The Upper Saranac Foundation’s (USF) dive team has completed its early-season aquatic invasive species (AIS) management efforts at Fish Creek Campground, removing over 1,300 pounds of invasive Eurasian and variable-leaf watermilfoil.
This work is part of USF’s Fish Creek AIS Management Project, supported by a $19,000 grant from the Lake Champlain Basin Program (LCBP) and the New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission. These funds expand USF’s successful AIS management program to a critical headwater area of the Saranac watershed, protecting both public and private lands from downstream spread.
While USF has managed AIS at Fish Creek since 2016, this is the first time LCBP grant funding has been awarded specifically for the campground. The additional resources enable more rigorous efforts to address the spread of invasive plants from upstream sources—a key strategy in safeguarding Upper Saranac Lake.
“Every invasive plant we remove here makes the Upper Saranac watershed healthier,” says Bryce Davison, USF dive-team lead. “This grant lets us dive more often and target expanded AIS patches upstream.”
The project is part of USF’s broader watershed protection approach, integrating prevention, monitoring, control, outreach, and education. Fish Creek Campground—a popular recreational hub with over 350 campsites and direct access to Upper Saranac Lake—is a high-risk point for AIS spread. With thousands of visitors and nearly all campsites offering direct water access, proactive management is essential here to prevent the infestation of uninvaded waterbodies.
USF has a strong track record in AIS control, supported by past LCBP grants, including transforming Upper Saranac Lake from a waterbody once dominated by Eurasian watermilfoil into one where it is now a rarity. Similarly, at Follensby Clear Pond—another Upper Saranac tributary—USF removed over 8.65 tons of AIS over the last six years. These efforts have become national models for effective, science-based aquatic plant management.
LCBP grants have also supported the Adirondack Watershed Institute’s Watershed Steward Program, which works in tandem with USF to inspect watercraft, educate boaters, and perform high-risk decontaminations using USF’s hot-water pressure decontamination unit.
Thanks to the support of this grant, USF can continue protecting the watershed’s long-term health, safeguarding biodiversity, property values, and recreation-based economies. The USF dive team will return in September, after peak summer use in the campground, to continue this vital work.
Learn more about the Upper Saranac Foundation’s AIS Fish Creek management program.
