LAKE DODGES ENVIRONMENTAL BULLET – SAVED BY STEWARDS
Fran Rotunno Fish
On July 29th, watercraft inspectors from the Adirondack Watershed Institute, found what appeared to be Hydrilla on the trailer of a Personal Watercraft that was going to be launched into upper Saranac Lake. Paul Smith’s College’s Adirondack Watershed Institute confirmed the approximately twelve-inch strand was hydrilla. The owner reported that the PWC and trailer had last been in the Potomac River in Maryland.
Hydrilla, commonly known as Eurasian Milfoil on steroids can grow up to an inch a day and it forms floating mats of vegetation on the water surface that can become so dense that they block recreational activities such as boating, paddle boarding, kayaking, canoeing and swimming. The resulting change in a body of water impacts recreational use of the water and as a result impacts the economy that the body of water supports. To paraphrase an article written by Paul Torrisi last year ….if you think Milfoil is bad, hope that you never see Hydrilla in Skaneateles Lake!
This close call in the Adirondacks SUPPORTS the need for every dollar that the Skaneateles Lake Association has put into having our Invasive Species Monitoring Stewards at launches on Skaneateles Lake.
This close call SUPPORTS the decision of the Board of Directors of the Skaneateles Lake Association to expand the “season” for our Stewards so that we start them in April and keep them in place through October or longer. The expansion of the Steward “season” is being made possible this fall and spring by a grant from the Central New York Community Foundation.
Hopefully, in order to continue the expansion of the Steward “season”, this close call, SUPPORTS a clear understanding of the importance of membership in the SKANEATELES LAKE ASSOCIATION on the part of all those who live on the lake; boat, swim, kayak, sail or paddle the lake; fish the lake; drink the lake water; are in a business that thrives because of the lake and those who just l the lake.
Hopefully, this close call SUPPORTS a decision for every single one of them to go to SkaneatelesLake.org and join TODAY.
Please thank the following members whose additional donations in 2016 funded our 2017 workplan as sponsors of the two Milfoil Boats, an Invasive Species Monitoring Steward or contributors to the Hardy Fund which also supports our Steward Program.
Milfoil Boat Co-sponsors: Donna & Raymond Kurlak, Merrily & Gerhart Heyer, Camille & Thomas Porter,
Steward Sponsors: JoDean & Timothy Orcutt, Merrily & Gerhart Heyer, William Gilbane, Laura & Sean O’Keefe, Joanne Viggiano & Kenneth Cannon, Maria & Paul Christou.
Hardy Fund Contributors: Margaret Sennett, Barbara & Robert Amsler, Janet & Lawrence Ruston, Janet & Dennis Stratton, Mary & Ed Blum, The Kelly Family.
Please thank the following members whose additional donations in 2017 have funded our 2017 workplan as sponsors of our Invasive Species Monitoring Stewards: Katherine Cogswell & Walter Benson, Dessa & William Bergen, Martha & William Cole, Barbara & William Dean, Fouad & Michael Dietz, Marilyn & D. W. Edington, Lisa Letizia & Paul Floreck, Joanna & Gianfranco Frittelli, Louise & Robert Ganley, Jacqueline & Charles Giancola, Marie & Joseph Grasso, The Hardy Family, Sheila Hemami, Patty & Jim Hertz, Jean Shook & Chris Johnson, Beverly & David Jones, Ann Kilian, Jonathan Lee, The Mandana Barn (Heather & Tim Carroll), Nancy & James Marquardt, Mary Marshall, Alison Rutter & David Mayhew, Scott McClurg, Elaine & Mathew Medwid, Patricia Orr, Christine & Robert Pierce, Karen Yuhas & Kevin Riley, Pam & Ed Riley, Joanne Dusel & Scott Sayles, Kristopher Scholl, Julie Scuderi, Cynthia & Nicholas Signorelli, Helen & Keith Simonelli, Deborah & James Tifft, Mary & Paul Torris, Jean & John Vincent, Racquel & James Vlassis, Jen & Bill Warning, Jo & Bob Werner.:
Source: Skaneateles Press