LGA May 2014 Newsletter by Lake George Association

PEOPLE

P R O T E C T I N G L A K E G E O R G E S I N C E 1 8 8 5 • MAY 2 0 1 4

The Official Newsletter of the Lake George Association

LGA Honored with US EPA’s Highest Award!

e are so pleased to share with our members and friends that the Lake George Association has been selected to receive a 2014 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Environmental Quality Award for our flagship environmental education program, The Floating Classroom.

SE 14 U PA EN 0 2

When Asian clam was found in the Lake in the fall of 2010, we updated the program to teach participants about the clams, what they looked like, and what to do if they think they saw one. Over 6,200 participants have learned about Asian clam since then aboard the boat.

NMENTAL O R Q VI

We also provide education and outreach about Asian clam and other invasive species through our other programming and publications, but nothing still beats personal interaction. Sure, our Facebook page and email newsletters are great ways to get messages out in a timely manner. But you remember getting to hold a clam shell in your hand and rubbing it with your fingernail to feel the ridges on the shell. That is the kind of experience that you don’t forget. And that is the kind of experience that creates stewards to help protect the Lake for years to come.

ITY AWARD AL U

The Environmental Quality Award is the highest recognition presented to the public by the EPA. Each year, the EPA recognizes individuals, businesses, government agencies, environmental and community-based organizations and members of the media in EPA Region 2 who have demonstrated an outstanding commitment to protecting and enhancing environmental quality and public health.

issues such as aquatic invasive species have become more pressing for the lake in recent years, the program has adapted its curriculum accordingly.

N NER

We are so honored to be selected as a recipient for this prestigious award. Here at Lake George we are lucky to have such an amazing resource right here in our own backyard. For over 129 years the LGA and its members have been working to protect the Lake. Creating the next generation of stewards through our Floating Classroom program for over 20 years is an honor and a privilege! Created in the early 1990s, the Floating Classroom has evolved over the years as the needs of the Lake have changed. For example, as Lake George Association • www.lakegeorgeassociation.org

Originally conceived as an educational field trip for area students, the program expanded in 2009 with the purchase of a new boat, largely through support from LGA Board Member Bruce Ashby, and now area residents and summer visitors of all ages are welcome aboard the Floating Classroom every summer to learn about water quality and how LGA • 518-668-3558 • May 2014 • page 1

Education: LGA’s Floating Classroom Receives Top Honor contd. they can be better stewards of Lake George. Through handson experiments, participants investigate different aspects of the Lake’s ecosystem and learn how to protect and preserve this living water body. Every year LGA’s education staff revises the program as needed to keep it fresh and up to date with the most recent school standards. There are many schools that return year after year, and new schools joining each year too as the word spreads about the program. Staff had to add two extra weeks of programs this spring because there is so much interest. In addition to LGA staffers Emily DeBolt and Kristen Rohne and LGA Board of Directors our dedicated regular schools, we have 5 new district schools President Victor Hershaft received the EPA award in NYC on April 23. planning to participate in the program. With fourteen different schools and over 900 students anticipated to come aboard the Floating Classroom in May and June, it is going to be our busiest spring yet. After spring school field trips are over, the program transitions to trips for area residents and visitors during the summer. Much of the content stays the same but discussion focuses on more complex issues such as land use and development. Since 1997, The Floating Classroom has educated over 21,000 participants and the Program set its record for the number of participants in 2013 at 2,228. We hope to make 2014 an even bigger year and hope you will join us out on the boat this summer to help us celebrate this exciting year for the Program!

Aquatic Invasive Species: Arrive Clean, Drained, and Dry

he Lake George Park Commission’s new mandatory boat inspection and decontamination program is underway. The objective of this new regulatory initiative is to prevent the introduction of new aquatic invasive species (AIS) into Lake George and the spread of aquatic invasive species into other waterbodies. These regulations will be in effect as a pilot effort from May 15, 2014 through December 31, 2015. All trailered boats being launched into Lake George must undergo an inspection at one of the six regional inspection stations around Lake George before they launch. The purpose of this inspection is to ensure that boats and trailers are clean, drained and dry, and are harboring no invasive species. There is no cost to boaters for these inspections, or the washing of the boat and trailer if determined necessary by an inspection technician. Before you arrive at the Lake this season, please go online to www.LGBoatInspections.com and find the inspection station most conveniently located to your launch site and when it will be open. The hours of operation for the inspection stations vary by location. There is no need to call ahead for an appointment - inspections are done on a first-come first-served basis and they only take a few minutes if you arrive prepared. When you arrive the inspector will ask you a few questions about your boat and launching history and then physically look and feel for evidence of AIS inside all compartments of your vessel. They will also inspect the outside of your vessel’s hull, including the trailer, as well as the engine outdrive & intakes. Once the inspection process is complete, the inspector will inform you if they will need to perform a decontamination. This process includes washing and flushing all areas needing decontamination with 140 0F hot water to kill any possible remaining AIS. Depending on the complexity of your vessel, decontamination can last anywhere from 10 to 30 min. So remember, you can save time and get out on the Lake faster by arriving clean, drained, and dry! Before you leave the inspection station, if you are going to a different launch site, you will receive a numbered wire inspection seal that connects your boat to a secure location on your trailer. When you arrive at the launch, the seal will be removed and recorded by the launch attendant.

Lake George Association • www.lakegeorgeassociation.org

Your boat will be sealed to your trailer to show that it is clean, drained, & dry and ready to launch. When you launch, it will be removed by the launch attendant. When you retrieve your boat, you can have it re-sealed. As long as it is still intact when you come back (meaning you haven’t been in another body of water), you can skip the inspection procress and head straight to the launch. LGA • 518-668-3558 • May 2014 • page 2

Aquatic Invasive Species: Arrive Clean, Drained, and Dry contd.

here has been a lot of work to get done in order to get the new boat inspection program up and running and to get the word out about it. When we say that our mission is ‘Working together’ - we really mean it! With our years of experience running the Lake Steward Program, the LGA has been working over the past few months to help the Lake George Park Commission get this extremely important program up and running.

Rogers Rock State Campground

LGA staff has provided assistance by developing outreach materials including a new rack card and advertisements in local media about the program to help let boaters know what to expect when they arrive at the Lake this year. We also worked to develop signage for the inspection stations, along with coordinating the creation and placement of the signage with the Warren County DPW and the NYSDOT. With so much to do to get this new program up and running, we are happy to do as much as we can to help make it a success. Because when the Lake is better protected - we all win!

Mossy Point State Boat Launch

Huletts Landing Marina

Norowal Marina, Bolton Landing

Transfer Rd, Exit 21 Dunham’s Bay Marina

Map showing the 6 regional boat inspection stations located around the Lake. This In addition to our Clean Boater Program info and other educational materials, LGA staff was on hand at the Great Upstate Boat Show for the last weekend of March and the first weekend of April to help answer questions about the new mandatorty boat inspection program.

map is an example of the outreach materials that LGA created to help get the message out about the new program this summer.

Aquatic Invasive Species: Frozen Boats Program

s part of the new mandatory inspection program, the LGPC created a frozen boats program that allows local residents to have their boats certified as invasive-free with a Vessel Inspection Control Seal (VICS) in advance of the 2014 boating season. Having a boat with an intact inspection seal acquired through the Frozen Boats Program removes the need for that boat to visit one of the six regional inspection stations for clean, drained, and dry inspection prior to its first launch of the year into Lake George. This is a local program that provides inspection seals for trailered boats that have been demonstrated to be exposed to the winter elements sufficiently long to kill an aquatic invasive species. In general, research has shown that three days of continuous freezing is long enough to kill any AIS present on a boat or trailer. By sealing the boats over the winter, the program will hopefully reduce unnecessary congestion and delays at the inspection stations in the spring as everyone is trying to get their boat back out on the water. Around 1,000 boats were sealed as part of this program, with 75 of those sealed by LGA Executive Walt Lender in Ticonderoga! Lake George Association • www.lakegeorgeassociation.org

LGA staff and LGPC Executive Director Dave Wick sealed the Floating Classroom as part of the Frozen Boats program with VICS #1885 in honor of our long history protecting the Lake!

Local partners around the Lake helped seal boats this winter. LGA’s Executive Director Walt Lender and his oldest boys were busy sealing boats in Ticonderoga. LGA • 518-668-3558 • May 2014 • page 3

Summer Calendar It is going to be a busy summer! Be sure to stop by the office or check online on our Facebook page and our website for the latest event updates later this summer as well.

Floating Classroom Public Programs Wed July 2,9,16,23,30 & Aug 6,13,20,27 Departures at 10 am and 1 pm

limb aboard the Floating Classroom for an aquatic adventure to learn all about Lake George. Programs are offered twice daily on Wednesdays in July and August, are approx. 2 hours in length, and leave from the Amherst St. dock in Lake George Village. Suggested donation $15 adults, $14 seniors, and $9 for children. Advance reservations required. Call the office at 518-668-3558 or you can make reservations online through our website. Special Dates and Locations: Or join us Friday July 25th at 10 am for a program departing from Rogers Park in Bolton Landing or Monday August 4th at 1 pm at Mossy Point in Ticonderoga.

Summer Outreach Calendar May 30th

Trade In - Green Up: The Great Plant Trade-In Event

June 7th

“Make it, Learn it, Do it”

July 7th-11th

New York State Invasive Species Awareness Week

LGA office 3-7 pm Get your landscaping started off right this season by trading in your old, gnarly invasives for new, lake-loving natives! Dig up an invasive plant from your property and bring it to our office - and we will give you a native plant to replace it! A selection of native alternatives to invasives will also be available for sale from local nurseries. Go online or give us a call for details on what plants you can bring, and other directions on how to participate in this event! Free (unless you buy some plants!) Clifton Park-Halfmoon Public Library 1-4 pm Come be exposed to real-world science and engineering projects! LGA will be on hand during this event to give you an up-close look at the plankton in Lake George. Free. Lake George Visitor Center Stop by during the day to learn all about invasive species, including Lake George's aquatic animal invaders the Asian clam, spiny water flea, and Chinese mystery snail. We will be available to answer your questions about aquatic and terrestrial invasive species as well as invasive forest pests. Free.

July 18th Bolton Landing Farmer’s Market Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church 9am-1pm

It’s Kids Day at the Farmer’s Market. We will be on hand with fun water related activities for both kids and adults alike! Free.

July 19th

Annual Adirondack Loon Census

Lake George 8-9 am Volunteer to count loons on Lake George as part of an annual monitoring program aimed at determining the relative health of the population of this signature Adirondack bird. The LGA coordinates volunteers on Lake George. To register for a section of Lake George to monitor, please give us a call. We will provide information on how to participate and a data sheet. Free.

August 8th Stream Monitoring Bioblitz LG Recreation Center & Northwest Bay Brook 10am-1pm

Volunteer to help us conduct a stream health assessment of Gage/West Brook and Northwest Bay Brook. You will perform a habitat assessment and macroinvertebrate collection. We will have nets and boots available for you to use. Contact us to sign up. Number of participants for each site will be limited so sign up early.

August 16th

The Lake Series: Lake George & Lake Champlain

Fort Ticonderoga

9am-12pm

LGA Education Coordinator, Kristen Rohne, will present "The Current Status of Invasive Species in Lake George." This series of talks focuses on the history, geography, culture, ecology and current issues related to the lakes that are so integral to Fort Ticonderoga. The series takes place on three Saturday mornings during the summer of 2014. Sign up through Fort Ticonderoga. Lake George Association • www.lakegeorgeassociation.org

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Education and Outreach

e are thrilled to be partnering with other educational organizations this summer and offering even more educational programming for students. Check out these great programs we have planned - you might have a child or grandchild that you want to sign up!

SUNY Adirondack Summer Enrichment Program Water Investigation July 7-24 Monday - Thursday 1-3 pm Grades 6-9

Where will the water you drink this morning be tomorrow? Have you ever explored a lake or pond? Come learn about how the water got there, what lives there, and if the water is healthy. You will investigate water through crafts, games and experiments. Each day we will cover a new topic, from H2O Olympics to Alien Invaders. Cost $118. Registration is through the Office of Continuing Education at SUNY Adirondack. Registration deadline June 13, 2014.

Queensbury Parks and Recreation Department Stream Monitoring Floating Classroom August 5: Grades 3-5 August 7: Grades 6-8 1:00-3:00 pm

Did you know that dragonflies begin their lives in the water? Participants will use nets to catch the bugs living in the water and learn to identify them. Then using the bugs caught, we will determine the health of the water. We will hike through the trail system to the Hudson River to perform our river water studies. It’s cool science on a hot summer day! Hudson Pointe Nature Preserve. Cost: Resident $10; Non-Resident $20. Contact Queensbury Parks and Recreation Department to register.

July 15 : Grades 3-5 July 17: Grades 6-8 12:30–3:30 pm

Come aboard to learn all about Lake George and how to keep its water clean and clear. You’ll enjoy a handson adventure and learn all about Lake George water quality. You’ll measure water clarity, catch plankton and use microscopes to identify them, and test pH and temperature. You’ll find out if Lake George is healthy, and what you can do to help keep it that way. Cost: Resident $32; Non-Resident $42. Contact Queensbury Parks and Recreation Department to register.

Membership and Support: Save the Dates for our Annual Summer Events

e sure to have marked your calendar for our upcoming summer gala and annual meeting! Both events are a great chance to talk to LGA staff, ask questions and learn about what is going on around the Lake right now, catch up with old friends - and make some new ones!

LGA’s Summer Gala: MAD 4 Lake George A benefit for the protection of Lake George July 11, 2014

The Inn at Erlowest

Ladies are invited to wear their best 1960s hairstyle, and men your finest 1960s tie, for a special contest! Or join us for a try at Best Dressed Couple! Hint - think Don and Megan Draper! Enjoy swinging hits by New York Players Entertainment Group’s City Rhythm! Lake George Association • www.lakegeorgeassociation.org

LGA’s 129th Annual Membership Meeting

August 22, 2014

The Lake George Club

Join us to celebrate another great year of working together to protect the Lake. Learn all about the lakesaving programs & projects the LGA has underway. After the meeting, join us lakeside for lunch as you catch up with family and friends. LGA • 518-668-3558 • May 2014 • page 5

Lake Saving Projects: Maintenance is Critical

ast year we had so many amazing projects and programs underway- that we didn’t have room to fit them all in the last newsletter. So here are some additional project updates on work that has been going on around the watershed. Every project is unique and with every project we learn something new. Many projects that are needed we find out about by members bringing them to our attention! So always remember to let us know if there is a stormwater problem that you think we might be able to help address.

English Brook

English Brook is the 5th largest stream that flows into Lake George, with a watershed of just over 8 sq. miles in size. It is an important tributary to the Lake, and so we have worked on numerous projects along its banks and throughout its watershed to help address stormwater runoff. Even though many of our projects might be out of sight once they are complete - they are far from out of mind! Ongoing maintenance to ensure that our projects continue to function properly is a vital part of protecting our investment and the Lake. You might remember reading about the Aquaswirl project back in 2011 in our newsletter. In June of that year the LGA worked with Jarrett Engineering and Services Unlimited to install an Aquaswirl hydrodynamic separator on the Lochlea Estate in the Town of Lake George. The system collects previously untreated stormwater runoff in the English Brook watershed. Stormwater from both the east and west sides of Rt. 9N is treated, as well as from the bridge between the two exits at Exit 22 on Interstate 87.

Cleaning out the Aquaswirl unit at English Brook. is doing a great job and clear, clean water is entering the brook. In fall of 2012 the LGA staff worked to plant a number of native trees and shrubs along English Brook as part of the NYS DEC Trees for Tribs program. Unfortunately, a number of these plants along with additional vegetation all along the stream bank were removed during some recent culvert work done by the NYS DOT last fall. A concerned homeowner contacted the LGA about the site and let us know what had happened. We contacted the NYS DOT about the issue, and are happy to report that we are working together with them to get the site re-planted with woody vegetation this season. The site was temporary stabilized with seed and straw for the winter - and hopefully as you are reading this we will be working to replant shrubs and trees to protect the banks of English Brook.

After being treated in the Aquaswirl, stormwater is clean and clear before heading back into English Brook! Well, we were back on site last summer at the Aquaswirl unit to clean it out with help from the Ticonderoga Water and Sewer Dept. and the Village of Lake George. Around 8 cu. yards of sediment was removed in June and then another 24 cu. yards of material was removed in September - for a total of 32 cu. yards kept out of the Lake and off of the English Brook Delta last year! As you can see from the photo above on the right, the unit Lake George Association • www.lakegeorgeassociation.org

LGA staff visited the site last fall where NYS DOT removed vegetation to access the stream to work on the culvert and bridge. Staff has been working with the NYS DOT over the winter to have the area revegetated this spring. LGA staff is selecting appropriate native shrubs to be planted along the site at English Brook. LGA • 518-668-3558 • May 2014 • page 6

Lake Saving Projects: Partnerships are Key Usher Park Stormwater Management

he LGA and the Town of Lake George have been working together to address stormwater runoff issues at Usher Park. The majority of the park is very steeply sloped down to the Lake, making stormwater a perennial issue at this location. While the Town has existing stormwater controls on the site, they are undersized for the amount of runoff the property receives after a heavy rain, much of which comes from off the property, further uphill in the watershed and funnels down into the Park.

that the garden can be both pretty and functional at the same time. We hope that people will see the garden and say ‘Hey – I could do that on my property too.’ After planting along the shoreline, LGA and Town staff moved uphill and worked to stabilize a slope on the park property next by planting native groundcovers. One hundred feet of straw wattle was installed along the bottom edge of the slope to ensure stabilization of the site while the groundcovers take hold.

In April of 2013 LGA and Town staff met on site at the park to discuss how to best capture the stormwater. A combination of plantings and stormwater structures were planned for the site. The LGA then applied for funding from the Helen V. Froehlich Foundation for the project and we are happy to announce that we received $18,000 for the project this past summer. Work began right away this past fall with native plantings along the shoreline with some funding for plant material available from the Town of Lake George. The Town also provided the labor and materials, creating a new planting bed on the left side of the beach in an area where the runoff coming down the hill would just wash right down onto the beach and out into the Lake. Staff from the LGA designed and planted the garden with native

New York native perennials including Spotted Phlox, Nodding Onion, and Blue Lobelia and were planted along with shrubs such as Steeplebush and Summersweet. Left to right: LGA staffers Nancy Cobb-Zoll, Mona Seeger, and Alicia Nichols enjoyed a brisk, but sunny day out of the office in late September to plant the new buffer garden.

plants grown locally at Fiddlehead Creek Native Plant Nursery. The new planting will now help slow the runoff and keep it out of the Lake. This new buffer is a great demonstration garden for people in the Town of Lake George who use the park. We focused on natives that bloom in the summer, when the park is mostly used, so Lake George Association • www.lakegeorgeassociation.org

Two different native groundcovers were utilized here – Foamflower and Barren Strawberry. Not only will the native plants help stabilize the slope, reducing erosion from runoff, but they also are aesthetically pleasing for the park setting and make maintenance of the property easier for Town staff, who had a hard time mowing such a steep area in the past. Since there is a large amount of runoff at the site, more storage capacity is needed than the small areas available for planting could provide. The native gardens installed this past fall were a great start, but there is still more work that needs to be done. A series of dry wells and other stormwater management structures will be installed this summer to catch larger amounts of runoff further up the hill before it makes it to the bottom. That is where the majority of the funding secured from the Helen V. Froehlich Foundation last year will be needed. We already have a concept and will finalize the design this winter with Warren County Soil and Water, so we are all set to start in the spring. Jim Martino at the Town of Lake George has been instrumental in all this. He called us up and said they were having some stormwater problems at the Park and asked if we could take a look. We are excited to partner with the Town on this poroject. We have strived to build good relationships with all of the municipalities over the years, and we can see that all the hard work is paying off ! LGA • 518-668-3558 • May 2014 • page 7

Lake Saving Projects: Sometimes Timing is Everything New Dry Wells in Bolton and Queensbury

ast fall we partnered with the Warren County Soil and Water Conservation District (WCSWCD), the Towns of Bolton and Queensbury Highway Departments and the Warren County DPW on several very important stormwater retrofit projects that will provide great protection for Lake George for many years to come. After a storm, water that falls on soil can infiltrate down into the ground and eventually into the groundwater. Water that falls on impervious surfaces, such as roads and parking lots, cannot soak into the ground, and instead moves across these surfaces, picking up speed and pollutants- becoming stormwater runoff. Oils, salt, and sediment carrying phosphorous or other chemicals are also picked up by the water as it travels and are all eventually deposited into the Lake. Roadside drainage improvements such as catch basins and dry wells are projects that the LGA undertakes with partners that protect the lake from nonpoint source pollution carried by stormwater runoff. Last fall eleven new dry wells were installed, nine in the Town of Bolton and two in the Town of Queensbury, with plans for more to be installed in Queensbury this year. We were very pleased to be able to get these projects in the ground last year before the winter. That way they were in place to protect the Lake from large amounts of

Lake George Association • www.lakegeorgeassociation.org

runoff created by snowmelt this spring. In the Town of Queensbury, Sunset Lane on Assembly Point was scheduled to be repaved last fall by the Town. Prior to paving, a stormwater issue was brought to the attention of both the Town and the WCSWCD by local residents. Staff from WCSWCD came up with a retrofit design and approached the LGA to see if it was interested in helping out with the project. With funding available from the Helen V. Froehlich Foundation for this type of work, we jumped at the opportunity to be able to help address this stormwater issue. This project was a great example of good timing and communication. Because the drainage issue came to light before the road was re-paved, we were able to address it. Had the Town gone ahead and just done the paving work, it might not have worked out. The project involved installing two 8 foot diameter dry wells that will capture runoff from a small 3,200 square foot watershed on the southeast side of the lake and allow it to infiltrate into the ground rather than run directly to the lake. The Town of Queensbury Highway department completed all of the installation work with WCSWCD overseeing the entire project this past September. The LGA provided $2,395.00 in funding for the two dry wells. The Town of Queensbury supplied the stone.

LGA • 518-668-3558 • May 2014 • page 8

Additionally, while onsite viewing the installation of the last dry well, another stormwater retrofit project was identified and discussed with the Town and Soil and Water that could be implemented this year utilizing the same strategy - so stay tuned! After the successful installations in Queensbury, work moved up the Lake to the Town of Bolton where seven dry wells were installed in three different areas. The first location was at the old Town of Bolton highway garage and transfer station, where three dry wells were installed to help treat over 11,000 square feet of impervious surface that had been generating untreated runoff into Finkle Brook during storm events. After that, work moved to Mohican Avenue, where two more dry wells were added along the south side of the steep town owned road

Last fall, 9 new dry wells were installed in Bolton at the highway garage, on Mohican Ave, and on Horicon Ave and 2 new dry wells were installed in Queensbury on Sunset Lane.

Bolton

Sunset Lane, Queensbury Lake George Association • www.lakegeorgeassociation.org

that has a track record of eroding during storm events. As work was being completed on Horicon Avenue, Warren County DPW saw how well the structures were working and determined that they could use three additional dry wells on Horicon, but had not budgeted for the materials. The County DPW asked the LGA if we could help out and purchase the three dry well systems. Utilizing funding designated for Stormwater Retrofits in Bolton from the Helen V. Froehlich Foundation, the LGA purchased the structures for $2,480. The dry wells have a smaller footprint (4 foot diameter rather than the larger 8 foot diameter used in the other locations), but are still able to capture and treat runoff. Four dry wells were installed on Horicon Avenue, one on the east side of the road near Highland Drive and the others on the west side. In all of the locations, the gutter of the road was reconstructed to direct the stormwater into the structures to reduce any erosion potential. We contributed about $7,000 for materials and labor to the Bolton projects that wrapped up in early October last year. We are very pleased with the outcome of these installations this last fall. This year we will pick up where we left off and continue our partnership with Warren County Soil and Water and the local municipalities around the Lake to stop stormwater before it has a chance to enter the Lake. We’ll start in the Town of Queensbury and place two more dry wells at the base of Sunset Lane that will capture some additional stormwater just before it enters the Lake. LGA • 518-668-3558 • May 2014 • page 9

Lake Friendly Living: Septic System Care and Maintenance

n the last few years more homes around the lake have had the chance to be done with their septic system and hook up to a municipal sewer. The new Black Point Road Sewer came online at the end of 2009 and added about 250 homes along 5 miles of lakeshore in Ticonderoga and Putnam. The Hague Town Sewer was done in phases - with the first district in 2003 serving 340 parcels, and then expanding in 2010 to add a second district and another 154 parcels to the system. Adding these newer sewer systems to the older systems in Bolton built in the 1960s and Lake George in the 1940s, there are now more people around the Lake on sewers than ever before. However, these sewered areas are still relatively small and there are still numerous homeowners throughout much of the watershed with a septic system. Septics are your own personal onsite wastewater treatment system. Yes - once you flush most of us don’t want to have to think any more about where our waste goes - but maintaining your septic system - not only protects Lake George and nearby groundwaters from being contaminated, but also protects your health and your investment in your home. It is just a fact of life of not living in a major metropolitan area. Typical pollutants found in household wastewater include nitrogen, phosphorus, and disease-causing bacteria and viruses. A properly designed, constructed, and maintained system can provide long-term, effective treatment of household wastewater. If not properly maintained, a failing system can cost tens of thousands of dollars to replace. How do you know if it is time to upgrade your system? Look for signs of a failed system. Or have your system inspected by a septic professional if you are suspicious that something isn’t working right. Probably the most important thing you can do is to have your tank pump regularly, generally every 3-5 years. The exact timing varies based on the size of your system, and what you are asking it to do.

A typical septic system has 4 main parts:

• a pipe from the home that carries the wastewater into the tank; • a tank that holds the water long enough for the solids to settle out to the bottom and the oil and grease to float to the surface; • a drainfield where the water from the tank is discharged; • the soil where the microbes provide the final treatment.

Know the signs of a failed system:

• Pooling water or muddy soil around the tank or drainfield or in your basement. • Bad smell coming from area of tank. • Toilet or sink backs up when you flush or do laundry. • Bright green grass over the drainfield. If you notice any of these signs - call a professional to have your system looked at right away.

Replacing your septic system can seem a bit overwhelming. The good news is that with new technology you have more options available than ever before. The bad news is that it is still a pretty expensive endeavour. Which is just another reason that you should be sure to provide care and maintenance to your current system to keep it working properly. Longtime LGA member J. Buckley Bryan, Jr. recently replaced his septic system, and was willing to share his story with us. Buck bought his house on Northwest Bay in 1964. Not long after he added a cabin to the property near the house, but he installed a separate system for it. About 20 years ago Buck went ahead and replaced the old metal tank of his system with a concrete tank. Many of the old systems that fail around the Lake are still old metal tanks. A common failure of these older systems is that the baffles in the tanks that keep the solids in but let the liquid out into the leach field often rust and fall off, allowing solids to make their way out into the field, eventually clogging it up and causing the system to fail. Lake George Association • www.lakegeorgeassociation.org

LGA • 518-668-3558 • May 2014 • page 10

Lake Friendly Living: Time to Upgrade Your Septic System? But not long after this upgrade he still noticed some signs that all wasn’t well with his system. His lawn felt a bit ‘spongy’ and there was a distinct sewage smell in the dirt. Not good. So he installed all new water saving fixtures in the house, began to pump the system annually, and kept a close eye on it while he decided how best to move forward. After careful research into the different types of septic systems available - he settled on a Presby Advanced Enviro-Septic System designed by Carl Schoder, PE of Schoder Rivers Associates and installed by Don Kingsley Excavating. He combined the systems for the main house and the cabin into the one new system, which now consists of two tanks and pumps which both go into one leach field sized for both tanks. There are emergency shut off switches for each pump, and they are wired into a control box in the house that sounds an alarm if there is a problem with the system.

The next set of systems are often called advanced treatment systems. As the name implies, they do a better job at treating wastewater than a conventional system. And they also usually tend to take up less space as well. Presby and Elgin are two brand names of systems that are in ground treatment systems that use sand and bioactive fabrics to treat the wastewater. Both systems are aerobic, however the Presby system uses a chimney effect to draw air through the system to increase bacterial breakdown of wastes. Another option is a peat moss system. Puraflo is a brand name that has been installed on a number of properties around the Lake. Rather than a series of pipes - the waste is pumped from the tank into containers filled with peat moss, which provides treatment.

There are a few different types of septic systems available out there. If you need a new system, you should consult with a septic professional, and most likely an engineer when deciding how to move forward. In general, the main difference between most systems is the leach field. Most systems have a tank that collects the wastewater from your house. What happens next in the treatment phase is where you have some options. A conventional system is generally the most economic option. It is just a simple series of pipes in stone lined trenches. Your soil is doing the actual treatment of the waste. However, for this system to work, you need the right soil and enough space for it, along with enough separation to bedrock and ground water below. And this doesn’t even get into other issues you might run across, such as the separation distance to your well, or your neighbors well, setback distance from your property line, etc. If you don’t have the soils or the room for a conventional system, you do have a number of other options. Mound systems have been around for a while. These systems build up the soil needed for treatment in a mound, and so take up a small footprint, however, as the name implies, you end up with a mound in your yard. These systems are also pressure distributed systems, meaning that there are more chances for something to go wrong than in a traditional system that only needs basic gravity to work. Lake George Association • www.lakegeorgeassociation.org

Don Kingsley Excavating installed Buck’s new Presby Advanced Enviro-Septic System. Above: The pipes are wrapped with ‘bioactive’ fabric and laid out in the field. This fabric helps purify the wastewater and also helps a ‘biomat’ form - a layer of bacteria that operates like a living filter, digesting waste materials as the wastewater passes through. Below: The pipes are covered with sand. This facilitates the process by wicking the liquid out of the pipes and ensuring that the system receives sufficient oxygen to support a healthy population of bacteria. The treated wastewater slowly infiltrates into the soil below after having first gone through the sand.

LGA • 518-668-3558 • May 2014 • page 11

Lake-Friendly Living: Septic Systems contd. Other systems available use media filters to treat the waste or agitators that introduce oxygen into the tank before dispersing it. It is important to keep in mind that the more moving parts you have, the more maintenance and upkeep you have as well. Which system is right for you depends on a number of factors. We are more than happy to answer any questions you might have and get you pointed in the right direction - so just give the office a call.

A special thank you to Buck for letting us share his story and to Carl Schoder for helping explain how the Presby system works for this article!

A new 1500 gallon tank was installed in the driveway. This was a special tank that can have traffic on it. A basic tank is not designed to be able to withstand cars, but due to limited space, this was the only location available for the new tank.

Lake-Friendly Living: Salt Tolerant Native Plants

s promised in our last issue, we have gathered a list of salt-tolerant New York native plants that you can use in your landscaping. This list is by no means exhaustive - but it can help get you started. Salt in runoff from the road isn’t just stressful for the lake - it can also be very stressful to plants! So if you are working on a landscaping project this year and have some areas near a road that is salted in the winter, you might want to consider some of these plants.

Trees

River birch - Betula nigra Shagbark hickory- Carya ovata Black walnut - Juglans nigra American larch - Larix laricina Bigtoothed or Quaking sspen - Populus sp. Chokecherry - Prunus virginiana White, Swamp White, Red & Pin Oak - Quercus sp.

Evergreen Trees

Common juniper - Juniperus communis Easter red cedar - Juniperus virginiana Scotch pine - Pinus sylvestris

Ornamental Grasses & Flowers

Switchgrass - Panicum virgatum Little Bluestem - Schizachyrium scoparium New England Aster - Aster novae-angliae Shrubby sundrops - Oenothera fruticosa Tall White Beardtongue - Penstemon digitalis Moss phlox - Phlox subulata False dragonhead - Physotegia virginiana Butterflyweed - Asclepias tuberosa Wild Columbine - Aquilegia canadensis

Butterflyweed is not only salt tolerant - but is also a host plant for monarchs!

Shrubs

Serviceberry - Amelancier canadensis Red chokeberry - Aronia arbutifolia Black chokeberry - Aronia melanocarpa Summersweet - Clethra alnifolia Sweetfern - Comptonia peregrina Kalm’s St. Johnswort - Hypericum kalmianum Winterberry - Ilex verticillata Bayberry - Myrica pensylvanica Fragrant sumac - Rhus aromatica Pussy willow - Salix discolor Common juniper - Juniperus communis var. depressa

Groundcovers

Bearberry - Arctostaphylow uva-ursi Creeping Juniper - Juniperus horizontalis Eastern Sand Cherry - Prunus pumila var. depressa Gro-Low Sumac - Rhus aromatica ‘Gro-low’

Remember - LGA staff is here to help! If you have any questions, or need help with a Lake-friendly project just let us know! Lake George Association • www.lakegeorgeassociation.org

LGA • 518-668-3558 • May 2014 • page 12

Winter Road Maintenance: Moving Forward

o keep the momentum moving forward from the Municipal De-Icing Best Practice Forum held in April of 2013, the LGA partnered with the Lake Champlain-Lake George Regional Planning Board (LCLGRPB) to produce a responsiveness summary to the Forum. The report, Lake George Winter Road Maintenance Best Practices Initiative for Water Quality Protection, was released in March of this year and summarizes progress made to date addressing the issue of winter road maintenance and impacts to water quality, as well as provides an overview of the content discussed at the Forum. Most importantly however, the report provides a road map by identifying needs and next steps for moving forward. Identified needs include improved equipment, exploring the use of prewetting systems, establishing written winter road maintenance policies, training all applicable staff, and educating elected officials. The next steps for moving forward focus on gathering additional information about each municipality around the Lake to better identify individual municipal needs and to identify and secure funding sources. For more details about the identified needs and steps for moving forward, the full report is available on our website. And believe it or not - we have already begun to make progress! The LCLGRPB successfully applied for grant funding from the Lake Champlain Basin Program to purchase some road temperature sensors and also to provide training to staff and education to elected officials. The LGA is continuing to partner with them on this initiative and we will keep you posted on our progress. Increased technologies will greatly help with more efficient use of salt - however the equipment is extremely expensive. A few road temperature sensors was a great first start, but we have much more work ahead of us still.

Aquatic Invasive Species: Recommendations for the Adirondack Region

hile our years of data collected through the Lake Steward Program has already been put to good use, building a strong case for the need for a mandatory boat inspection program, we are glad that it has also been important on the regional scale as well. Through the Adirondack Park Invasive Plant Program (APIPP), a regional partnership to protect the Adirondacks from invasive species, the LGA has partnered with Paul Smiths College and the Lake Champlain Basin Program to coordinate Lake Steward Programs for the past six years. Those groups have now released a report of recommendations for how to best move forward to protect the Adirondack region from the spread of aquatic invasive species. The report, Boat Inspection and Decontamination for Aquatic Invasive Species Prevention: Recommendations for the Adirondack Region, is an invaluable resource to help guide regional actions to protect our waters from aquatic invasives. This first-time analysis for the Adirondack region summarizes the best available science, analyzes current AIS distribution and boater use patterns, and recommends initial locations to consider integrating boat inspection and decontamination to prevent landscape level spread of AIS. The report will be used by the NYS DEC and other state and local agencies to prioritize prevention strategies for the region. With more than two-hundred waterways in the Adirondacks still free of aquatic invasive species, there is great opportunity to prevent landscape level spread. The complete report can be found on our website. Lake George Association • www.lakegeorgeassociation.org

LGA • 518-668-3558 • May 2014 • page 13

Membership: What Will Your Legacy Be? We are pleased to welcome so many new and returning members this quarter! LGA Members enjoy many benefits - including priority tickets for our annual summer gala which sells out quicker and quicker each year!

Corporate Members

Creative Construction Co., Inc KB Lake George, LLC Dark Bay Lane, LLC Crandall Excavating, Inc Ellsworth & Son Excavating, Inc Gross Electric, Inc Jaeger & Flynn Associates, Inc

Individual and Family Members Joseph Albanese Terry and Marguerite Ashby Brown Kathryn Barry Scott and Barbara Bell Les and Kitty Benjamin & Family Laura D. Bibler Peter and Karen Booth Robert Burns and Mary Rita Burns Ms. Laurie Carr Nancy A. Carter Michael Cecchini Family George and Evangeline Cholakis Christopher R. Copeland Jeffrey Crist David Cumming Danyko Family Andrew DePan Victoria and Steve Dobler James Dorsey Bryan P. Douros David Eberle

Be sure to call today to reserve your seat now this year’s event promises to be even more exciting than the last!

Douglas and Tracy Eberle Scott Fein Mr. William Fishner Glenn Goliber Diane Haley Chris Hermans George and Michelle Herrera Robert and Cora May Howe Russ and Carol Jockel Rosemary and Stephan Kamholz Patricia Killeen Mr. and Mrs. Thomas F. Kirkpatrick Robert and Nancy Lawrence Pete and Glenda Lewis Edward Linville Lori McCormick Robert Meehan Susan and Douglas Michels Mr. Edward V. Moore Lloyd L. Mott R. Gordon Murphy

Lake George Association • www.lakegeorgeassociation.org

Stephen and Carla O’Leary George and Cathy Painter Joann Perillo-Lasky John J. Perkins Deborah Pusatere Mr. and Mrs. William J. Quinn Joan and Dave Rockwell Brian Rooney and Cecile Callan Bruce and Sandra Rust Kevin Smith Mark C. Smith Joseph Sparano Laura Springer Frank and Geri Suozzo Ryan Trunko Joan Van Patten Nicole E. Van Vuren Ed Walker William and Jane Wasserbach The Woodcock Family George and Barbara Zautner Gary and Charlene Zervas

LGA • 518-668-3558 • May 2014 • page 14

Outreach: Be WasteWater Wise!

Funding: Stretching Your Dollars

t was a busy winter in the office writing grants and requesting funding to keep our great lake-saving programs and projects underway! We work hard to make our members’ support and donations go much farther by finding additional sources of funding as well.

Front

In case you missed the good news, we were happy to announce that we received a grant from the Shumway Foundation for $10,000 to help support the Floating Classroom program and our Asian Clam management efforts. We also received a $7,500 grant from the Lake Champlain Basin Program (LCBP) to support the Floating Classroom Program and a $15,000 Pollution Prevention grant from the LCBP for Stormwater Mitigation at Mossy Point Boat Launch. The project will retrofit the 3.5 acre boat launch area/ parking lot and try to capture and treat stormwater runoff that is currently entering the lake untreated using several different low impact development methods. We also received $500 from the Stewarts Holiday Match Program for the Floating Classroom as well.

Back

e recently updated our ‘Septic and Sewer Care Rack Card’ and printed a fresh supply. These are great reminders to keep in your bathroom, especially if you have guests or renters in the summer. Updating our card had been on our ‘to-do’ list for a while now - we had run out of our supply that we had printed a few years ago and had requests from members for copies of this handy publication. Well, the ball finally got rolling when the Town of Hague contacted us this spring about working together on the card, since they were interested in sending info out in their upcoming sewer bill mailing. They have been having a problem with ‘flushable wipes’ clogging their system. So we worked to update the card and get it printed in time for their April mailing. And thanks to Hague’s great idea - we called around to the other towns as well to see if anyone else was interested. We will also be supplying Ticonderoga with cards to mail and supplying Lake George and Bolton with a supply of cards to have on hand as hand outs at their Town Halls. Be sure to stop by the office and pick one up for your house this summer! Lake George Association • www.lakegeorgeassociation.org

LGA BOARD OF DIRECTORS President Victor Hershaft (Bolton Landing) Executive Vice President Michael Dier (Queensbury) Vice Presidents Matt Finley (Diamond Point) Cheryl Lamb (Bolton Landing) Treasurer Robert de Buys (Hague) Secretary Catherine Aiken LaBombard (Huletts Landing) Directors Bruce Ashby (Lake George) Dan Behan (Bolton Landing) James N. Casaccio (Diamond Point) Daniel Davies (Dunham’s Bay) Michael Della Bella, Sr. (Assembly Point) Michael Grasso (Lake George) H. Thomas Jarrett, PE (Kattskill Bay) Karen Larkin (Cleverdale) Peter Menzies (Bolton Landing) Emeritus Board Dr. Barbara Chick (Queensbury) Alison Craig (Hague) Buzz Lamb (Bolton Landing) John Lynch (Lake George) George Singer (Ticonderoga) Advisory Board George Beaudoin (Hague) Keith Ferguson (Bolton Landing) Robert Flacke (Lake George) Ray Freud (Putnam) Andrea Maranville (Bolton Landing) Douglas Smith (Hague)

STAFF

Executive Director C. Walter Lender

Project/GIS Manager Randy G. Rath

Director of Membership Development Nancy Cobb-Zoll

Education Coordinator Kristen Rohne

Outreach Coordinator Emily M. DeBolt

The LGA is proud to produce this publication using Forest Stewardship Council certified printing & paper.

Educator Jill Trunko Office Manager Mona Seeger Legal Counsel Matthew F. Fuller, Esq.

The Lake George Association, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. All donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. LGA • 518-668-3558 • May 2014 • page 15

Lake George Association P.O. Box 408 Lake George, NY 12845

Nonprofit Organization U.S. Postage PAID Permit No. 511 Glens Falls, NY

Trade In

Dig up an unruly invasive plant from your yard...

Green Up Free! V

...And replace it with a Lake George-loving native plant!

Check out our website for more details about this exciting event!

Drained

Clean Clean and remove all visible plants, animals, fish, and mud from your boat, trailer, or other equipment.

Drain water from motor, bilge, live wells, ballast tanks, storage compartments and any other locations.

Dry Dry your boat, trailer, and all equipment including bumpers, ropes, and anchors.

Get on the water faster.

Arrive Clean, Drained, & Dry.

Lake George

Boat Inspections

www.LGBoatInspections.com

LGAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s MISSION Working together to protect, conserve, and improve the beauty and quality of the Lake George Basin.