The Stromberg Family Challenge has been met!

When the LGLC purchased two properties totaling 48 acres within the Indian Brook and Northwest Bay Conservation Initiative in 2022, the Stromberg family presented a matching challenge of up to $50,000 to help us raise the funds necessary to complete the projects.

We are pleased to report that the Challenge has been met, and these properties are now complete! Our many thanks to the Stromberg family and the donors who contributed toward these projects and the Challenge.

At the end of 2022, the LGLC added two new properties to the portfolio of protected lands within the Indian Brook & Northwest Bay Conservation Initiative. Together, these properties protect 48 acres of land that includes 3,745 feet of Indian Brook and seasonal streams and 5 acres of wetlands that serve to filter and cleanse water before flowing into Lake George.

These projects build on the overall impact of the Indian Brook & Northwest Bay Conservation Initiative; since our first conservation project in 1990, the LGLC and its partners have permanently conserved a total of 2,520 acres that are crucial to keeping Indian Brook and Northwest Bay clean.

As one of Lake George’s largest tributaries, Indian Brook delivers millions of gallons of water into Northwest Bay each year. Healthy and intact forests, streams, and wetlands are essential for filtering and cleaning water before it reaches the lake.

Town zoning would allow for residential and commercial development on the site, which would be visible from the lake and surrounding lands. In its natural and undeveloped state, the land will continue to slowly filter and clean rainwater and runoff from upland storm events, before the water reaches the lake. In addition to protecting the water quality of the lake, this project will also provide public educational and recreational opportunities, and will protect precious habitat and scenic views.

  • A small stream running through a wooded area, with rocks and trees in the background. The stream is clear and the water is flowing smoothly.
  • A beaver-chewed tree lays on the ground in front of a pond. Green conifers are reflected on the water.
  • Osprey by William Adamczak
  • An older gentelamn looks over the top of a hill towards Lake George in the distance.

Indian Brook & Northwest Bay Conservation Initiative

The Indian Brook & Northwest Bay Conservation Initiative focuses on protecting the land that protects the water quality of Indian Brook, one of the top eight tributaries of Lake George.

The majority of the water in Lake George comes directly off the land in the watershed through streams. Over 141 streams flow into Lake George, making up 55% of the water that enters the Lake. Two-thirds of this stream-flow comes from just eight tributaries. The watersheds of these top eight tributaries make up almost half of the terrestrial watershed (44%).

This Initiative is a long-term effort by the LGLC to work with willing landowners to protect important and sensitive land within the 7,500-acre Indian Brook watershed, which empties into Lake George’s Northwest Bay. The results of this effort will allow the land to continue doing what it does best—naturally filter and control the quantity and quality of the millions of gallons of water that flow into Lake George.