Agency and Lake Tahoe Scientists Share Knowledge with Lake George

By Kristi Boosman
The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency and a delegation from the Lake Tahoe Aquatic Invasive Species Program presented to a consortium of public agencies, non-profits and interest group at Lake George, New York last month.

TRPA’s Aquatic Invasive Species Coordinator Ted Thayer, Sudeep Chandra, Professor of Limnology from University Nevada Reno, and Marion Wittmann, Postdoctoral Research Associate from the University of Notre Dame and UC Davis, traveled to Lake George to speak about the Lake Tahoe Aquatic Invasive Species Program and ongoing research.

Attendees at the meeting were concerned about the spread of invasive species to Lake George and other lakes within the Lake Champlain Basin and what the efforts to stop this spread could mean to recreation in the area. They were also interested in discovering whether they could address the problem through a program similar to the Lake Tahoe Basin’s watercraft inspection and control and prevention program.

Lake Tahoe has become a magnet for other lake communities wanting to learn about Tahoe’s innovative, science-based aquatic invasive species control measures.

“We feel privileged to have been asked to present information on the aquatic invasive species control and prevention program we are implementing in the Tahoe Basin,” said Ted Thayer, Aquatic Invasive Species Coordinator for the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency. “The Lake Champlain and Lake Tahoe Basins have similar challenges and we can learn from each other’s experiences on how best to approach these issues.”

Representatives from the Lake George Park Commission and the Fund for Lake George visited the Lake Tahoe Basin earlier in the year to study the prevention and control programs being implemented here. Representatives then extended an invitation to members of Tahoe’s aquatic invasive species team to visit Lake George and present results of their ongoing research, as well as lessons learned in implementing the Tahoe Basin’s control and prevention program.

During the visit, both groups exchanged information on their Asian clam control measures. The Tahoe team provided an update on their aquatic invasive species research and outlined the organizational structure of the Lake Tahoe invasive species program. They learned, in return, details on how Lake George was successfully implementing Asian clam control measures in their marinas.

“These meetings are an excellent example of how lake-based communities can share the results of their own science and management initiatives that help support the health of the environment and communities in both areas,” Thayer said.

The meeting at Lake George was hosted by the Darrin Fresh Water Institute, a multidisciplinary environmental research center of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute located on Lake George.

— Writer Kristi Boosman is the Public Information Officer for the The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency. She can be reached at kboosman@trpa.org.

In the Photo:
Meg Modley, Aquatic Invasive Species Management Coordinator Lake Champlain Basin Program, Marion E. Wittmann, Ph.D., Postdoctoral Research Associate from the University of Notre Dame and UC Davis, Ted Thayer, TRPA’s AIS Coordinator, & Peter Bauer, Executive Director of The Fund for Lake George discussing invasive species at Lake George, NY.