News

The Jefferson Project at Lake George — a groundbreaking collaboration between IBM Research, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and The FUND for Lake George — is expanding its statewide leadership role in the study of harmful algal blooms and other water-quality threats this summer with a new $1-million research project on Chautauqua Lake in Chautauqua County, made possible through funding from Chautauqua Institution and a county coalition. The new research complements The Jefferson Project’s foundational research program on Lake George in Warren County, now in its eighth year.

In a historic and inspiring show of support for the future of Lake George protection, the members of the Lake George Association have overwhelmingly approved the merger of the LGA with The FUND for Lake George to create a new, preeminent Lake protection organization.

With unprecedented threats confronting Lake George’s legendary water quality, the Lake George Association (LGA) and The FUND for Lake George are responding decisively — by joining forces.

The FUND for Lake George has unveiled a new documentary, “Road Map to Road Salt Reduction: Success Stories from Lake George.”

Thanks to a $15,630 grant to the Lake George Association from the Lake Champlain Basin Program, a longstanding issue with polluted stormwater is going to be solved this year.

LGA Project Manager Randy Rath was named 2020 Conservationist of the Year by the Warren County Soil and Water Conservation District.

The recent discovery of the first confirmed Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) on the Queen of American Lakes demands increased coordination, closer collaboration and a science-based investigation to determine the cause, as well as to prioritize planned projects and to identify preventive actions.

The LGA and our partners spent two weeks cleaning out six major sediment basins – which have returned to capturing sediment and polluted stormwater and are continuing to protect Lake George’s water quality.

With the troubling discovery of the first significant hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA) infestation in the Lake George watershed, a consortium of private and public sector organizations has formed the Save Our Lake George Hemlocks Initiative with the goal of identifying future infestations sooner to limit the extent of the invasive species’ spread in the watershed and the larger region.

Direct, actual protection of Lake George’s water quality means many different things, including creating new ponds to capture and clean polluted stormwater.

Polluted stormwater isn’t just a problem in developed areas around the Lake. Recently LGA staff worked with the Town of Putnam’s Highway Superintendent, Gary Treadway, to implement a solution that stems the flow of polluted stormwater and protects the Lake’s water quality.

Expanding on its leading role in protecting Lake George from failing and aging septic and wastewater treatment systems, The FUND for Lake George today unveiled a new basinwide program dedicated to equipping and empowering property owners to ensure every private septic system in the basin is performing as needed to keep the Lake clean and healthy.

The Jefferson Project at Lake George is making real-time water quality and weather data from its unprecedented scientific monitoring and research program available directly to the public through a new digital Data Dashboard at jeffersonproject.live.

The FUND for Lake George issued the following statements praising Governor Cuomo’s announcement that New York State will provide an additional $9.4 million to the Village of Lake George for replacement of its failing wastewater treatment plan, making possible the single most important Lake George protection project in generations.

Warren County and the Town of Hague have earned the Sustainable Winter Management (SWiM^®) Program certification for reducing the use of road salt — and its runoff into Lake George and other waterways — while maintaining safe driving conditions.

The FUND for Lake George and Lake George Waterkeeper have completed a major assessment of near-shore systems on behalf of the Town of Lake George, identifying 10 areas of the Town deserving of priority attention, and offering a series of recommendations for preventive or corrective actions.