Adirondack Watershed Institute

06/12/2026

On his very first day and very first inspection of the season, AWI lake steward Erik Gutowski intercepted a water chestnut nutlet - an aquatic invasive species headed on a boat to Great Sacandaga Lake. What a way to start off the season, and we want to thank Erik and his supervisor, Dory Fraser, for hitting the ground running - and protecting Adirondack waters from the start!

This is the last day of New York Invasive Species Week - and a great reminder that prevention can and will protect our waters!
https://www.adkwatershed.org/blog/great-sacandaga-lake-steward

Paul Smith's College

On his first day in the field, AWI Watercraft Inspection Steward Erik Gutowski intercepts a water chestnut nutlet, helping protect Great Sacandaga Lake from aquatic invasive species.

06/10/2026

Join us for tomorrow's Love Your Lakes and Lands event at Dewey Mountain Recreation Center from 4-8pm. Among many engaging activities, don't miss four AWI features: Stewardship Director Brett Wimsatt will be giving a talk on our Aquatic Invasive Species Spread Prevention Program, the Stewardship team will be giving boat washing demos, Wool & Water will be on display, and our summer intern Zoe Fox will be talking with kids about being a Junior Watershed Steward!

Whether you're a lake lover, boater, community member, or simply care about the future of Adirondack waters, this is an opportunity to learn more about the science, partnerships, and on-the-ground efforts working to keep our lakes healthy.

We hope to see you there!
Paul Smith's College
https://www.adkwatershed.org/events/love-your-lakes-lands

06/04/2026

We are proud to play a role in protecting Adirondack waters from the campus of Paul Smith's College. Lots more to come!

For nearly 30 years, our Adirondack Watershed Institute has been protecting the waters that define the Adirondacks.

From one of the region's longest-running lake monitoring programs to inspecting more than 83,000 boats last year to stop invasive species, AWI combines science, community partnerships, and student engagement to protect water quality across the Adirondack Park and beyond.

The work happens here, but our impact reaches millions. Learn more about AWI's latest milestones in water protection and stewardship at the link in the comments.

06/04/2026

As another busy summer season gets underway across the Adirondacks, we're celebrating some exciting milestones at the Adirondack Watershed Institute at Paul Smith's College!

💧 Nearly 30 years of lake monitoring through the Adirondack Lake Assessment Program (ALAP)
🌿 Designation as one of the first organizations in New York State to deliver the LCBP Lake Wise program
🚤 Launch of our stewardship season, where last year, more than 83,000 boats were inspected to help prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species
📊 New grant-funded initiatives supporting water quality research, monitoring, education, and stewardship

From long-term scientific research to hands-on protection efforts across the region, AWI is working every day to safeguard the waters that define the Adirondacks. Thank you to our partners, supporters, volunteers, and communities who make this work possible! 😍

Paul Smith’s College today announced an expanded momentum and impact of its Adirondack Watershed Institute (AWI), celebrating its nearly 30 years of continuous lake monitoring and data collection, new grant awards, designation as one of the first in New York State to deliver Lake Wise, and a succe...

05/29/2026

AWI's full-time stewardship team spent months preparing for a successful opening Memorial Day weekend of the 2026 aquatic invasive species spread prevention program. They hired and trained over 100 watercraft inspection and decontamination stewards and coordinated placements and schedules at boat launches throughout the Adirondacks - all in a matter of months. Not to mention the hours they spent preparing equipment and working with regional supervisors to ensure smooth operations.

Thank you to the (now expanded) stewardship team, the Paul Smith's College team, who helped coordinate the week of training on campus, and our partners at the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation, Lake Champlain Basin Program, Adirondack Park Invasive Plant Program, and lake associations across the park! All of this hard-working ethic and passion is to ensure we keep aquatic invasive species out of our waters this summer and for the future!

05/22/2026

Citizen Scientists Needed for Adirondack Boat Impacts Study

The Upper Saranac Foundation is partnering with the Adirondack Center for Loon Conservation to recruit volunteer citizen scientists for a new study examining how boating activity may affect water clarity and shoreline conditions on Adirondack lakes.

Building on a successful pilot study conducted by ACLC interns last summer, the project is now expanding to community participation. Volunteers will help collect information on boat traffic, boat types, wave activity, and water clarity to better understand whether increased boating pressure—including wave-producing wake boats—is contributing to shoreline erosion and reduced water clarity.

To support the project, ACLC is offering a free online training session on Thursday, June 4 from 5:00–6:00 PM. Participants will learn how to identify and categorize boats, measure wave height, conduct simple water clarity observations, and submit data to researchers.

This effort aligns closely with Upper Saranac Foundations designation as a Loon Friendly Lake, recognizing ongoing community stewardship and conservation efforts to protect loons and aquatic habitat. Through collaboration with ACLC, the Upper Saranac Foundation continues to support loon monitoring, research, education, and watershed stewardship initiatives throughout the region.

Interested in participating? Register for the free training here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/dQMyE51lSyuegGNHCyN8bQ

05/22/2026

☀️Today's the day! After a week of training and preparing on campus at Paul Smith's College, over 100 AWI watercraft inspection stewards will fan out across the Adirondacks today for the start of the season to prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species and the launch of over 60 boat washing stations.

🫵🏻You can play a big role this summer to prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species and protect Adirondack waters... A quick inspection before launching your boat this season - removing any plants or small-bodied aquatic animals such as zebra mussels - can prevent long-term damage to the region’s lakes, rivers, and other waterbodies.

🛶We look forward to seeing you and your boat soon!

🔗Learn more here:

PAUL SMITHS, N.Y. —  As boating season approaches, recreational boaters are being urged to take simple steps that protect Adirondack waters from the growing threat of aquatic invasive species. A quick inspection before launching - removing any plants or small-bodied aquatic animals such as

05/20/2026

Do you love your lakes and lands and want to know how to better protect them? Gather with us at Dewey Mountain Recreation Center on June 11th to celebrate the start of summer with local organizations, just in time for New York’s Invasive Species Awareness Week!

Love Your Lakes and Lands is a free, family friendly event with workshops, activities, and guest speakers for attendees of all ages to learn about how you can do your part to protect the lakes and lands that you love. For a full event schedule visit our event page! https://www.adkwatershed.org/events/love-your-lakes-lands

This event is brought to you by Paul Smith's College Adirondack Watershed Institute, Adirondack Park Invasive Plant Program, and Adirondack Center for Loon Conservation.

And thank you to all of our partners participating in this fun event!
Upper Saranac Foundation, Ausable Freshwater Center, Northern New York Audubon, Northern Forest Canoe Trail, Wool & Water, The Wild Center, Lake Champlain Basin Program, The Adirondack Rail Trail, Adirondack Lakes Alliance, Adirondack Council, Two Jerks BBQ LLC., and ADK Mobile Bars.

Dewey Mountain Recreation Center 238 George Lapan Memorial Hwy Saranac Lake, NY 12983

05/19/2026

AWI wishes all 2026 graduates the very best - but we especially want to celebrate two new graduates on our team. Congratulations to AWI's Alec Cimini and Annie Arnold, both of whom recently completed their M.S. degrees, Alec from Paul Smith's College and Annie from the Center for Earth and Environmental Science at SUNY Plattsburgh.

The great news is we get to keep working with both of them. Alec will continue with AWI as a Graduate Research Fellow on our lakeshore biodiversity project, and Annie brings her new natural resources expertise to her already outstanding work as a Watershed Educator.

🎓Congratulations, Annie and Alec!