Life’s Saranac Village Staritch Foundation Dr. Paul & Leah McAfee Lawrence & Patricia Koch Mark & Jane Oravec continued . . . $1,000 to $2,499 Tim & Susan Abresch Peter & Kathleen Hagner Michael & Sally Ritchie J. David Beneke Edward R. & Emily Harris E. G. & Mary Lloyd Robb Stephen & Sandy Billings Robert Holum Nancy H. Roode Lynn & Terry Birdsong Mark & Ruth Houck James & Vida Rothschild Peter & Beth Brennan James Johnson John & Lynn Savarese William B. & Percilla Chappell, Jr. Kevin T. & Betty Ann Keane Kevin & Julia Schnupp Charles & Rene Chiara Brian Kelahan & Colleen Connor Charles M. Sheerin Thomas & Beverly Chipperfield Peter Klementowicz & Cindy Rosenwald William & Beth Simon Jim & Chris Crane Robert & Mary Koegel Richard & Pamela Simons Steve & Susan Cross Eric & Greyson Kuhn Ellen W. Starr & Geoff Fitzgerald Mark & Jill Davenport Dr. Airlie Lennon Emily Starr & Steven Vehslage Greg Dickson & Susan Hearn Christopher Magadini & Jamie Shenkman Martha H. Starr Elizabeth Dietel & Michael Sands Kelley & Michelle Maggs Nancy Starr & Phillip Marshall Otto C. & Barbara Doering III Florence & Paddy Mahoney Peter T. Starr & Alice Hill James L. & Amy Elrod, Jr. Garrett Marino Will Starr & Lise Reno Harry Farrell Thomas & Nicolle McGowan IV Curtis & Susan Stiles Barbara Fishman & Tom Van Essen Raymond & Tamara Moats Jeff Towers & Amy Robbins Forestcraft Company, LLC Alexander & Alison Packard Dorothy Ritchie Valhouli & Robert DeVore Marc & Lynn Gitlitz Benjamin & Julie Packard Mary M. Watson Saranac Inn Golf Club David & Lynne G. Perry Judith & Daniel Weber, Sr. William & Joan Grabe Philip & Anne Petronis Robert E. Wray $500 to $999 David & Susan Armenia Patrick Fessenden Chris & Martha Mosca Church of the Ascension Jerry Hacker Ronald & Sandra Otten Lance Balk & Margaret Determan Charles T. & Lina Hart Douglas Roode & Susan O’Brien Michael & Ellen Bettmann Richard Hibbits Laurance & Nancy Russell William & Anne Biddle Neil A. (Tony) Holtzman Michael & Laurel Skarbinski Joseph & Charlotte Blitt Carol B. Jackman Craig & Ruth Smith Dr. John J. & Mary Brennan Louis & Mary Knotts E. Michael Specht Jay & Kerry Burden Neil & Beverly Kolsky Will Swayne Dean & Janice Butts Steve & Andrea Maikowski E. Thompson & Maria Thayer Kathleen Cavanagh & James Hudspath William & Leslie Main Francis J. & Sally Ward Daniela Chiara Pat Marsh Douglas & Pam Werner Howard & Marjory Cohen Judith Meagher Peter Woll William M. & Linda Dietel Felix & Verena Mick $200 to $499 Gordon & Shirley Aderman Patricia S. Davidson Eugene & Michelle Brown Garcia The Sekon Association Dr. Robert E. & Jeanne Davis R. Nevill & Amy M. Gates Ronald & Susan Backer Stephen & Carol DeMane John & Stephany Glessner John & Joy Beaty Martin and Kristen D’Eramo Kenneth Goldman Gregory & Geraldine Bebernitz Jeffrey Dickson & Cheryl Joyce John Gorman & Lisa Costello Ann Bickford John Dietel & Kathleen O’Neill Dr. Jonathan & Betsy Griffiths Edward & KoKo Bickford W. Boulton & Ann Dixon Phyllis & James Hart III Paul & Judy Bohn Andrew & Carolyn Donatello George & Kathryn Heydweiller Theodore H. & Nancy C. Braley John B. & Barbara S. Drenning Carolyn Hickok John P. & Jean Brennan David & Ritan Litton-Ellertson Peter & Pamela Holran Chris Cohan & Rita Wong Michael & Barbara Franklin Steven Holtzman & Eva Cohen James Dalheim Paul E. & Carol Galib Solveig Holum & Trey Lyford

$200 to $499 (continued) Howard Jelleme and Robin Kuhn Kate Nathanson & Andy Ochroch Edith Sheerin H. Graham & Amber Jones Michael & Candace Niznik Marsha Stanley & Thomas Curley Debbie Gerhart & Michael Jay Kapolka Friends of Eagle Island Rob Sumner Casey & Mary Kuhn Donald & Noreen Oslander Frank J. & Nora Tuttle Jack & Lisa Lauroesch Centes Papes Michael Vadney Stuart R. & Charlotte Lyon Daniel & Christina Papes Alex Valhouli Herbert & Lisa MacArthur Mary Ann Randall James Valhouli William & Eileen Mansfield Doug & Betsy Rendall Marc Wanner & Judy Rush James D. & Linda Marshall Stephen & Nicole Ritchie Ross & Beverly Whaley Tyler Montgomery Joseph R. Rollins Peter & Eliza Zimmerman Richard & Christianne Moseson Fred Schwarz $199 and Under Pamela Scott Adams Adam Benware Jude M. Capalbo H. Doris Adamsen Margaret Bernstein Henry Cardinali Larry & Dorothy Altemus Peyton R. Biddle, III Ed & Susan Carroll Richard & Barbara Bagge Dale & Zoe Bond Elisabeth Chapman & William Jemison Elizabeth Barker Karim & Allison Botros Brian H. Chollar John Barker & Gwen Chase James Bristol Geoffrey W. Clark & Suzanne Smith Bernard & Lois Barrett, Jr. Dr. Leonard J. & Virginia Bristol Hugo F. Clearwater Debra S. Becker Alan Brown & Susan Moody Edith B. Cohan Tim & Lisa Conley Maureen Mansfield & Yoav Kaddar Bruce & Lynn Setter Gregory & Cathy Cooper Rob & Tracy Kane Anne Sheerin & Joel Kolker Richard Coursen, Jr. Elizabeth Keane Sara Sheldon Michael S. & Theresa Crane Frederick & Lisa Kern J. Kevin Smith Alexander W. & Carleen Crispo Dr. Barry & Stephanie Kilbourne Lorin & Janet Sodell Sandy Day & Bob Curry Edward and Karen Kirkham John & Michelle Spasiano Robert & Marion Dedrick Richard & Christine Kirsche Olivia Spence & Richard Katz Victor & Kristen DeMouth Eric Kuersteiner Edward & Marie Stafford Tripp & Lisa Dixon Douglas & Betty Kuhn George & Mary Jane Staufenberg George & Maryann Douglas Emily Laird & John Creech Richard Steinman Scott & Isabel Walcott Draves Ian & Lu Laird Judson & Andrea Stuart Greg & Sandy Drechsel Harry Lang Jr. Jean Summers Gilbert & Judy Duken Sandra Lang Rod and Miriam Swenson Donald & Kathy Duley Mike & Sarah Leonard Frank & Kathleen Szczech William G. & Sally Ebersbach Dr. Al & Hilda Lewis David & Beth Taylor Frank Farina & Barbara Powell Farina James & Barbara Marasco John & Robin Timmins Drs. Dorothy & Jay Federman Elizabeth McLanahan Peter Van Wallandael Mary Fergeson & Margaret Carrillo-Sheridan Charlotte Mehrten Karen VanSantvoord David & Jill Fraczek Dean F. & Sandy Melville Lyle Van Vranken Gibson Frazier & Kelly Mares Anita Montgomery Wister & Catherine Walcott Peter & Ellen Freni Michael & Julia Moran Wayne & Joan Walder The Gailor Family Sam R. & Penny Morgan Richard & Alexia Walka Gregory & Johanna Gallacher Christopher & Eileen Murphy Pamela Wataha & Bonnie Burcaw Tom & Shelly Gentile Michael & Lynn Murphy Matt & Diana Webster Deborah Gentile Wilson Jane Noble-Maxwell George & Bonnie Weidert Rev. Newton & Roberta Greiner Birch & Jennifer Norton Karen Weidert & Kent Newman Jonathan & Chris Grenoble William C. & Nancy Packard Sarah Weidert Gallagher & Brian Gallagher Dolores C. Grieco Ed & Nancy Pattishall Janet Werner Dale Arrison Grossman Louis & Celia Pellegrino Isabel Wister James Gulino Pamela Pierri David & Gale Woods Robert & Cornelia Hallinan Angela Pohlmann Mark & Karen Woods Charles Halsted Martha Pollock Richard & Colleen Woods Capt. Douglas A. & Muriel Hard Dr. Robert A. & Jann Pollock Bob & Catherine Wray Helen Hardy & Jed Dixon David & Lauri Powalyk Terry & Sita Wray Chip & Lynn Harrison Beverly Samuels Chris & Susan Wray-Thompson James V. & Jeanne Hart, Jr. Ross & Nancy Sangster Norma Young Thomas & Claudia Hewel Alan & Ginny Schwartz Ruth Zamoyta Chris Hildebrand Rev. G. David Sears William & Beth Zollars Donald Joralemon & Phoebe Ann Porter Bill & Ellen-Marie Sedor

In an effort to recognize and promote camps that have multiple donors, we have listed below those that are currently combining their resources to be recognized as a camp donation. Please consider this in your planned giving to the Upper Saranac Foundation in 2016.

$10,000 and up $1,000 to $2,499 711 Bartlett Carry Road 26 Pinewood Lane Bartlett Carry Club 5096 State Route 30 Camp Sandanona 7 Deerwood Lane Camp Swayne 701 Saranac Shores Camp Gricoq $5,000 to $9,999 Camp SansSouci 864 Deer Island Grouse Cove Camp Anonoka Spring Pond Camp Camp of the Winds Wenonah $500 to $999 Birch Point Camp $2,500 TO $4,999 Camp Bodacious Forestcraft Camp Werner Sunset Camp Hasanoanda Herons Landing Pine Rock Camp The Lake House at Sekon 2016 Summer Events Monday, July 11 - Water Shield Workshop, Back Bay Boat Launch Friday, July 29 - Adirondack Lakes Alliance, Lake Association Symposium, Paul Smith’s College, www.ad- irondacklakesalliance.org Monday, August 15 - Water Shield Workshop, Back Bay Boat Launch Any time in August – Volunteer Asian Clam Survey Registration and additional information can be found on the USF web page at www.uslf.org

Join us on July 29, 2016 at 10:00am for an one-day conference focused on educating lake and river association members on the many aspects of watershed and lake/river management, while addressing regional and local issues with aquatic invasive species, stormwater runoff, program funding, and what you can do as an association to protect your waterways.

www.facebook.com/uppersaranaclakefoundation

Photo Credits Lake from a boat - Michelle Brown Garcia Graphs - Corey Watershed Stewards - Guy Middleton Upper Saranac Foundation USF History - Guy Middleton P.O. Box 564 Red Clouds - Michelle Brown Garcia Saranac Lake, 12983 Chart & Graph: Paul Smith’s College Adirondack Watershed www.uslf.org Institute: Upper Saranac Lake Milfoil Monitoring Program: Project www.facebook.com /uppersaranaclakefoundation Update, Year 2015 Report, 4-15-2016, Corey L. Laxson and Daniel L. Kelting