GLENS FALLS -- What’s that backhoe doing in Crandall Park?
It’s helping improve water quality, as Warren County Soil & Water Conservation District (WCSWCD) got to work this week on a project to improve the park with better stormwater drainage, part of a project that will be followed by plantings of additional native trees and shrubs to help stabilize the areas around Crandall Park Pond. This two-year project will wrap up in 2025.
The project was detailed July 10 during the annual summer meeting of the Warren County Water Quality Strategy Committee, which was held at Crandall Park.
Dozens of people dedicated to protecting our waterways and watersheds gathered to discuss projects that are being pursued to keep our lakes, ponds and rivers clean and healthy, as well as the threats waterways face.
Headed by WCSWCD, this long-time ad hoc committee is made up of several Warren County agencies, Lake Champlain Lake George Regional Planning Board, Lake George Park Commission, Lake George Association and many other public and private partners.
There were also representatives of at least 5 lake associations on hand, along with the state Department of Environmental Conservation.
The meeting included updates on WCSWCD’s water sampling in Glens Falls reservoirs, discussion of efforts to combat Hemlock Wooly Adelgid, and the West Brook Conservation Initiative in Lake George, where stormwater is filtered before it gets to Lake George.
The hands-on part of the meeting was a tour of areas in the park where stormwater improvements will be made, as Nick Rowell from WCSWCD detailed how runoff will be diverted so it infiltrates into the ground instead of funneling sediment into the pond. The pond is stocked with trout, and is home to other species of fish and aquatic life.
Work began Thursday, weeks after nearly 60 volunteers led by the Crandall Park Beautification Committee and the Soil & Water Conservation District pulled up an estimated 800 invasive plants around the park during New York's Invasive Species Week.
Elizabeth Little Hogan, President of the Crandall Park Beautification Committee, said the project will have environmental and safety benefits, as sand that had washed into roads from stormwater had become a safety hazard for bicyclists.
“The committee is just so thankful for the work the Soil & Water Conservation District does for us. We called them about the problems we were seeing, and they got right back to us and got grant funding. They are so good to work with,” Little said
“Crandall Park is a jewel that is enjoyed by so many, and we want to make it even better. Keeping stormwater from the pond will keep it cleaner, and adding native plants like dogwood will help prevent erosion and improve the watershed as a whole,” explained Jim Lieberum, District Manager for WCSWCD.
You can learn more about what the Warren County Water Quality Strategy Committee does at this link.