AIS removed from the Fish Creek Containment Booms (May 2020)
Even though the world has changed for all of us in the last few months, the Upper Saranac Foundation (USF) is continuing its commitment to maintain and protect the pristine beauty of Upper Saranac Lake and the surrounding watershed.
USF is happy to report that we will continue to provide the full range of our efforts as we have in past years to achieve our mission — in accordance with the guidelines of NY PAUSE.
USF will continue to address the threat of aquatic invasive species (AIS) entering our watershed by supporting Watershed Stewards at launches and the watercraft decontamination station. In addition, we will further our AIS Prevention Partnership Program with an increased education and outreach campaign. Management efforts will include annual harvesting of milfoil on Upper Saranac Lake with expanded efforts upstream into the lake’s tributaries, preventing additional AIS introductions.
USF will continue working with our partner at the Paul Smith’s College Adirondack Watershed Institute, conducting ongoing research and water quality monitoring. The most recent Water Quality Update can be found here.
During this time of social distancing, in order to enhance and share information concerning the watershed and activities of the USF, we are expanding our outreach through social media, weekly news feeds, and the enhancement of our website, usfoundation.net.
Bathymetric mapping of the lake bottom (April / May 2020)
We will also continue to maintain and monitor the Bartlett Carry Dam as we work with our engineers to craft a comprehensive plan for additional necessary repairs and improvements to the structure over the next few years. This additional work is imperative: it will provide confidence to our organization that the dam will be structurally sound and secure for generations to come. The dam serves the vital needs of maintaining a consistent lake level for boating and the value of our waterfront properties. Current lake water levels can be found here.
It is impossible to know the course of COVID-19 or the impact it will have on our lives in the near or distant future. We are confident, however, that with your ongoing support, Upper Saranac Lake will continue to be a very special place of beauty and solitude that we can share and cherish together with family and friends for many years to come.