Lake George Lake Steward Program

Results & Reports

• 2011
• 2010
• 2009
• 2008

Outreach

• Fishing Tournaments
• Triathlons
• Adirondack Invasive Species Awareness Week

Sponsors

Apply to be a Lake Steward for 2012 -pdf.

The Lake Steward Program is an aquatic invasive species education and spread prevention program. Lake stewards are hired for the summer to inspect boats at various boat launches around Lake George. Stewards look for and remove invasive species, and educate boaters on how to prevent their spread within the Lake and to other lakes. In addition, lake stewards collect data about the vessels entering and exiting the Lake.

Click here to view a pdf of a Powerpoint presentation summarizing the Lake George Lake Steward Program from 2008-2010. Click here to see a video about the training of the stewards.

The Lake George Lake Steward program seeks to help contain the spread of four species already present in Lake George:  Eurasian watermilfoil,  zebra mussels, Asian clam, and curly-leaf pondweed.  The program also helps prevent new invasive species from being introduced into Lake George, such as spiny waterflea, hydrilla, or alewife. These are present in nearby water bodies in New York. While the priority of the program is to inspect boats before they launch, boats are also inspected as they exit when possible.  We don't want to send our invasive species to other area lakes.

Stewards also remind boaters of the Dept. of Environmental Conservation firewood regulation, new in 2009, which limits the transport of untreated firewood to 50 miles. This regulation seeks to protect forests from insect invaders, such as the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) and the Asian Longhorned Beetle (ALB). Boaters often have firewood on board when they are headed out to camp on a Lake George island.

In addition to working at the boat launches, stewards assist the LGA in other related work, including:

- pulling garlic mustard at Dept. of Environmental Conservation (DEC) campgrounds;

- stocking salmon with the DEC and the Lake George Fishing Alliance;

- educating the public about invasive species at annual summer events, such as the Adirondack Park Invasive Species Awareness Week or Waterfest;

- educating participants in fishing tournaments and triathlons; and

- inventorying wall lettuce and other terrestrial invasives.