A near four-month long project to replace and enlarge the Spider Creek passage has come to a close.
Spider Creek is the outlet of Follensby Clear Pond that flows under Route 30, just north of the Fish Creek Public Campground. The creek is a tributary to Lower Fish Creek Pond and, eventually, Upper Saranac Lake.
The old culvert was replaced with a 19-foot-wide cement channel. The widening of the culvert — the previous structure was just six feet wide — helps to mitigate upstream flooding issues, allowing the pond to access its floodplain without being precluded by the road.
The Upper Saranac Foundation assisted with the development of the work plan, consulting on strategies for mitigating the flow of aquatic invasive species (AIS) downstream, out of Follensby Clear Pond and toward Lower Fish Creek Pond.
While USF manages AIS in Fish Creek Pond, it currently does not harvest invasives from Follensby Clear Pond. It is a concern, however, as we’ve monitored increased AIS growth in Follensby Clear Pond; fragmentations floating out through this tributary will have an impact on AIS management successes downstream.
