2012 Lake Steward Report Abridged

Lake George Lake Steward Program Season Report 2012 Lake George Lake Steward Program End of Season Report 2012 Key Findings Abridged Version The Lake George Association Lake George Lake Steward Program Season Report 2012 Lake George Lake Steward Program Season Report 2012 Lake George Lake Steward Program End of Season Report 2012 Key Findings Abridged Version The Lake George Association By Emily DeBolt, Kristen Rohne, and Jillian Trunko Contributing Writers: Brandon Bezio, Kim Coffin, Layne Darfler, Lauren DeGennaro, Britt Gellenthien, Calan LaPrairie, Jessie Patchett, Kaitlyn Pote, and Sabina Sullivan Lake George Lake Steward Program Season Report 2012 Funding for the 2012 Lake George Lake Steward Program provided by the Lake Champlain Basin Program, the Lake George Park Commission, and the Lake George Association through the Helen V. Froehlich Foundation. Lake George Lake Steward Program Season Report 2012 Table of Contents Abstract………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………... 5 Introduction and Background………………………………………………………………………………………... 6 Program Description……………………………………………………………………………………………………… 9 Lake Steward Staff…………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 11 Quality Assurance Project Plan………………………………………………………………………………………. 14 Key Findings………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 15 Appendices 30 A: Summary of lake steward key findings for 2008-2012…………………………………….. 31 B: Summary of lake steward data for 2008-2012 by launch………………………………… 33 C: Data collection form…………………………..…………………………………………………………… 34 D: Clean, Drain, Dry rack card ……………………………………………………………………………. This is an abridged version of the report. The entire report, with data summarized for each separate launch location, is available online at www.lakegeorgeassociation.org or by contacting the LGA at 518-668-3558. Lake George Lake Steward Program Season Report 2012 4 The Lake George Association PO Box 408 Lake George, NY 12845 Phone: 518-668-3558 www.lakegeorgeassociation.org Lake George Lake Steward Program Season Report 2012 5 Abstract Lake George is located in northern New York, in the Southeastern corner of the Adirondack Park. The Lake is used year round by local residents and tourists for many recreational activities, but the Class AA-Special rated Lake is also still used as drinking water. Water quality in Lake George is threatened by various human activities including the introduction of aquatic invasive species into the Lake through recreational boating and other related activities. To help protect the Lake from the introduction and spread of invasive species that could negatively alter the Lake’s ecosystem, shoreline property values, and the region’s tourism- driven economy, the Lake George Lake Steward Program was started in 2006. The main goal of the program is to prevent the introduction of invasive species into Lake George and to educate boaters about invasive species spread prevention. The lake stewards inspect boats at high traffic launches around the Lake and collect quantitative data on the number of boats and last waterbody boats visited within two weeks before entering Lake George. The stewards inspect all boats for aquatic plant and animal specimens and standing water, collecting anything that they find. Data and specimens are collected from boats both launching and being retrieved from the Lake. The data gathered will help to determine aquatic invasive species spread pathways between other regional waterways and Lake George. Over the 2012 season, the Lake George lake stewards inspected 6,972 boats. Boaters were asked what the last body of water their boat had been in during the past two weeks. The total number of waterbodies visited within two weeks of overland transport to Lake George was 155 unique waterbodies located in 13 different states throughout the United States and 2 Provinces in Canada. Lake George itself was the most common recorded previous waterbody visited with 3,282 boats; the next most frequent waterbody was Lake Champlain at 96 boats. Boaters were most frequently coming from lakes in New York State (3,704). There were 921 (or 13%) boats that can be considered ‘at risk’ boats for transporting aquatic invasive species, meaning they had been in another body of water other than Lake George within two weeks prior to launching in Lake George. From all five launches, lake stewards collected 272 aquatic organism samples from 189 boats and trailers launching and retrieving, and identified 131 samples to be an invasive species. Two percent of the boats inspected were transporting an invasive species. Six different invasive species were identified: Eurasian watermilfoil, curly-leaf pondweed, water chestnut, zebra mussels, quagga mussels, and spiny water flea. Approximately 83 percent of boaters reported having previously interacted with a lake steward. Spread prevention measures were reported being taken by 63 percent of boaters. Lake George Lake Steward Program Season Report 2012 6 Introduction and Background Introduction The Lake Steward Program began as a two year pilot program in 2006 through the Lake George Watershed Coalition’s Invasive Species Task Force. In 2008 the Lake George Association assumed management of the program. The Lake Steward Program aims to prevent the introduction of aquatic invasive species by providing education and outreach to boaters regarding spread prevention. The program strives to perform boat inspections on all vessels both entering and leaving Lake George at launches while stewards are on-duty and to gather quantitative data which can be used to determine pathways of aquatic invasive species spread between Lake George and other regional waterbodies. Program Sponsors The Lake George Association (LGA): The LGA’s mission statement is “Working together to protect, conserve, and improve the beauty and quality of the Lake George Basin.” Since its inception in 1885, the LGA has evolved to incorporate and address the changing needs of the Lake George environment. The LGA advocates a reasoned, balanced approach to the management and conservation of the Lake George watershed through education, remediation, advocacy, and broad-based community involvement. The goal is to ensure the long-term stability of the lake’s exceptional water quality and the economic viability of the region. The Lake George Park Commission (LGPC): Authorized by New York State, the LGPC is responsible for overseeing and managing the unique resources of “the Lake George Park.” The Commission’s programs fill critical gaps to ensure the lake’s protection and encourage cooperation among the many public and private entities whose common goal is the lake’s preservation. The Lake Champlain Basin Program (LCBP): The LCBP works in partnership with government agencies from New York, Vermont, and Quebec, private organizations, local communities, and individuals to coordinate and fund efforts which benefit the Lake Champlain Basin's water quality, fisheries, wetlands, wildlife, recreation, and cultural resources. Lake George Lake Steward Program Season Report 2012 7 Lake George and its Watershed Lake George is located in northern New York, in the southeastern corner of the Adirondack Park. It is a 32 mile long, oligotrophic lake formed by earthquakes and glaciers. The lake is classified as AA-Special by New York State, which means one of its best usages is as a drinking water supply, and it is used as such by many people around the lake. The maximum depth of the lake is 196 feet, with an average depth of about 70 feet. The widest part of the lake is about two miles across, while the average width is 1.33 miles. There are over 170 islands dotting the lake’s surface. Lake George flows from the south to the north and drops 226 feet into Lake Champlain through the LaChute River in Ticonderoga. Streams provide the lake with 55 percent of its water; the rest comes from precipitation directly on the lake’s surface and groundwater. There are 141 streams in the watershed, but eight major streams providing about two-thirds of the total stream flow into the lake. Invasive Species Background An invasive species is any species that is not native to the ecosystem under consideration; and whose introduction does or is likely to cause economic or environmental harm or harm to human health. Invasive species are threatening ecological communities and impacting the economy nationwide. They are estimated to cost the United States almost $120 billion annually in environmental losses and damages (Pimental et al 2005). Invasive species are among the greatest threats to biodiversity, second only to direct habitat loss in many locations. There are both terrestrial and aquatic invasive species that can disrupt land and water ecosystems. Within the waterbodies of the Adirondack Park, which includes part of the Lake Champlain Basin, invasive species are a top threat to biodiversity and water quality. Aquatic invasive species disrupt the aquatic food webs and habitats, out-competing native species and altering the ecological function of lakes and rivers. Currently, Lake George is known to have five invasive species: Eurasian watermilfoil (Myriophyllum spicatum), curly-leaf pondweed (Potamogeton crispus), zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha), Asian clam (Corbicula fluminea), and spiny water flea (Bythotrephes longimanus). Curly-leaf Eurasian watermilfoil Zebra mussels Asian clam Spiny water flea pondweed Pimental et al. 2005. Update on the environmental and economic costs associated with alien-invasive species in the United States. Journal of Ecological Economics. 52:3

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