Watershed stewards battle invasive species in nearby lakes

PAUL SMITHS, NY (06/13/2013)(readMedia)-- The Watershed Stewardship Program at Paul Smith's College is in full swing this boating season, battling invasive species in a body of water near you.

As of Memorial Day weekend, 22 monitors returned to boat launches and docks throughout the Adirondacks to look for invasive plants and animals. The stewards, who are mostly college students from institutions around the country, will remain on duty through Labor Day.

This summer, the program will protect three major recreational areas: Saratoga Lake; the Lake Placid, Saranac Lake and Tupper Lake region; and the Fulton Chain of Lakes in the Old Forge area. A $299,976 grant from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service's Great Lakes Restoration Initiative will pay for the work at 16 sites, while lake associations and the Saratoga Lake Tax District will support others.

Stewards inspect boats, canoes, kayaks and other craft entering and exiting the water to ensure that invasive species such as Eurasian watermilfoil or spiny waterflea are not clinging to the vessels. The inspections are voluntary but highly encouraged.

In 2012, the Watershed Stewardship Program's 26 stewards inspected more than 24,000 boats and taught nearly 50,000 people across 24 sites about invasives. The stewards removed 2,965 organisms, both invasive and non-invasive, from boats entering or leaving boat ramps.

Aquatic invasive species are a growing threat in the Adirondacks and beyond, making such inspections increasingly important. When invasives take hold in a body of water, they can displace native species and rapidly multiply, making waterways impassible and hurting tourism and other industries.

"Aquatic invasive species are often impossible to eradicate once they become established in a waterway," said Eric Holmlund, director of the Watershed Stewardship Program. "This is why we emphasize spread prevention techniques that all boat operators must adopt in order to stay ahead of the problem. Everybody can and should inspect their boats and remove both visible organisms and standing water in bilges and motors. These are simple, easy steps that save tremendous amounts of money and aggravation, as well as preserve the native organisms and biodiverse conditions that we have come to cherish."

Where will stewards be stationed?

Upper St. Regis Lake

Lake Placid

Lake Flower

Rainbow Lake

Osgood Pond

Saratoga Lake

White Lake

Hollywood Hills

Fourth Lake

Limekiln Lake Campground

Seventh Lake

Eighth Lake Campground

Raquette Lake Village

Burke's Marina

Forked Lake Campground

Long Lake

Stillwater Reservoir

Cranberry Lake

Tupper Lake

Chateaugay Lake

Meacham Lake

St. Regis Canoe Area

About Paul Smith's College

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