During his
Northern Tour of 1791, Thomas Jefferson wrote in a letter to his daughter; “Lake
George is without comparison, the most beautiful water I ever saw;
formed by a contour of mountains into a basin, finely interspersed with
islands, its water limpid as crystal, and the mountain sides covered with rich
groves of forest down to the water’s edge”. Today however, the crystal clear
water Jefferson eloquently describes is in drastic decline. While still
considered to be one of the world’s healthiest lakes regarding water quality,
high impact residential development and storm water runoff are polluting the
lake at extremely harmful levels and at ever increasing rates. With the help
of local activism, private investment, and an overall appreciation for what has
long been dubbed the “Queen of American Lakes”, the Lake George watershed has
become the site of ground breaking scientific research, and the perfect example
as to why lake side communities should mandate low impact development.
-Direct threats to the
-Nonprofits who fight/work for the lake
-Watershed projects (wetland & stream restoration)
-The Jefferson Project
-The future of the Lake
-Conclusion
This image shows the most commercialzed area of the Lake George watershed. This is Lake George village looking North. (Carl Heilman)
Lake George Village after Hurrican Irene. Many aging drainage systems were questioned and raised a great deal of concern as the entire village flooded due to heavy rainfall.(Post-Star)
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