The Upper Saranac Foundation (USF) has been awarded a $19,538 grant from the Lake Champlain Basin Program (LCBP) to support ongoing aquatic invasive species (AIS) management efforts at Fish Creek Campground, a high-use area within the Upper Saranac watershed that remains a source of invasive species spread.
Now in its second year of LCBP support, the Fish Creek AIS Management Project builds on nearly a decade of active management at the campground and more than 20 years of watershed-wide AIS prevention and control efforts led by USF. The funding will support continued hand-harvesting and monitoring of invasive aquatic plants, helping reduce infestations and limit the spread of AIS into downstream Upper Saranac Lake.
USF’s long-term AIS management efforts have produced measurable results throughout the watershed. Earlier LCBP-supported projects helped transform Upper Saranac Lake from a waterbody with widespread invasive plant infestations into one where AIS are now relatively rare across more than 5,000 acres. Similar efforts at Follensby Clear Pond removed more than 8.65 tons of Eurasian watermilfoil over six years, dramatically reducing invasive plant abundance.
Fish Creek Campground remains a priority management area due to heavy recreational use and the continual introduction of invasive plant fragments from upstream sources. In 2025 alone, USF divers logged 556.5 management hours over 18 days, removing nearly 3,000 pounds of invasive aquatic plants, including Eurasian watermilfoil and variable-leaf watermilfoil.
The Fish Creek AIS Removal Project is part of USF’s broader watershed protection strategy, integrating prevention, monitoring, management, outreach, and education to help protect water quality, ecological health, and shoreline property values throughout the Upper Saranac watershed.
Funding for this initiative is provided by the Lake Champlain Basin Program and the New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission.
Learn more about the Upper Saranac Foundation’s AIS management programs:
Upper Saranac Foundation
