You might think a clump of weeds gathered at the back of a boat after a day of fun and sun on a nearby lake is nothing remarkable. But there are plenty of folks who make targeting such hitchhikers their job.
Such clumps are most likely Eurasian watermilfoil, a particularly invasive species present in Saratoga Lake and many other waters in the region, including Lake George.
“Eurasian watermilfoil is present throughout New York,” said John Bennett, pesticide program manager for the state Department of Environmental Conservation. He added that sources for species like the milfoil go back to Europe and Asia.
Saratoga Lake is home to the milfoil, zebra mussels and curly leaf pond weed — all species the DEC would like to keep from spreading. The presence of an invasive species can have a number of effects on an ecosystem, including displacing or stifling native species.
To help control the spread of these invaders and to inform boaters of their presence, organizations like Saratoga Lake Protection and Improvement District (SLPID) have implemented a Watershed Stewardship Program. Theirs is contracted through Paul Smith’s College in Brighton and was started in2009.
“SLPID has done an integrated approach, tried to educate users and boaters and work together to prevent the spread of invasive species,” said Bennett.
Saratoga Lake is the southernmost body of water included in the Watershed Steward Program, which is directed by Eric Holmlund of Paul Smith’s College.
Stewards at Saratoga Lake include Cody Rickman and Greg Redling. They monitor boats entering and exiting the lake at the state boat launch off the Route 9P bridge and collect data that are later submitted to the program director. Data are later shared with the Lake Champlain Watershed Program.
Most of the invasive species grow in the littoral zone, or “the zone of light” according to Redling.
“Wherever light can still reach down to the plants, it can grow. It’s definitely a shallow area and depends a lot on turbidity (water clarity).”Typically, the littoral zone is sandy and is up to 12 feet deep.
“We want to know how many people are taking steps to clean their boats because of invasive species. That gives us an idea of where we need more education. We’re recording the type of watercraft, if they take preventative measures, what those measures are and where they came from. It’s a priority to look at boats that have come from Lake George, because Lake George has bigger problems than we have here,” said Redling.
Redling and Rickman greet boaters as they approach the launch and perform a “courtesy inspection.” Usually, this opens dialogue about invasive species and then the pair can point out spots on boats and trailers likely to be carrying the pests.
Popular areas for the buggers to hide include “any sharp metal edges like license plates and crossbars,” according to Rickman.
“If they haven’t talked with us here, they’ll say ‘I was just at Lake George last week and we talked with stewards there.’ … Even if lakes aren’t part of the program, they’re having their own stewards and come up (to Paul Smith’s College) for the training,” said Rickman.
The tracking of boat traffic in and out of the lake gives scientists the ability to “connect the dots,” said Rickman. From there they can construct a map with Saratoga Lake at the center depicting travel among the lakes.
“If something shows up here, it helps track the movement of anything that might be traveling on boats,” said Rickman.
The stewards also ask boaters where they’ve been and if they clean their live wells and bilges (sub-floor areas on the boat that takes on water). Many may not be aware of just how small zebra mussel larvae are, for example.
“Essentially, you’re taking in water while you’re out on the lake and you don’t know what’s in that water. Larvae from zebra mussels are almost microscopic … if you do not drain your live well after coming out and you go to another lake, in that bucket compartment in the boat you can be storing larvae from zebra mussels,” said Redling.
Rickman said they ask boaters what other waters they’ve traveled within a two-week time period prior to visiting Saratoga Lake. Most invasive species can survive two weeks and then re-sprout in other lakes.
While managing all invasive species present in Saratoga Lake is at the root of the stewardship program, controlling Eurasian watermilfoil specifically has been a top priority for many years according to Lori Severino, press officer for NYSDEC.
“Mechanical harvesting was funded through SLPID for many years, and in the late 2000s the management focus shifted to the use of aquatic herbicides. A portion of the lake was treated with Sonar (fluridone) in 2007,and with Renovate (triclopyr) in 2009 and 2010. … These treatments significantly reduced the Eurasian watermilfoil levels while largely maintaining the native plant populations,” said Severino in a statement.
Al McCauley is SLPID’s commissioner representing Saratoga Springs. He said that the organization operates on a four-year cycle to address the milfoil that involves harvesting.
“It’s like cutting the grass. … We do one-third, one-third, one-third and then a spot check. This year we’re at the spot check point of the cycle,” said McCauley.
Rickman and Redling are generally on duty at the boat launch every day from 7 a.m. through 4 p.m. and are willing to answer any questions boaters may have.
Rickman, 21, of Ballston Spa graduated in May from SUNY ESF (Environmental Science and Forestry) with a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science. Redling, 20, of Waterford is entering his junior year at Paul Smith’s College where he is studying Natural Resource Management and Environmental Studies.
