The Watershed Stewardship Program on Upper Saranac Lake to Prevent the Spread of Aquatic Invasive Species

Upper Saranac Lake Foundation (2015). Upper Saranac Lake Watershed Stewardship Program to Prevent the Spread of Aquatic Invasive Species (Final Report). Grand Isle, VT: Lake Champlain Basin Program.

The Upper Saranac Foundation (USF) through funding from private donations has been successfully battling Eurasian watermilfoil since 2004. Through the efforts of hand harvesting by divers the annual poundage removed has been reduced from 18 tons in 2004 to 411lbs in 2014. In an effort to stop further Aquatic Invasive Species from entering USL and preventing Eurasian watermilfoil from leaving USL, the Watershed Stewardship program was introduced with the help of the Lake Champlain Basin Program grant.
The Upper Saranac Lake Association contracted the Adirondack Watershed Institute Stewardship Program (AWISP), a component of Paul Smith’s College to perform work related to aquatic invasive spread prevention and early detection. The AWISP posted and professionally supervised a boat launch steward, alternating between the Back Bay Boat Launch on Upper Saranac Lake and at the Fish Creek Boat Launch in the Fish Creek Campground. The one steward position funded by the LCBP grant produced four days of boat ramp stewardship and one day of education outreach time. The days of boat ramp coverage were divided between the two locations, optimizing weekend coverage. The LCBP grant funded stewards interacted with all visitors during their shifts and inspected boats both entering and leaving the waterways, removing plant and animal fragments, while educating users about Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS). Note: data are included in final report.