The Sunset Lane Project 2014-2015
The impact of stormwater runoff on water quality has been a concern of the Coalition since its inception. Run off from developed areas has been identified as a significant threat to our aquatic environment. Stormwater run off is one of the major sources of nitrogen and phosphorous pollution. One of the most effective steps to protect our water quality is to maintain a buffer zone of natural vegetation along the shoreline.
There were at least two areas where the Coalition identified the need for remediation to decrease runoff, namely Sunset Lane and Assembly Point Road adjacent to Knox Road.
The Coalition walked these two sites in 2014 with an engineer who made the following suggestions to remediate Sunset Lane:
Swales, dips and other catchment devices are needed to start high up on driveways on Sunset Lane as well as midway; These can be accompanied by diverters on driveways; Once installed, runoff needs to be monitored to make sure devices are working; In addition, dry wells could be installed farther done the road as well as at the bottom of Sunset Lane and Assembly Point Road. The Coalition realized that any retrofit measures made to Sunset Lane should be recognized as an end of the pipe solution if the current drainage system is simply replaced and the road repaved.
Drywells provide little, if any, protection to groundwater and lake water quality. Only by increasing pervious area can a reduction in pollutant load be achieved. Therefore, the Coalition recommended that vegetative space be increased including vegetative swales and that the road be narrowed.
Officials of the Warren County Department of Soil and Water Conservation inspected Sunset Lane and wrote in 2015 that if water can be diverted or infiltrated prior to it reaching the road it would reduce the need for other treatment measures. They mentioned that green roadside options could be adopted.
Unfortunately, none of these vegetative roadside recommendations were adopted. Instead, in 2015 the Town of Queensbury installed 4 catchment basins on Sunset Lane (midway and at the bottom) and repaved the road retaining the existing dimensions of the Lane. It appears that the priority was to accommodate parking along the road rather than remediate runoff. Green infrastructure and driveway diverters were ignored. There is still run off from Sunset Lane which is not captured by the catchment basins at the bottom of the Lane.
Consequently the coalition advanced funds to the Shore Colony to increase the vegetation bordering the lake. And also a trail marker describing the importance of buffers was installed at this site.
The other two areas noted above remain unremedied by the Town of Queensbury and continue to funnel pollutants into Harris Bay. The area on Assembly Point Road adjacent to Knox Road was the site of the HABs outbreak in 2020-21.
