Watershed Stewardship Program: Summary of Programs and Research, 2013
Adirondack Watershed Institute
Eric Holmlund, Kathleen Wiley, Stephanie Korzec, Jacqueline McCabe, Kimberly Hahn, Christopher Broccoli, Timothy Grossman, Paul Garrison, Skyler Wysocki, Celia Evans, Daniel Kelting, Martin Serwatka, Derek Scott, Megan O’Reilly, William Martin, & Zachary Simek
Aquatic invasive species (AIS) continue to be a great concern all across the Adirondack region, demanding increasing attention and resources from communities and agencies far and wide. The Watershed Stewardship Program (WSP) is part of coordinated efforts at the local, regional and statewide levels to arrest the spread of AIS. The Adirondack Watershed Institute (AWI) works year-round with partner organizations, communities and government agencies to understand and manage a range of environmental quality issues through research and education. 2013 was the fourteenth field season for the AWI’s WSP.
2013 highlights:
Clean, Drain, Dry! AWI WSP Stewards covered 22 lakes and ponds this season sharing the message of “Clean, drain, and dry your watercraft before and after use!”
New Tech! This season the AWI WSP Stewards used iPads and an electronic survey for data collection at boat launches, making for much more accurate and easy data collection compared with paper survey forms.
New Boat! The AWI purchased a Carolina Skiff, the Watersheld, for AIS monitoring and to launch its very own floating classroom program.
Political Outreach! Public officials such as Governor Andrew Cuomo, Congressman Bill Owens, and NYS DEC Commissioner Joseph Martens took the time to stop and see what the AWI was all about.
Turning up the heat on milfoil! AWI WSP Science Director Dr. Celia Evans and stewards conducted research on the effects of a warming climate on the growth of three species of watermilfoil.
Round-up of accomplishments, by the numbers:
AWI WSP Stewards confirmed and removed 503 AIS.
Stewards educated 38,776 visitors and inspected 19,292 watercraft at boat launches.
The AWI WSP funded 23 full-time stewards and 2 part-time stewards.
The AWI WSP was funded by 4 lake associations, 1 tax district, 1 federal agency, 1 private foundation, and 1 college.
22 lakes and ponds were covered by AWI WSP Stewards this season.
With 94 waterbodies in the Adirondack Park confirmed for AIS there are still 235 waterbodies that are clean and need protection!
This is just a sample of the of the work at the WSP. What else have we been up to, and what is to come? Read on to find out!
