There has been a flurry of activity since the DEC announced in early January a new three-year grant program for aquatic invasive species prevention, control and removal, lake management plans, and AIS research. Last fall the Caroga Town Board set up a Lake Management Committee, including Marcus Harazin and Mike Durkee, to take a broader look at lakes and streams in the Town, and also to consider applying for new grant money. Thanks to excellent work by Marcus, the Plan was developed and approved by the Town Board in early February, in time to be cited in support of two grant applications: One application, just filed, is for funding for stewards to operate the Boat Wash, and another is for the diver-assisted harvesting program to remove milfoil from the Caroga Lakes. (The new DEC grant program has separate pots of money for stewards and for AIS control/removal, so the two applications are not competing for the same pot.) DEC expects to award the grants by mid-April.
Also, after discussions among the Town, CLCA, Adirondack Watershed Institute and DEC, the Department agreed to allocate two of the AWI stewards to work in the Town, one at the West Lake Fishing Access Site and the other at the DEC Caroga Campsite (we had advocated for putting one at the Boat Wash rather than the Campsite, but DEC chose otherwise). With this in mind, we and the Town agreed that our steward and boat wash programs for next season would include another, Town-paid steward to fill out the coverage at West Lake, and also a Steward Supervisor, who would receive a stipend from the Town for managing the Town stewards and coordinating with AWI regarding their stewards. The Town will also explore with the Caroga Marina how to carry on inspections at that site.
Putting this all together, we are planning on roughly the same daily coverage at West Lake as last year (counting on our faithful volunteers to supplement the Town and AWI stewards) and similar coverage at the Boat Wash, plus a new steward at the Campsite and continued inspections at the Caroga Marina, all overseen by the new Steward Supervisor. This is the concept that the Town Board endorsed in approving the grant application just submitted, but implementation will depend on the funding available, including an eventual grant award.
For those with relatives or friends looking for summer work, AWI is actively recruiting applicants for their positions throughout the region (see www.adkwatershed.org for details), and we will be looking for our own stewards, either full-time or part-time, to work at the Boat Wash and West Lake. Pay will be $11.10/hour, applicants must be at least 18, and we prefer applicants who can work weekends and holidays from Memorial Day through Labor Day. Contact Mike Durkee for more details, either at by email (durkeeml@hotmail.com), or at 202 247 5895.
To see the new Lakes Management Plan, go to Documents at the Town website, www.townofcaroga.com.
