Lake George’s fight to eliminate an incursion of Asian Clam may need to transition to management of the aquatic invasive.
Officials in Lake George are using mats to try to suffocate the intruder in Lake George. The Asian Clam can spread rapidly, but are in localized areas of Lake George. To control and eradicate the infestation, benthic mats were laid over the colonies to cut off the oxygen supply. Divers finished laying those mats last week and a waiting game now begins. It will be spring before officials know if the clams were eliminated. Lake George Park Commission Executive Director Dave Wick expects a high kill rate.
But Wick says if a 100 percent kill rate is not achieved, new management strategies will have to be considered.
Fund for Lake George Executive Director Eric Siy says Lake George faces a daunting challenge in dealing with invasives and the state needs to be more involved in prevention.
The Asian Clam is not the only danger to Lake George. The Lake George Park Commission also heard from residents asking that they impose a lake-wide ban on phosphorus fertilizers. Assembly Point resident Lisa Adamson was among those who approached the Commission with the request.
The Lake George Park Commission’s Dave Wick says there is merit to having the Commission assess a lake-wide phosphorus fertilizer ban. Three lakeside communities have already imposed such a ban.
