There are a number of organizations dedicated to protecting the Lake including the Lake George Association, the Lake George Land Conservancy, and the Lake George Park Commission. Their work is important because 75% of the homes around the Lake depend on it for their drinking water; 8 million people visit the Lake and tourism brings in $2 billion; Lake property is valued at $10 billion.
Lake George Association The Lake George Association (LGA) has the distinction of being the very first lake conservation organization in the United States. It was formed in 1885 by 16 fishermen, whose mission was to protect the fish. Their first project was to restock the Lake with their favorite species. In its early days the LGA fought against pollution from farms and from commercial steamboats, which regularly dumped ash, sewage and garbage into the Lake. It was also a pioneer of boating safety, placing the first navigational markers on the Lake in 1909. Today the LGA is dedicated to protecting the Lake with science-based solutions and community action. The main threats to the Lake are road salt, nutrient loading, harmful algal blooms, climate change, stormwater runoff and invasive species. The LGAs emphasis on science-based solutions started with its merger with The Fund for Lake George in 2021 and its takeover of the Jefferson Project. The Jefferson Project monitors hundreds of data points to track the health of the Lake. The LGA believes that everyone can be a Lake Protector. Through its programs, it educates and empowers individual property owners on the Lake to be involved in identifying threats from their own properties. The LGA also sustains the Lake George Waterkeeper whose mission is to protect the Lake by promoting compliance with existing laws, supporting scientific research, and applying sound engineering principles, particularly the Low Impact Development principles. The LGA is home to: The Lake George Waterkeepeer Bay to Bay Program Lake Protector Program Floating Classroom For more information go to www.lakegeorgeassociation.org
Lake George Land Conservancy The Lake George Land Conservancy (LGLC) is an accredited non-profit land trust that works within the Lake George watershed. It protects the land that protects the lake. It was formed in 1988 in response to a growing need to protect the watershed from the pressure of over development, and to ensure that the lake’s water remains clean, the shorelines pristine, its views unspoiled, critical habitats protected and traditional places kept intact. It works with willing landowners to permanently protect land. In some cases, it transfers the land to New York State so that it becomes “forever wild”. For more information go to: https://lglc.org
