Watershed Stewardship Program: Summary of Programs and Research, 2004
Adirondack Watershed Institute
Eric Holmlund, Matthew Boss, Daniel DeScorcy, Kara Kushmerek, Erin Peterson
The Watershed Stewardship Program is a cooperative, community-based effort to conserve natural resources, including water quality, wildlife and soil, through targeted educational efforts at specific locations near Paul Smith's College. The program represents a convergence and synthesis of ideas and support from members of the Paul Smith's College faculty, New York State land management agencies, including the Department of Environmental Conservation, non- governmental environmental organizations including the Adirondack Park Invasive Plant Program and the Adirondack Cooperative Loon Program, and shore owner organizations from the St. Regis Lakes and Lake Placid.
The WSP is unique in its array of program efforts which include point-specific environmental interpretation, educational outreach, field-based invasive species monitoring and various data-collecting projects aimed at better understanding human pressures on waterways and local trails. College students and recent graduates are hired to provide an informed, high-energy, friendly presence at local boat launches and trailheads. This report is an annual effort to consolidate and report on all aspects of program activities. Much useful data is presented herein, the product of our dedicated staff’s efforts throughout the summer season.
Summer 2004 Highlights
The Watershed Stewardship Program provided educational services at northern Adirondack boat launches and the summit of St. Regis Mountain for the fifth consecutive year. This year featured continuation of efforts to monitor and control the exotic invasive plant purple loosestrife, monitor loon pairs on the St. Regis Lakes, assess invasive plant presence on Lake Placid and St. Regis Lakes, and provide educational outreach programs for area children. This year brought a resumption of trail maintenance duties on the St. Regis Mountain trail (last done in 2000), educational outreach programming at two area summer camps, a new study of coarse woody structure in the St. Regis Lakes and the development of an initial letter summarizing issues around the proposed Lake Placid boat wash station.
The primary thrust of this year’s program was once again to educate people launching watercraft at our three primary launch locations - St. Regis Lake, Upper Saranac Lake and Lake Placid - about the threat of introduced invasive species, primarily Eurasian watermilfoil (Myriophyllum spicatum) and how to minimize exposure of lakes to the threat. Stewards also compiled detailed information about the character of boat launch use, including such information as total boats launched, type of watercraft, and demographic information. Watershed Stewards also conducted a program assessment study for the second year. Stewards were stationed at the boat launches, and had other shifts on the water, climbing St. Regis Mountain, paddling kayaks to observe loons, maintaining data bases and meeting weekly to share information.
