Lake George: Controversial Herbicide Proposal is Back
The Lake George Parks Commission is applying for a 2023 permit to use a chemical herbicide in Lake George. The Parks Commission announced their intentions on January 24, 2023, with a Letter of Notification: Proposed Invasive Plant Management Program for Blairs Bay & Sheep Meadow Bay in Lake George. The letter explained that the Lake George Park Commission is applying to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) and the Adirondack Parks Agency (APA) to use an aquatic herbicide in the spring of 2023. This herbicide would be used to control the invasive plant Eurasian watermilfoil (EWM), which is rooted at the lake bottom and has created thick, dense beds. It reduces biodiversity in the lake, and competes with native species.
Conventional control efforts – such as mechanical harvesting – have been found to be unsuccessful for providing much more than short-term relief fighting this invasive species. The manual or mechanical harvesting of the watermilfoil inevitably leads to the release of fragments, and as a result, the harvesting process itself may be responsible for spreading the plant into uninfested areas. There are two areas of the lake that the Lake George Parks Commission would like to use the herbicide – Blairs Bay, Glenburnie (4 acres), and Sheep Meadow Bay, Huletts Landing (3.6 acres).
The use of herbicides has been found to be more effective, but can potentially have negative effects on non-targeted organisms. The proposed herbicide for usage – ProcellaCOR EC – has been registered and approved by the EPA, and will be applied at less than 10 parts per billion: “The herbicide ProcellaCOR EC will control invasive Eurasian watermilfoil for multiple seasons in the treatment areas, but will not impact most native plants” the notification stated.
This project did not go forward in 2022 because The Lake George Association Waterkeepers, and thousands of citizens, expressed concern over the first-ever use of a chemical herbicide in Lake George. There was concern from these groups regarding the potential consequences to the water quality and ecosystems, as many people use the lake as a source of drinking water.
Last year, the APA issued a permit to the Lake George Parks Commission to use the herbicide… Then, the Lake George Association Waterkeepers and co-petitioners filed a lawsuit. The suit charged that the APA should have held an adjudicatory hearing to gather expert scientific testimony prior to making the decision regarding the safety of the herbicide… As there has been successful hand harvesting of the watermilfoil in Lake George for years, and overwhelming public opposition to using the herbicide.
Written arguments were reviewed by the State Supreme Court Justice Robert Muller, who issued a preliminary injunction preventing the use of ProcellaCOR EC, pending oral arguments. These arguments are scheduled for 10:00 AM on Tuesday, February 17, 2023. They will take place at the Warren County Municipal Center on Route 9 in Queensbury, and this session is open to the public.