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Starting this Memorial Day Weekend, Paul Smith’s College Adirondack Watershed Institute’s (PSC AWI) Stewardship Program will begin its work at public boat launches throughout the Adirondacks.
In partnership with NYS’s Department of Environmental Conservation, boat stewards will be assisting to CLEAN. DRAIN. DRY boats in the essential work to help protect the state’s waters from aquatic invasive species like hydrilla, water chestnut, and spiny waterflea.
In 2019, stewards talked with more than 250,000 water recreationists about aquatic invasive species and what can be done to prevent their spread. They also kept a lookout for invasive species at the waterbodies where they worked.
Please respect New York’s stewards. Stewards are the front line and help the state prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species which benefits everyone who enjoys our lakes and rivers.
Boaters are asked to do their part.
- Clean, drain, and dry your watercraft and equipment thoroughly before visiting other waterbodies.
- Inspect and remove debris and mud from boats, trailers, and equipment before and after each use.
- Dispose of all debris and bait in trash cans or above the waterline on dry land.
- Drain all water-holding compartments including live wells, bait wells, and bilge areas. If possible, disinfect with hot water (140°F) for at least 30 seconds.
- Dry boats, trailers, and all equipment before use in another water body. A minimum of 5-7 days in dry, warm conditions is recommended.
- Do not dispose of unwanted aquarium pets or bait fish in waterbodies, ditches, or canals.
Stewards will follow CDC/DOH guidelines and wear masks and practice social distancing to protect themselves and others. Boaters should arrive with boats and equipment already clean, drained, and dried and be willing to help stewards conduct inspections while maintaining social distance. Visitors should follow protocols for social distancing and wearing masks in public at the launches.
New protocol for two Lake George sites
New this year, DEC’s Mossy Point and Rogers Rock Boat Launches will be gated overnight.
The gates at the Mossy Point and Rogers Rock Boat Launches on Lake George will be closed overnight this boating season as part of the Lake George Park Commission’s (LGPC) Boat Inspection Program (https://lgpc.ny.gov/lake-
An LGPC Vessel Inspection Team will be present at Mossy Point Boat Launch from 6 am to 8 pm to inspect boats, trailers, and equipment for the presence of aquatic invasive species and to educate boaters of the importance of Clean, Drain, and Dry. The gate to the boat launch site will be closed and locked when the team leaves at night and reopened in the morning when the team returns.
A callbox is located next to the door of the Lake George Park Commission shed at each of the boat launches. Boaters who do not get off the water until after the gate is closed can use the callbox. Calls will go directly to the DEC Emergency Dispatch. A DEC Dispatcher will provide the caller with instructions for opening the gate. The callboxes were provided by the Fund for Lake George.
LGPC’s Vessel Inspection Team will be present from 5 am to 9 pm at the Mossy Point Boat Launch as the days lengthen in June. Overnight closure of the gate at the Rogers Rock Boat Launch will begin when the campground opens and Vessel Inspection Teams will start at 8 a.m.
For all the sites statewide, signs will reinforce social distance messaging specific to boating (https://parks.ny.gov/recreation/boating/).
To find locations of free boat inspections and decontamination stations around you, and to find more information in general, please visit: https://www.adkwatershed.org/stewardship/boat-wash-stations
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Who is going to enforce the rules do that our lake stays clean? I have lived in this area and some people just don’t care. It is very sad.
I’m afraid you are right there are those among us who feel that the rules were not meant for them and that they have “rights” to do whatever they please.