Secretary of State Cortés-Vázquez & Mayor Blais Discuss Next Steps for Improving Water Quality of Lake George

ALBANY, NY (06/15/2010)(readMedia)-- New York Secretary of State Lorraine Cortés-Vázquez and Village of Lake George Mayor Robert Blais today discussed the next steps for the West Brook Stormwater Project – a major public works initiative aimed at improving the lake's water quality and promoting tourism in the region.

The Department of State and the Lake George Watershed Coalition – a partnership of local governments, state agencies and community organizations – are installing a variety of important infrastructure improvements at the former Gaslight Village site along the lake's southern bank in order to prevent polluted runoff from entering the water. Upon completion, the site will boast a series of beautiful open fields and bicycle and walking trails – and will yield much-less-polluted lake.

"I am excited to be back in Lake George as the Department of State works with the local community to improve the water quality of the lake and promote the area as a tourist destination," Secretary Cortés-Vázquez said. "Like countless other initiatives across New York, the West Brook project balances protecting vital resources with the desire to develop unused land in an economically valuable way. The Department of State remains committed to improving the state's infrastructure in a way that does not compromise the local environment."

"We are extremely pleased that Secretary of State Cortés-Vázquez is taking a personal interest in this important lake-saving and tourism initiative," Mayor Blais said. "The creation of the Lake George Watershed Coalition, which the Secretary chairs, has been a major force in several projects throughout the Lake George basin. During the last decade the Department of State has invested more than $7 million in funds to the nine municipalities bordering the lake."

The West Brook Stormwater Project addresses the single largest source of pollution entering the lake – runoff carried from West Brook, a stream that flows through the Gaslight Village site into the lake's southern end. In order to fix the pollution problem, the Town and Village of Lake George, Warren County, the Lake George Association, the Fund for Lake George and the Lake George Land Conservancy purchased the former amusement park site in 2008, and the Department of State subsequently awarded $1.35 million in Environmental Protection Fund grants to clear the site and to design and implement a comprehensive runoff-catching and pollutant-filtering system.

In addition, the New York State Department of Transportation will shortly begin a complementary project along Route 9 and on the Gaslight Village site, the installation of stormwater improvements that will reduce the amount of sediment and runoff entering the lake. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has likewise committed funds to develop public enhancements on the site, such as trails and nature walks.

The Lake George Watershed Coalition was created by the Department of State in 2001 to ensure lake issues are addressed in a cooperative manner among various local stakeholders. The Coalition is chaired by Secretary Cortés-Vázquez and comprises all nine municipalities and three counties around the lake, state agencies and a number of non-profit organizations.

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