Environment DEC
From the January 2004 issue
Governor Announces Lake George Open Space Acquisition
Governor Pataki has announced the preservation of 1,310 acres of open space on Lake George in the Town of Bolton, Warren County. Acquisition of the Northwest Bay property will protect valuable lands in the region, helping to enhance water quality and critical habitat. The state will buy the parcel from the Lake George Land Conservancy with funds from the Environmental Protection Fund (EPF).
The property is adjacent to thousands of acres of Adirondack Forest Preserve lands, stretching north to the Pharaoh Lake Wilderness Area, south across the Tongue Mountain Range and to the lake's eastern shore to include Black Mountain and parts of Washington County. It includes Pole Hill Pond, a pristine, spring-fed pond that drains into the northwest bay of Lake George.
Maintaining the intact woodland is important to preserving Lake George's pristine water quality. This land is the watershed of Northwest Bay Brook, one of the largest streams that feeds Lake George. Lake George's woodlands and wetlands act as natural filters to catch impurities before they reach the lake's water. The most cost-effective method of preserving water quality in Lake George is to protect the natural lands surrounding the lake.
