Since milfoil was first discovered in Lake George in 1985, roughly 200 locations where it is growing in the lake have been found. Officials have been able to manage the invasive Eurasian watermilfoil, which competes with and can displace native aquatic plants.
Now, officials are hopeful that a three-year push to remove milfoil from Lake George can bring the invasive plant’s presence to a level that requires only routine maintenance moving forward. The push to secure $250,000 to devote to milfoil removal this year alone will help with gradually scaled-back effort the next two years.
In 2012, a firm contracted by the Lake George Park Commission, removed 147,813 plants from the lake, logging 880 hours. The Fund for Lake George that year harvested another 88,000 plants, logging 360 diver hours, according to the 2012 report.