Thursday, November 1, 2001 at 7pm to present the priority recommendations from the draft Watershed Management Plan for Saratoga Lake. Following the presentation, a public hearing will be held to answer questions and accept comments about the draft plan. Copies of the Executive Summary will be available at the meeting and on the web at www.sara-lake.org. Comments on the draft will be accepted throughout the month of November.

The meeting will be held at the Ballston Spa County Complex, Cooperative Extension Auditorium, 50 West High Street, Village of Ballston Spa.

The following represent the highest priority recommendations from the Watershed Management Plan for Saratoga Lake. Each item will be discussed in depth at the meeting. The purpose is to refine these recommendations for the final draft document.

1. Invasive Species Management

Develop and implement a comprehensive management plan for nuisance non-native aquatic plant species. Include targeting nuisance species, evaluating management alternatives, implement controls to eradicate and/or prevent the spread of such species throughout the watershed. Elements of this management plan should include the following:

q Complete a professional macrophytes survey of Saratoga Lake and Fish Creek every three years to assess the density and diversity of aquatic plants.

q Declare a volunteer aquatic plant observation day on the lake and design a way to assign volunteers an observation area and a way to report their findings.

q Direct the harvester operator to acquire aquatic plant samples on various days during the summer and fall season. Samples should be sent to a contracted lab for identification and assessment of plant condition.

q Identify the area of infestation and evaluate the pattern of water chestnut growth at Saratoga Lake and adjacent waterways. Consult DEC and private contractors about preferred treatment methods. Select a treatment program that aggressively manages the water chestnut. This may include a limited area dredging program to fully remove the rootstock of the plant.

q Develop a central database for nuisance non-native aquatic species to track and monitor new invasive species, including state of the art control strategies. Establish a communication link with experts in other locations.

q Institute an educational program at the State Boat Launch and private marinas that utilizes a volunteer-based boat inspection process to assist in the control the spread of invasive species.

q Extend the harvesting season through November 15 and begin the season as early as practicable. Studies show that harvesting programs that continue late into the fall reduce plant density over the long-term.

q Improve record keeping by incorporating the use of a standard spread sheet to track daily loads of plants harvested, hours of effort and approximate location of coverage per day.

q Purchase a new harvester that has a greater capacity to increase depth and volume of materials that can be harvested. The new harvester should have either an auxiliary power unit to increase the speed of removal at off-loading point, or a transport barge which can be left in a central location on the lake to increase the efficiency of operations.

2. Overall Lake Management

Create the position of a Saratoga Lake Watershed Protection Advocate (watershed manager) to provide a consistent and professional approach in addressing management issues on a continuous basis. This individual would have responsibility of assisting SLPID with management of Saratoga Lake, such as oversight of the aquatic weed programs and water level management. Further, this individual (preferable a county employee) would be available throughout the county planning department, county EMC or soil and water district employee to assist communities on the resolution of watershed issues including recommendations in this plan, such as stream corridor protection, wetlands protection and the EPA Phase 2 stormwater controls.

Given the recent success of the Saratoga Lake Safety Committee’s initiatives, the Watershed Protection Advocate may be able to further assist with the long-term implementation of that committee’s recommendations.

3. Stormwater Management and Erosion Control

Watershed communities should adopt the model set of stream corridor protection standards provided in this document. These standards will address variable buffer zones for particular stream, wetland and shoreline conditions within the Saratoga Lake watershed. The watershed manager, if named, could assist communities implement these standards.

Communities in the watershed should also prepare and adopt stormwater management and erosion control ordinances, which contain performance standards for all types of development activities including land clearing and grading, commercial and industrial development, and shoreline disturbances. Stormwater management and erosion control plans should be submitted for all residential subdivisions and site plan review applications. Minimum application criteria should contain plan content requirements, review practices, performance standards, maintenance provisions, and enforcement methods.

Monitor point and non-point source pollution in the watershed by developing an annual tributary and stormwater outfalls inventory program to detect pollution sources. Culverts, drainage features and other stormwater devices should be located and digitized by GPS. Local governments should maintain existing retrofitting programs for storm drain systems based upon the findings of the monitoring program. Communities in the Saratoga Lake watershed should have established capital facilities accounts budgets for their retrofitting programs within their budget.

Complete an erosion control and stormwater runoff mitigation and revegetation plan for Rt. 9P along Saratoga Lake.

4. Water Quality Monitoring and Assessment

A permanent water quality-monitoring program for Saratoga Lake and adjacent streams should also be established. The annual water quality monitoring of the deep-water areas of Saratoga Lake should include complete dissolved oxygen, temperature profiles and chemical testing. Water samples from the epilimnion and hypolimnion should be taken in June, August, September and October. Monitoring parameters should include pH, conductivity, total phosphorus, reactive phosphorus, total nitrogen, nitrate, ammonia, chlorides and reactive silica, and hydrocarbons.

5. Water Supply

The watershed and the lake is capable of sustaining a safe yield withdrawal at a yet to be determined level. A safe yield volume would not jeopardize the used of the lake for recreational purposes or endanger riparian habitats.

The lake is only capable of being a source of water supply with treatment including filtration and disinfection prior to use as potable water. Water supply sources do not typically restrict recreational uses, however, some restrictions from anchoring near the intake can be expected. These restrictions are related to preventing physical damage to the intake and protection from petroleum contamination.

In order to become a source water a greater level of regional cooperation will be required. It will be necessary for the operating water company to create a cooperative management plan to monitor and influence watershed development activities including new land use, construction of on-site wastewater systems and agricultural non-point source discharges. These cooperative programs are found throughout the Finger Lakes Region and have developed after years of efforts by the involved communities.

As source water, constant monitoring of the water supply and the watershed will be the responsibility of the water supply company but will benefit all lake users by controlling nutrient runoff and moderating the impacts of eutrophication.

Any water withdrawal must fairly and fully evaluate the use of hypolimnetic (deep) water intakes. This will cause potentially higher operational costs but will export nutrient-rich water out of the lake basin. This will moderate the pace of lake water quality changes.

6. Surface Recreational Use

Considerable research on recreational use on Saratoga Lake and Fish Creek took place over the last two years. The findings were that even though the lake experienced crowding during times of good weather, the crowding appears to be somewhat self-regulating in that, under congested conditions, boat operators have navigated at prudent speeds. Areas of constant congestion do occur at the state boat launch and this condition requires steady monitoring. A potential mitigative measure would be to create buoyed upstream and downstream navigation channels from the south side of the bridge to the boat launch.

Docks do not appear to be a significant source of new boats on the lake and therefore, there is no pressing need to regulate private docks at this time. At a minimum, as a member of the lake community will comment on future expansions of marinas during the SEQRA process to assure that responsible design standards for marinas are followed. Communities around the lake should consider adoption of the marina standards that address parking, boat pump-out facilities, dock length, fairway width, the use quick launch as part of their individual land use code.

Improve police and marine patrol enforcement of existing rules and regulations. Better enforcement of Fish Creek below Stafford’s Bridge is necessary. The no-wake, 5-mph buoys should be kept in place until after all rowing events have ended in the fall. Investigate a specific time of day to implement a 5mph zone for the entire Fish Creek area. For example, from 5AM to 8AM and 4PM to 9PM for the entire area of Fish Creek from Route 9P to Stafford’s Bridge Road. Lower the speed limit on the remainder of Fish Creek to 25 mph except at times noted in above. Post a speed limit for motorized boats in the Kayaderosseras Creek and Lake Lonely. Give the public wide notification of this plan.

Coordinate activities of all enforcement entities; increase patrols in areas of high use and on weekends.

Allow the use of ATV’s on the lake during the winter months. Increase the use of signage to give notice to ice fishing shanty owners of the removal date annually. Use of lighted variable message signage may be highly effective.