More Boat-Washing Stations in the Adirondacks Help Boaters and the Environment
Tuesday, June 16, 2015
By: John F. Sheehan - Adirondack Council Communications Director
Summer is almost here and you’re probably planning a trip to the Adirondack Park. If you’re like me, you can’t wait to get out on the open water in your canoe, kayak or motorboat. Thankfully, the Park has a massive network of lakes and rivers that boaters from all over North America can enjoy.
However, without even knowing it, some boaters bring hitchhikers with them in the form of alien aquatic plants and animals. These invasive species can alter and harm the Adirondack Park’s water quality, as well as native plants and wildlife.
Thankfully, boaters who want to have some fun on the Park’s lakes and rivers can also protect them from unwanted visitors. Due to some crucial regional cooperation and a special grant from the NYS Environmental Protection Fund (EPF), an Adirondack Park-wide boat inspection and decontamination plan was created. Now, there are more boat-washing stations throughout that Park where boats and trailers can be inspected for invasive species and cleaned before launching into the water.
DEC Commissioner Joe Martens at a new boat-washing station.
These stations will help stop the spread of invasives throughout the Adirondack Park, which still has relatively few of the aggressive, non-native species causing harm in other areas of New York. Local lake associations and local government officials are backing the inspection and decontamination program. After years of them spending millions of dollars to try to eradicate invasive species in local lakes, it has become clear that prevention is in everyone’s best interest.
The new boat washing stations are located along major thoroughfares, and close to popular public boat launches where people with trailer-borne boats can easily find them. Also, there will be 14 stewards staffed by the Adirondack Watershed Institute at Paul Smith’s College who are assigned to boat launches and are trained to spot and remove invasives and collect data.
According to the folks at the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), the following are new boat inspection and decontamination sites:
Open Now:
Newly Opened or Opening Soon:
Currently, the only mandatory inspection and decontamination of boats and trailers are on Lake George or Loon Lake in Warren County. If you are headed to Lake George, click HERE to find a convenient inspection station near your destination. If you are heading to Loon Lake, both the public launch and the marina are equipped to get you ready to get on to the water. I hope you are able to get out and enjoy the Adirondack Park this summer. Just remember to protect your Park from unwanted visitors! Make sure you inspect and wash your boat before you get on the water. |
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Born and raised in Troy, NY, John Sheehan is a graduate of Catholic Central High School and the State University at Albany (1985; BA). Before joining the Council's staff in 1990, John was the managing editor of the Malone Evening Telegram, just north of the Adirondack Park. Prior to that, he worked as journalist for the Troy Record, (Schenectady) Daily Gazette, Watertown Daily Times and Newsday. John is a regular guest lecturer at several New York colleges and universities, including Colgate University, Hobart & William Smith College, Hamilton College, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Union College, Siena College, SUNY Albany, SUNY Binghamton, SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (Syracuse), and SUNY Potsdam. He has also addressed dozens of local organizations including local Rotary and Kiwanis clubs and chambers of commerce, scientific societies and community forums. John and his wife Deborah live in Albany and are seasonal residents of the Adirondack Park. Their daughter Hannah attends Albany public schools. |
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