The Preeminent Protector of The Queen of American Lakes
The Lake George Association is the preeminent Lake-protection entity dedicated to safeguarding The Queen of American Lakes in Upstate New York. The LGA has architected and advanced a science-guided, partner-driven model of freshwater protection designed for adaptation and scaling across the country and world-wide.
The LGA brings together the world-class science of the The Jefferson Project freshwater research partnership and the Lake George Waterkeeper, with input from our Council of Science Advisors; the dedicated volunteer efforts of our Community Scientists; bold public and private protection partnerships; community education; public policy advocacy; and direct investments in protection programs and activities to deliver an unsurpassed level of care for a Lake unrivaled in its beauty and cleanliness.
Watch our new and wildly well-received film on the challenges facing our Lake and why we need you to become a Lake Protector.
In 2021, we launched the most ambitious and, potentially, most meaningful protection program in our history — calling on property owners, businesses and organizations across the Lake George watershed to declare themselves “Lake Protectors” and take direct protective actions on their properties to address the Lake’s greatest threats: stormwater and wastewater pollution, invasive species, and excessive winter road salt use. This growing community of Lake Protectors will dramatically increase and accelerate our protection progress, as is so urgently needed in this time of unprecedented and escalating threats.
Also in 2021, the LGA and our Council of Business Advisors, supported by more than 100 businesses from across the watershed, published the Business Compact on the Economic Imperative of Protecting Lake George. Through this document, business leaders affirmed the vital role Lake George plays in the economy of our entire region and pledged their commitment to direct protective actions and public policy advocacy in support of the Lake’s legendary water quality.
Our groundbreaking new protection programs will augment the many Basin-wide protection programs founded by the LGA itself or in partnership with a multitude of public- and private-sector partners. These include the Lake George Septic Initiative and SafeSepticSystems.org, the Lake George Road Salt Reduction Initiative, the Lake George Mandatory Boat Inspection Program, and the West Brook Conservation Initiative for stormwater protection.
Founded in 1885 as the first lake conservation organization in the country, the LGA merged with The FUND for Lake George in 2021 in an historic collaboration of expertise and resources to address unprecedented and dramatically escalating water quality threats. We educate, inspire and empower all who love the Lake to take the personal protective actions necessary to keep this unique natural treasure clear and clean for generations to come.
In partnership with families, businesses and governmental entities throughout the watershed, We Protect Lake George, Together!