Early season work targets milfoil at Fish Creek Campground

A professional dive team has completed early-season aquatic invasive species (AIS) management at Fish Creek Campground, removing over 1,300 pounds of Eurasian and variable-leaf watermilfoil.

The work was performed by the Upper Saranac Foundation’s (USF) dive team and was part of the Fish Creek AIS Management Project, supported by a $19,000 grant from the Lake Champlain Basin Program (LCBP), with additional support from the New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission. USF has been managing AIS at Fish Creek since 2016, but this was the first year grant funding was awarded specifically for efforts there.

“This grant expands our AIS management to a critical headwater of the Upper Saranac watershed,” said USF Executive Director Guy Middleton. “The additional resources enable more rigorous efforts to address the spread of invasive plants from upstream sources — a key strategy in safeguarding Upper Saranac Lake.”

“Every invasive plant we remove here makes the Upper Saranac watershed healthier,” said Bryce Davison, USF dive team lead. “This grant lets us dive more often and target expanded AIS patches upstream.”

The project is part of USF’s broader watershed protection approach, integrating prevention, monitoring, control, outreach and education. Fish Creek Campground is a popular recreational hub with over 350 campsites and direct access to Upper Saranac Lake.

“This is a high-risk area for AIS spread,” Middleton noted. “With thousands of visitors and nearly all campsites offering direct water access, proactive management is essential here to prevent the infestation of uninvaded waterbodies.”

USF has a strong track record in AIS control, supported by past LCBP grants, including transforming Upper Saranac Lake from a waterbody once dominated by Eurasian watermilfoil into one where it is now a rarity. At Follensby Clear Pond — another Upper Saranac tributary — USF removed over 8.65 tons of AIS over the last six years. These efforts have become national models for effective, science-based aquatic plant management.

LCBP grants have also supported the Adirondack Watershed Institute’s Watershed Steward Program, which works in tandem with USF to inspect watercraft, educate boaters and perform high-risk decontaminations using USF’s hot-water pressure decontamination unit.

“Thanks to the support of this grant, USF can continue protecting the watershed’s long-term health, safeguarding biodiversity, property values, and recreation-based economies,” Middleton added.

The USF dive team will return in September, after peak summer use in the campground, to continue this work.

To learn more about USF, visit usfoundation.net or contact Middleton at lakemanager@usfoundation.net.

About the Upper Saranac Foundation

The Upper Saranac Foundation is a nonprofit, science-guided organization celebrating its 35th anniversary in 2025. USF seeks to preserve, enhance and protect the natural beauty, environmental quality and recreational enjoyment of the Upper Saranac Lake watershed through selective support of projects related to overall water quality. The Foundation is funded through tax-deductible donations. Activities include aquatic invasive species prevention and management, lake dam maintenance, monitoring water quality and promoting environmental awareness. To learn more, visit usfoundation.net.