Lake George Research Paper

Megan LaCasse

12/1/15

Environmental History

Term Paper

Destructive Clams and the Benefits of Being a Late-comer The Adirondack national park is home to a plethora of different species, landscapes, habitats, and towns. Part of what makes the area unique is the vastness of ecological diversity and natural serenity. However, great bio-diversity coupled with human civilization can lead to even greater problems if left unchecked. During the 1900s lake front populations began to grow exponentially in the towns of Saranac Lake and Lake George. With an ever growing number of humans, the number of invasive species found in the area began to grow as well. Recently, in 2010, one invasive specie became the worst nightmare of the Adirondack park

Located in upstate New York, in the Adirondack national park, Lake George has an economy mainly based on tourism. While there is a fairly large local population, most residents are seasonal. Saranac Lake is very similar in this sense but with a slightly higher year-round to seasonal-resident ratio. Being only about an hour and a half away from each other, the weather patterns in both areas are very similar. In the summer time, both lakes are heavily used for recreational purposes. Motor boating, swimming, kayaking, sailing, fishing etc. are all very popular in both towns and contribute to the growing tourism industry. In the winter, below freezing temperatures cause the lakes to ice over, thus making ice-fishing, snowshoeing and other outdoor winter activities popular. Since both towns depend on their respective lakes to keep their health and economies afloat, the water qualities of each lakes is of the utmost importance. When an invasive species finds its way into the eco-system it has the potential to cause serious damage, as it did in the town of Lake George. On August 19th, 2010 disaster struck Lake George. The Darren Fresh Water Institute had been conducting a routine eco-survey on a beach near Lake George Village when they found a clam infestation that covered an area of

Beaches, docks, and other shallow, oxygen-rich areas provide a suitable habitat for the clams. Because of this, Asian clams greatly impact swimming areas since their sharp shells can cause injuries among swimmers. Also located in shallow areas of lakes, typically, are water intake systems, which Asian clams also have the tendency to clog and ultimately destroy. Since the town of Lake George 's main drinking water source is the lake, this creates a huge issue. The clams also clog water intake systems in private boats and homes, costing owners hundreds of dollars to fix. As a result, the clams did negatively impact tourism, property values, the environment, and the general economy of the town of Lake George. Not only did the Asian clam result in high intrinsic costs (i.e. removal, treatment, eradication, etc.), but it also resulted in extremely high extrinsic costs on the town as well (i.e. decline in tourism, property values,