Ausable Freshwater Center

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Ausable Freshwater Center

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We advance the science and stewardship of Adirondack waters💧 We’re a hub – a center for innovation in freshwater science and stewardship. Regis, and more.

The Ausable Freshwater Center (AFC) is a nonprofit organization that advances science and stewardship of Adirondack waters. Our hallmark science-based stewardship – restoring streams, protecting native habitat and aquatic species, safeguarding water quality – unlocks knowledge of how freshwater systems work and applies it to real-world challenges. We share our technical skills to help Adirondack communities, municipalities, landowners, and residents protect and restore their watersheds efficiently and for the long run. The Ausable Freshwater Center’s work is Adirondack-wide, but our home and laboratory is the Ausable watershed. Formerly the Ausable River Association, after 25 years of service to the Ausable, we’re ready to serve the communities and waters of the Boquet, Saranac, Upper Hudson, Sacandaga, Raquette, St.

10/20/2026

Hip-hip-hooray!! It's the fall plant sale at Ausable Conservation Nursery! We'll be putting our native plants to bed soon, but you can bring some home before we do. 🧡🥰 Reach out to Kristen at [email protected] to learn more and place your order before Friday, Oct 30th.

10/18/2026

On October 18, 1972, the Clean Water Act became law with the goals of restoring and maintaining the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the Nation’s waters. Fifty-four years later, those goals resonate in our work in Adirondack waters.

The work we do to replace undersized culverts like the ones at Moss Road on the Boquet River and at John Bliss Road in the Ausable River watershed help water flow freely and reconnect fish habitat. That’s biological integrity in action.

It’s also why we track water quality in Adirondack lakes and streams, plant native trees along riverbanks, and study sediment, road salt, and other minerals in the water.

The Clean Water Act gave communities the tools to protect the waters they love. We’re proud to put them to work here at home.

Tell us in the comments: what’s your favorite waterbody in the Adirondacks?

10/16/2026

Like being outdoors in crisp autumn weather? Looking for engaging volunteer opportunities? Well, look no more! We're planting 1,000 baby trees and shrubs in the Jay area this month and would L❤VE to have your help. Our planting sessions are from 9am - noon on Tuesdays in October. For more information, please email us at [email protected] 🍁💛🧡

10/15/2026

SCALE (Survey of Climate and Adirondack Lake Ecosystems) teams have been able to visit a lot of gorgeous lakes this summer. 🤩 But even the less dramatic landscapes offer up beautiful views. Take this small roadside pond, for example, where Krista and Beth enjoyed watching the minnows and dragonflies swimming and flying around the emergent aquatic plants earlier this season. 😍

10/14/2026

Wastewater treatment and landfill facilities do an incredible amount of work to keep our communities safe and comfortable. We recently visited three of these local facilities to learn about all the technology and procedures they use to protect our rivers, streams, and groundwater. Genuine thanks to the teams at the Lake Placid/North Elba Wastewater Treatment Plant, the Au Sable Forks Wastewater Treatment Facility, and Casella as they operate the Clinton County Solid Waste Management & Landfill facilities for welcoming us and the community members who joined us. Big round of applause for all the work you do 365 days each year.

Town of North Elba Village of Lake Placid Town of Jay, NY Casella Waste Systems

10/09/2026

AFC staff spent four days in the field learning about plant identification, ecoregions, plant communities, and ecological trends across the Adirondacks with local botanist Ray Curran this summer. The hands-on training strengthened our ability to identify native species and scout for new seed collection sites, while building a deeper understanding of the ecological communities found throughout the Ausable River watershed and surrounding region.

We learned to recognize the ecological nuances that shape where plants thrive and the characteristics that allow species to adapt to Adirondack growing conditions. Understanding the science behind our region’s plant communities helps AFC's Conservation Nursery (ACN) make more informed and accurate seed-sourcing decisions. This knowledge ensures that the species we propagate are not only native to the region, but are sourced from appropriate local ecological communities and are well adapted to the environmental conditions where they will ultimately be planted. Visit the ACN page to learn more about our work! (Link in bio) https://www.ausableriver.org/programs/ausable-conservation-nursery

10/07/2026

Help us reach our goal of planting 1,000 baby trees this month! We'll be working at pre-selected locations along the Ausable River from 9 am - noon every Tuesday morning in October and we'd love to have you join us. Email us at [email protected] to learn more and sign up.

10/05/2026

Even the worst case of the Mondays can't compete with Adirondack views this time of year. While conducting an ongoing geomorphic assessment of the East Branch Ausable River in Jay, our Healthy Streams team took a break to appreciate the beautiful fall colors here in our corner of the world. The fog clinging to the eastern slopes of the Sentinel Range was icing on the cake! 😍

10/04/2026

Happy Punday! This Sunday Punday punchline is here to teach you the difference between wood sorrel and clover. The two plants look very similar with their low lying trifoliate leaves, but they’re actually in entirely different families! Clover –the genus Trifolium– is in the pea family, and wood sorrel– the genus Oxalis– belongs to its own wood sorrel family. Clover typically has round leaves and round, puffy flowers, while wood sorrel has heart-shaped leaves, simple yellow flowers, and a citrusy taste! Wood sorrel will usually be found in shady spots like forest understories, while clovers like open, sunny places like your lawn. Don’t worry, a four-leaf wood sorrel is just as lucky as a four-leaf clover!

10/02/2026

AFC staff attended events at NYC Climate Week last week and saw firsthand the work being done to make the city more resilient to floods and major storms. From more green spaces near the river to flood walls in vulnerable areas, numerous organizations are coming together to protect an area they love and call home.

This is exactly what we do here at AFC: protect and conserve Adirondack freshwaters where we live and work. Instead of millions of people, we work with millions of acres. In a city, resilience is largely built: walls, barriers, and engineered defenses designed to hold water back. Here in the Adirondacks, resilience is grown.🌱🌳🏞 Our safeguards are the rivers, lakes, wetlands, and floodplains themselves.

Protecting the places and people we love from a changing climate means restoring, monitoring, and caring for the freshwater systems that protect us in return. Read more about our experience at NYC Climate Week here (link in bio): https://www.ausableriver.org/blog/reflection-building-flood-resilience

Address

5698 NYS Route 86, PO Box 8
Wilmington, NY
12997

Telephone

+15186376859

Website

https://secure.qgiv.com/for/ausablefreshwatercenterresiliencefund/

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