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Lake User’s
Guide
We are
extremely fortunate to have access to four of the more beautiful lakes
in the Adirondacks. Working together, we can keep them that way. The
Lake Pleasant Sacandaga Association (LPSA) is a local organization which
has a goal of monitoring the lakes and working toward maintaining the
lakes’ high water quality. The following is some information about our
lakes and some suggestions of ways to keep our lakes beautiful.
The LPSA
has been monitoring the water quality of our lakes for many years. In
conjunction with the NYSDEC Citizens Statewide Lake Assessment Program (CSLAP),
we have been collecting water samples, which DEC then analyzes for a
variety of water quality parameters. CSLAP samples were collected from
1987 through 1991, and we have just finished our second sampling period
which started in 1997. In addition to the CSLAP sampling, the Hamilton
County Soil and Water District (HCSWCD) has been sampling about 20
Hamilton County lakes for the last few years. Data from these studies
and other information gathered by LPSA indicate that our lakes continue
to have very good water quality.
Many
different parameters can indicate good water quality. Water clarity in
our lakes is above the average of the Hamilton Co. lakes sampled by the
HCSWCD. The CSLAP data show that there has been no significant decrease
in water clarity since 1987. Phosphorus levels, which are important in
controlling algal populations, are also low and stable. The acidity of
our lakes fluctuates around neutrality (pH 7+) and is less acidic
than the average of other county lakes, and it has also been stable over
time. The water clarity, phosphorus levels and chlorophyll levels
(algae) of our lakes are better than the average of the other lakes
statewide classified AA (one of the highest natural lake
classifications) by the NYSDEC. So we are fortunate to be living on two
of the most desirable lakes in the state. The challenge is to keep them
that way.
There are
two major threats to water quality in our natural lakes--nutrient
loading and invasive species:
Nutrients (such as phosphorus) can come from many sources, and they
will increase algal growth and decrease water clarity. The most common
source in developed recreational lakes is poorly functioning septic
systems. Make sure that your system has been tested for leaks and is
properly maintained. The LPSA has been concerned for years about
Moffitt’s Beach campsite, which deposits its treated sewage directly
into Sacandaga Lake. We have expressed our displeasure with this
arrangement to DEC, and have supported a plan to connect the campsite to
the Speculator sewage treatment plant. Another source of nutrients is
lawns adjacent to the lakes. Natural vegetation acts as a trap for
nutrients, however lawns, especially fertilized lawns, tend to
contribute nutrients to a lake. It is a good idea to minimize the area
of lawns around a lake and maintain a strip of natural vegetation
between the lawn and the water to retain the nutrients leached from a
lawn.
The
largest threat to lakes in recent years has been the introduction of
invasive species of plants and animals. Many of you have heard of
Eurasian watermilfoil. This plant has expanded its range into New York
in the last few decades and has created havoc where is has become
established. It forms dense, impenetrable stands in water from 3 to
about 15 feet deep, clogging swimming areas and boating lanes. Saratoga
Lake spends over $50,000 per year to harvest this weed and is losing the
battle. Once it becomes established in a lake, it is impossible to
eradicate it, only to control it to some degree at tremendous cost. LPSA
has hired a professional Lake Manager to survey our lakes, and so far
our lakes do not contain this plant. One of the major goals of the LPSA
is to keep it out.
The most
common means of milfoil introduction is by boats travelling from lakes
containing this weed. Small fragments of plant adhering to a boat or
trailer can establish the plant in a new lake. Therefore, make sure
that your boats and your guest’s boats are free of weeds before you put
them into our lakes. The LPSA has placed warning signs at all the
boat ramps leading to the lakes, and has requested that Moffitt's Beach
be more aggressive in warning boaters at their ramps. Aside from
milfoil, zebra mussels and other invasive plants can also be stopped at
boat ramps, so please help us by insisting that boats be clean before
introducing them into our lakes. For more on these invasive
species, click here.
In spite
of our efforts to control the introduction of these species into our
lakes, it is still possible that they can enter the lakes. We would
appreciate it if you would keep an eye out for these species, and we
have provided a short description and diagram of some of the more
problematic species on an attached page. If you find any of them,
collect a sample in a plastic bag, refrigerate it and contact Peter
Tobiessen, Chair of the Environment Committee, LPSA, at the following
phones:
Home
393 0477
Work 388 6028, or e-mail
tobiessp@union.edu
If we can
locate the weeds before they spread widely, we have a good chance at
control.
If
you have any questions, feel free to contact me. |
