Schroon Lake Steward on the lookout for Eurasian Millfoil at the town dock, Summer, 2011

Work has began at various locations on the lake to remove beds of Eurasian Milfoil, with experts snorkeling and diving to remove the invasive by hand.

And the Town of Schroon has recently filled two vacant positions in its lake steward program, Town Manager Mike Marnell told us.

The paid volunteers will be stationed at the town boat launch from 5.30 am to 1pm weekends and holidays, to be on the lookout for the invasive on boat trailers and props, as well as educate boaters about its dangers. (Volunteers are also in place at the boat launch at Horicon and Paradox Lake)

In the Essex County portion of Schroon Lake, milfoil was removed this week  by Steve Lamere from Adirondack Ecologists from an area near Terra Alta Bay, as well as behind Clarks Island, Schroon Laker has learned.

And last week in the southern area of the lake in Warren County,  two divers from Aquatic Invasive Management (AIM) began harvesting milfoil near the Word of Life Institute. The East Shore Schroon Association says work will begin soon on removing the invasive from an area near Meadow Cove.

Milfoil was first discovered in the lake in 1995. By 2006 27 beds were identified in the lake. If left unchecked it has the ability to literally choke the life out of a lake, taking over native plants as it rapidly spreads, blanketing a lake's surface.

The Schroon Lake Association and the Town of Schroon are responsible for milfoil control in Essex County.  In Warren County that responsibility falls to the East Shore Schroon Lake Association and the towns of Horicon and Chester.