Cover Photo: Lake George from First Peak by Samantha Zuhlke Funding for the 2011 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. Abstract ………………………………………………….…………………………………………………………………….….. 7 Introduction and Background..……………………………………………………………………………….…………. 9 Program Description..…………………………………………………..…………….…………………………………… 11 Staff and Training ………………………………..………………………………….……………………………………… 12 Staff Biographies…………………..…………….…………………..……………………………………………………… 13 Quality Assurance Project Plan………………………………………………………………………………….……… 16 Key Findings……………………...………………………………………………….………………………………………… 17 Lake Steward Launch Locations Dunham’s Bay Marina………………………………………..…………….…………………………………… 30 Hague Town Launch………………………………………………….………………..………………………… 37 Million Dollar Beach………………………………………………….……………..…………………………… 45 Mossy Point Boat Launch……………………………………………………….……………………………… 51 Norowal Marina………………………………………………….………………………………………………… 59 Rogers Rock Campground……….………………………………………..…….……………………………. 67 Educational Outreach Activities Invasive Species Awareness Week………………………………………………………………………….. 75 Asian Clam Eradication Effort……………………………………………………………………….……….. 76 Fishing Tournament Outreach………………………………………………………………………..………. 78 Appendices A: List of all Previously Visited Waterbodies………………………..….……………………………… 80 B: List of All Previously Visited Waterbodies by State……………………………………………… 83 C: List of All Invasive Species Removed From Boats…………..…………………………..………. 86 D: List of All Samples Removed From Boats……………………..………………………..………….. 88 E: List of Samples Removed From Boats Prior to Launching…………………………………... 93 F: List of Samples Removed From Boats After Retrieval…..……………………………………... 95 G: Map of Launch Locations…………………………………………….………………………………..….. 98 H: Data Collection Sheet……………..……………………………………………………..…………………. 99 I: Invasive Organism on Departing Watercraft Information Form………………………….. 100 J: Summary of Lake Steward Key Findings for 2008-2011…………………………………….… 101 K: Summary of Lake Steward Data For 2008-2011 By Launch ………………………………… 102 The Lake George Association P.O. Box 408, 2392 State Route 9N Lake George, NY 12845 Phone: 518-668-3558 Email: [email protected] www. lakegeorgeassociation.org 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 before entering Lake George. The stewards inspect all boats for plant and animal specimens, collecting anything that they find. Over the years the program has adapted to focus not just on boats launching, but also on boats leaving the lake. 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 2011 season, the Lake George lake stewards recorded 8593 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 193 unique waterbodies located in 15 different states. Lake George itself was the most common recorded previous waterbody visited with 2,853 boats; the next most frequent waterbody was the Hudson River at 100 boats. Boaters were most frequently coming from lakes in New York State (3,335). 1,016 (or 16.5%) boats were considered ‘at risk’ boats, meaning they had been in another body of water within 2 weeks prior to launching in Lake George. From all six launches lake stewards collected 171 aquatic organism samples from 125 boats and trailers, and identified 87 samples to be invasive species. Four different species were found: Eurasian watermilfoil, curly-leaf pondweed, water chestnut and zebra mussels. Approximately 85% of boaters reported having previously interacted with a lake steward. 75% of boaters reported taking spread prevention methods before arriving at a launch. Due to increased funding in 2011 compared to past years, there was an increase in the number of launches covered by stewards and the hours of daily coverage, resulting in a significant increase in the amount of invasive species spread prevention in 2011 than in previous years of the Lake George Lake Steward Program. Introduction Started in 2006 by the Lake George Watershed Coalition Invasive Species Task Force, the Lake Steward Program entered its sixth year serving as a first line of defense against invasive species on Lake George. 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 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 lakes 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. The Lake George Watershed Coalition (LGWC): Formed in 1999, the LGWC is a coalition made up of the municipalities, counties, states agencies, and non-profit organizations involved in protecting Lake George. The purpose of the LGWC is to provide a forum to identify the priorities for protecting the lake’s water quality and to coordinate a proactive use of resources to accomplish this mission. 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 Class AA-Special by New York State, which means one of its best usages is as a drinking water supply, and 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 2 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 8 major streams providing about 2/3 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 more than $100 billion annually in environmental losses and damages. Invasive species are one of 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