Saratoga Lake, located within easy driving distance from the Capital District, is a popular destination for water-recreation enthusiasts. Water quality evaluation, monitored by the Department of Environmental Conservation, designates Saratoga Lake as a Class A water body, meaning the water in the lake is suitable for drinking (with the proper treatment), recreation and fishing. Location, easy access, and a healthy lake make Saratoga Lake a popular destination.

The lakefront is lined with both year-round and seasonal dwellings, the few open shoreline spaces located on Snake Hill and a swampy area located between the mouth of the Kayaderosseras Creek and the Saratoga Lake Sailing Club. The total surface area of the lake is 4,028 acres and although the shoreline in predominantly shallow with a gradual slope, there are two wells reaching depths of 55 feet near Snake Hill and 95 feet in the center of the northern section, east of Manning’s Cove. There are dense weed beds located along the gradually sloping shoreline, especially dense along the northeastern section of the lake. A weed harvesting program is in operation, and this summer, two experimental programs were administered, a weevil release and SONAR application, in order to help determine the best methods of weed control given the limited monetary resources and conditions specific to Saratoga Lake. Like a growing number of lakes, Eurasian Watermilfoil and Zebra mussels, both non-native, invasive species, have proliferated. Both invasive species are easily transported by boat, both between water bodies and within a lake, as the mussels attach to hulls and motors of boats, the veligers (young mussels) are easily transported by water. Fragments of milfoil are carried when they get caught up in the boat propellers.

Weed proliferation peaked during the 1970’s and has steadily been improving since the installation of the Saratoga County Sewer District around the lake. Special events particular to the lake attract residents of the Capital District and beyond, including a long standing YMCA Swim Marathon and rowing practices and races of local clubs and associations along Fish Creek. Fishing competitions and the fishing quality of the lake are also a large draw. The long history of recreational uses and continued popularity as seasonal residences become permanent homes, boat registration numbers grow, and an increasing population in the Capital District creates the need for a management plan for Saratoga Lake.

The land surrounding Saratoga Lake falls under the jurisdiction of four towns in Saratoga County, making land use decisions a true collaboration of efforts. Aside from the open space areas mentioned above, most of the homes sit on lots with 50 – 100 feet or more of lake frontage. The homes on the lake do not have access to public water, but rely on wells. There is a Saratoga County Sewer District available to all lakefront homes and those ¼ mile from the shoreline. Lines extend up side streets but for monetary reasons, they are not yet connected.

There is currently no regulation on the number, concentration, or size of the docks for use on Saratoga Lake

Public access includes the heavily used State Boat Launch and the marinas which offer day use launch and parking space and rent space for the season. The Saratoga Lake Sailing Club and several rowing clubs also have access to the lake, and three restaurants offer either boat access or marina facilities/dock space. There is no public beach, however there are several beach and picnic areas offered at various marinas.

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Saratoga Lake is a popular recreation spot for visitors as well as local residents as it has the capacity to support a wide variety of year round uses. During the summer months, boat use is popular. On a nice summer day, boats pulling water skiers, jet skis, pontoon boats, fishing boats, sailboats, as well as kayaks, canoes and paddleboats can be seen using the lake at the same time. Not only does Saratoga support high-speed boating, but there is also the opportunity to observe wildlife. Fishing is a popular pastime, not only in the summer time, but also in the winter and spring with ice fishing and bow hunting for carp, and as mentioned above, special interest groups utilize the lake for sailing, rowing swimming and fishing.

Saratoga Lake is relatively easy to maneuver as there are no islands and the only land obstacles that limit sight are Snake Hill, the "Ditch" and Manning’s Cove Area, and the channel near the 9P Bridge at source of Fish Creek. There are buoyed areas associated with shallow depths and the channels that are cut in the weed beds to allow for passage of boats from docks to the open center area of the lake. The area surrounding the Route 9P Bridge is also buoyed, as explained below in boating regulations.

Numerous weed beds ring the lake, associated with areas of 12 – 15 foot depths. The plants have a limited ability to grow in depths of 18 feet or more, lack of sunlight being the limiting factor, and shallow depths, as there is lake bottom disturbance from boat use, etc.

In addition to the New York State Laws governing waterways, there are some regulations specific to Saratoga Lake.

• The lake speed limit is 45 mph during the daytime and 25 mph at night. For areas 200 feet from shore, docks and piers there is a 5 mph, no wake policy. The channel 1,200 feet to either side of the Route 9P Bridge is also a 5 mph, no wake zone and buoys are in place to warn boaters.

• There is a noise regulation in place for boats with engines surpassing 75 decibels.

• In season Bow Hunting is allowed, but prohibited within 500 feet of an occupied dwelling.

• Jet skis must remain 200 feet from all objects and it is advised that there be no wake jumping, chasing of water birds, over use of any section of the lake and use of idle speed only in areas with a depth of four feet.

• The lake is patrolled by three agencies, the Saratoga County Sheriff, the Office of Parks and Recreation and the Department of Environmental Conservation. Safety and speed are the issues of primary concern.

• The Fire Department has access to the water in cases of emergency.

An important component of the Watershed Management Plan is an assessment of the health and recreational value of Saratoga Lake. These two aspects are linked as the value of a positive recreational experience can help to encourage the support of a healthy lake just as the health of a lake has a large impact on the use. The recreational capacity or lack of is part of the quality of life experience and ultimately impacts the value of real estate and perception of the lake. Early summer of 2000, a Recreational Use Study took place. Several aspects of Lake Usage were assessed, including:

• Types of surface use

• Recreational Carrying Capacity

• Facilities available to boaters and other recreators
• Possible conflicts in use of the lake
• Possible limits to recreational uses
• Law enforcement and accident reports
• Regulations on the lake
• Concerns of residents, businesses, visitors

Two methods were used in order to determine the types of surface use. One, a Boat Survey, was conducted in order to determine the peak time of day, or the hour with the heaviest boat use, approximate number of boats at a snap shot of the peak time, where and what type of use takes place, changes through the day, etc. Part of this survey included a gross boat count of all boats moored on the lake. The second aspect included a look at special uses, including uses by fishing clubs, fishing tournaments, swim competitions, sail boat races and rowing competitions. Events that may take place sporadically but may have a large draw of a certain interest group to the lake.

Interesting patterns of use surfaced as a result of the Boat Survey. To date, active boats on Saratoga Lake have been observed a total of four days, an hour each on a Tuesday, Saturday and Sunday, and six hours on one Saturday. The single hour days were observed during the suspected high use time of day – around three o’clock. Each day was sunny and warm and boaters tended to congregate in Manning’s Cove and along the bluff near 9P before Stony Point Road, were they could "park" and enjoy the water. Most of the active boating (riding of personal watercraft, water-skiing) took place in the more northern, deeper area of the lake, east of Manning’s Cove. Fishing, a popular pastime especially in the midmorning on the longer observation day, took place along the edges of the lake near the weed beds, especially around Snake Hill. Fishing boats tended to taper off as the day grew later, and the lake was taken over by faster boats.

The following bar graph illustrates the types of uses taking place over an eight hour time period July 1^st, 2000. At 12:15, approximately 65% of the boats were speed boats, pontoons are 5%, jet skis 10%, sailboats 5%, canoes 1%, and fishing boats were 14% of the boat population. Notice the shifts in types of boats during the day time such as a decrease in fishing boats from early morning hours and increase in jet skis as the day progresses.

In order to determine the peak hour of use and also to observe types of uses throughout the day, an Active Boat Survey was administered on Saturday, July 1, 2000. This day was chosen because the weather report predicted a beautiful, summer day. It was the Fourth of July holiday weekend but as the Fourth fell on a Tuesday this year, for many it was not a long vacation weekend. The idea was that this would be a high use, but not unusually high use, weekend. Boats were counted from the Bluff above South Shore Marina along Route 9P. From this viewpoint, most of the lake could be observed.

These numbers were added to the results of the count from the second viewpoint, the State Boat Launch. The State Boat Launch was visited in order to count the number of trailers carrying unknown types of boats during the day in order to establish the number of transient users of the lake. The launch was is also a good place to count the number of boats in the channel under the 9P bridge out to the main section of the lake and the use on Fish Creek

The results of this study show the peak of active boat use on Saratoga Lake to be from approximately 2:45 until 4:00 PM with a maximum of 250 boats.

Q. What is the Carrying Capacity?

A. Carrying Capacity Standards are designed to determine the maximum number of vessels that the surface of the lake can accommodate before travel becomes too congested and safety or a pleasant recreational experience is compromised. A variety of factors are taken into consideration for the creation of marine recreational carrying capacity standards including type of vessel, use and physical limitations of the waterway. Standards vary from study to study and region to region, ranging from 6 to 8 acres per boat to 15 to 40 acres per boat. For the purposes of this report, a general standard of 10 acres of Lake Surface per boat will be used. Saratoga Lake has a total surface area of 4028 acres, approximately 3,000 of which are navigable. Using the 10 acres per boat standard, this means a total of 300 boats can safely operate on the lake at one time. Results of the active boat count survey was taken on Saturday, July 1, 2000, in order to determine both the time of day with the heaviest use and the maximum number of boats on a nice, sunny day during the summer. The peak use time was found to be between the times of 2:45 and 4:00 PM with 250 boats in use, or 12 acres per boat.

The following Pie Chart represents the origin of active boats as viewed on Saratoga Lake July 1, 2000.

Q. How does Saratoga County compare to other counties in the state?

A. New York State ranks high nationally in the number of registered boats as numbers continue to increase. Saratoga County, when compared to other counties in the state, continues to have a high percentage of the total number of registered boats in New York State, significant when some of the competing counties are located in the Great Lakes Region.

Q. What is the growth trend for numbers of boats and will it impact the carrying capacity for recreation?

A. The number of boats registered in Saratoga County has increased over the last ten years even during times of limited economic expansion. This has not been a controlling factor in the increased number of boats coming to the lake.

Physical characteristics of the lake create space partitioning, or segregation of different uses, important in keeping the combination of residential boat number growth and transient boat use from surpassing the carrying capacity. Weed beds limit access of powerboats and jet skis, typically faster boats, from reaching the areas frequented by fishing boats. Manning’s Cove and the area below the bluff near the South Shore Marina are popular areas for boats to congregate. This accounts for a proportionally large number of boats counted on the lake, but not active. The problem would arise during special circumstances when all boats would suddenly be active, as in the event of a sudden thunderstorm. It is not advised that any races using the main part of the lake occur; even though carrying capacity has not been reached, Saratoga Lake is a heavily used lake throughout the day. Races that are currently held on the lake include rowing races on Fish Creek that do cross into the actual lake as far as the Waterfront Restaurant, and the annual Swim Marathon traveling the length of the lake and has been scheduled for early in the morning.

Saratoga Lake is at a critical crossroads. The current popularity of the lake puts the density of boat use at 12 acres per boat, very near to the standards set for carrying capacity. Factors that will influence lake use in the future are the high rate of boat registrations in the state and county and projected increases in population for the region surrounding Saratoga Lake. The attempts to lessen the weed beds will open more areas up for boating, but will also have an impact on fishing habitat and increase the popularity of the lake, increasing property values around the lake and daily use. There are currently no regulations in place that could control the number of boats in use on the lake. Dock densities and sizes are not regulated, there are growing marinas, and an easy access point located at the State Boat Launch.

This section is ongoing; feedback on conflicts and limits will also be addressed at the August 3^rd meeting. Preliminary steps taken to assess the available facilities, conflicts and limits on the lake include outreach to marinas, restaurants offering boat accommodation. A phone call was made and a letter was sent out to inform groups directly dependant on the lake about the Watershed Plan and the importance of their perspective on the issue. Because of their close ties to the lake, feedback is of special importance to the project. These are issues they deal with daily. This was followed by a visit in order to both meet with them directly, deliver a questionnaire to complete at their leisure, and a sign to post to warn boaters of the weevil release area, which was buoyed off. Responses to the survey were then returned and compiled, a great help in determining the characteristics of Saratoga Lake.

At the August 3^rd meeting, many issues and questions will be addressed. The following are questions to begin the brainstorming process:

Do you believe that, at times there are too many boats on Saratoga Lake?

Will a drop in level of the water effect the recreational quality of the lake?

Is there too much or too little policing on the lake? How can it be improved?

Does the lake need more public access? If so, where?

Would you like to see a special park district formed that would regulate certain activities on the lake?

Are there too many docks?

What are the impacts of recreational boats on lake quality and what measures if any should be taken in light of this?

Below is an abstract of a study from Lake and Reservoir Management: Volume III, pages 172-181 of the North American Lake Management Society, 1987.

Powerboat Engine Discharges as a nutrient source in high-use lakes, David D. Hallock and C. Michael Falter of the Department of Fish and Wildlife, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho.

Fuels for modern internal combustion engines contain nitrogen and phosphorus compounds as additives (e.g., alkyl phosphate, amine phosphate, etc.). In addition, nitrogen oxides are formed from atmospheric gases during combustion. In the case of marine engines, exhaust gases and incompletely burned fuel and oil are discharged directly into the water. In situ enclosure experiments were conducted to quantify nitrogen and phosphorus additions from two-and four-cycle outboard engines per liter of fuel consumed. The modern two-cycle outboard engine added to test tanks 8,600 mg carbon dioxide, 300 mg total nitrogen, and 1.0 mg total phosphorus per liter fuel consumed. A motorboat census was conducted on Twin Lakes, Kootenai County, Idaho, throughout the 1986 boating season and annual fuel consumption was estimated. Phosphorus and nitrogen loading to Twin Lakes from motorboat engine discharges were calculated and are low when compared to loading from other sources.