May 1, 2017 LGLC Indian Brook/Northwest Bay Initiative Aims to Protect Key Tributaries of Lake George

For Immediate Release: May 1, 2017

Bolton Landing, NY – The Lake George Land Conservancy (LGLC) has launched a long term effort to protect key properties within the watershed of Indian Brook and a portion of the watershed of Northwest Bay Brook.  The Indian Brook/Northwest Bay Initiative is a long-term effort designed to work with willing landowners within the project areas to acquire land and conservation easements that are vital to protecting water quality and important habitat, creating recreational opportunities, and keeping viewsheds intact.

In December of 2016, the Lake George Land Conservancy purchased a 159-acre property in Bolton that includes Wing Pond and about 750 feet of a tributary that flows into Northwest Bay. Other completed projects in this region include a 95-acre conservation easement on Federal Hill Road in 1990; the 500-acre Amy’s Park in 2012; and the 115-acre Godwin Preserve and 130 acres purchased from SUNY Albany, both protected in 2016. All of these properties contribute to the community’s overall health, as they provide protection of wetlands and stream corridors, and increase opportunities for the public to access these beautiful lands.

The LGLC is currently working with a willing landowner to purchase a conservation easement on approximately 36 acres off of New Vermont Road and within the watershed of Indian Brook. Once completed, the easement will protect nearly 5,000 linear feet of stream corridor and associated wetlands on Indian Brook.

“Each individual project takes a great deal of time to research, negotiate, and fund—in most cases years of work are involved,” said LGLC Executive Director Jamie Brown. “The overall Initiative will be comprised of many individual projects similar those most recently completed. For us to ensure that we protect this area vital to water quality, habitat, open space and recreation, the LGLC will be working on projects within this Initiative for many years to come.”

The inspiration for the Initiative came from a discussion with a group of local citizens who were concerned about the health of Indian Brook. Water quality was one of the prime concerns of the group, particularly high sediment levels that have resulted in a large delta at the outlet of the stream.

Studies indicate that although Indian Brook is showing some impacts from development and other human activity, the watershed is still below the threshold of containing less than 10% of impervious surface, which is an indicator of overall health. Much of the watershed’s sensitive land is currently unprotected, however, leaving water quality vulnerable.

To address this issue, the LGLC is working with willing landowners to protect sensitive lands while ensuring that landowners can continue to use and develop their land in sustainable ways.

“If we fail to act now,” continued Brown, “we may lose the opportunity to make a lasting impact on the land that protects the lake.”

The LGLC is actively fundraising for the most recent projects undertaken within the Initiative. The purchase of Wing Pond was made possible with a low-interest loan from a conservation lender. The soon-to-be-purchased conservation easement, remaining loan payments on the SUNY Albany and Godwin properties, stewardship expenses, and transaction costs for all of these projects have an estimated total cost of $665,000.

More information about this Initiative and other current projects at www.lglc.org/land-conservation/current-projects.

###