News From Mark Granger, President of the Schroon Lake Association

Well, folks, Spring is here and the SLA is ready! For 106 years, the Schroon Lake Association has helped to protect the waters we all love.  We are writing to Members and Non-Members alike to ask for your help this year by either renewing your membership or joining the SLA and contributing to our organization.

The work of the Schroon Lake Association is supported by membership dues, donations, and the proceeds from our annual Arts & Crafts Fair in addition to the Hornbeck Boat raffle.  We continue to work closely with ESSLA, PLA, Warren, and Essex Counties and the towns of Schroon, Chester, and Horicon.

In 2017, the SLA will be performing a number of incredibly important lake management activities. 
Six SLA activities with the most impact will be:

New Boat Decontamination Station: We are joining with the PLA and ESSLA to provide the Town of Schroon with a Northern Boat Decontamination, which will more completely protect boats entering northern Schroon Lake and Paradox Lake-all part of the Schroon/Paradox Watershed.

Water Quality Analysis - in the north and south basins as well as the lake’s outlet and most of the tributaries.  The final report will include data from the Citizens Statewide Lake Assessment Program in which SLA volunteers participate in a lake monitoring program in partnership with the NYSDEC and the NYS Federation of Lake Associations

Phytoplankton Sampling – of this primary food source for many aquatic species from both the north and south lake basin will be obtained in order to update the 20+ year old database and give us a long-term view of the health of our lake

Zooplankton Sampling – information on these microscopic crustaceans which inhabit lakes, ponds and rivers will also be obtained from the north and south basins rounding out the overall health of the Schroon Lake watershed

Invasives Inspections - in order to monitor suspect areas of the lake for invasives, the SLA privately contracts with 2 representatives from Warren County Soil and Water to perform recon 

Lake Stewards – the SLA and the Town of Schroon share in the expenses of having lake stewards at the Town’s boat launch. These stewards not only inspect boats for invasives, but also hand out educational materials to educate boaters on how to keep our lake pristine

Our fundraising drive for the Boat Decontamination Station and for our membership renewals starts in May. Your Membership Dollars help us do many of the things listed above. The Boat Decontamination Station will enable us to completely clean and eradicate invasives on boats before launching them into Schroon and Paradox Lakes.  It is the only way we can prevent animal invasives like zebra mussels, Asian clams, and hydrilla from entering and destroying Schroon and Paradox Lakes. These invasives are located in Lake George and Lake Champlain in addition to many southern NY lakes and in Vermont as well. SLA, ESSLA and the PLA are working together to add this station to the one on the southern end of Schroon Lake, in Horicon.
 
We need to protect our watershed NOW! The station will cost $24,000.00 and its operation about $12,000.00 a year. If we don’t put it in place, the resulting invasives will cost millions of dollars to fight. “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!” Please give what you can.
 
Please note the following dates for 2017: 
Hobie Cat Regatta – June 17-1
Joint Educational and Entertainment Program featuring Carl Heilman and Dan Berggren- July 7;48th Arts & Crafts Fair – July 15
Annual State of the Lake Meeting at the Boathouse – August 18.
 
Please note that we are also planning a social event for Saturday May 20th. Details coming soon. 
 
Thanks to the continuing generosity of Peter Hornbeck, we are again doing our Hornbeck Boat Raffle. We are selling 300 tickets at $20/each. Twenty dollars gives you a 1 in 300 chance of winning a $1700 boat. Tickets are on sale at the Glens Falls National Bank in Schroon and from SLA Board Members.
 
Watershed- you will hear us use this word a lot now and in the future. The waters of Schroon and Paradox Lakes, the northern and southern Schroon Rivers, and the many ponds and streams connected to them create a huge WATERSHED. This is amongst the largest in the Adirondacks. Let’s protect it. The SLA, PLA and ESSLA are working together with YOU to do this.
 
If you have any questions, would like to volunteer for any of our activities, would like to become a director of the SLA, or if you find anything in the lake that might be an invasive species please contact me or the SLA  by clicking here. Thank you for your time, donations, and continued membership that support the Lake we all love!
 
Sorry for the long message- lots going on. I hope to see you soon.


Mark S, Granger
Mark S. Granger, President
The Schroon Lake Association
Protecting the Schroon Lake Watershed since 1911

GRANGER LEGAL CONSULTING
mgranger@mgrangerlaw.com
www.mgrangerlaw.com