Gene Merlino: Lake Luzerne was ‘ahead of the curve’ on milfoil

After The Chronicle’s story last week about how Lake George and four smaller lakes we selected are combating the invasive weed Eurasian WaterMilfoil, Lake Luzerne Town Supervisor Gene Merlino called to tell us about what his town is doing and has long been doing.

“We’re ahead of the curve, and have been for years,” he said. “We’ve been working on it for more than 10 years.

“We were the first town in the state allowed to use chemicals to treat milfoil. The Adirondack Park Agency allowed us to use chemicals on about a quarter of the lake as a test, and it was a success.

“It kept the vegetation down for five years, and we’ve been doing diver-assisted suction harvesting with Aqualogic for years.

“To save money, the town bought a used 18-foot pontoon boat so Aqualogic just needs to send divers and not a boat.

“I was out on the lake last week, and while we will never get rid of milfoil, I would say we basically have it under control. We’re not seeing the huge mats of it we were seeing years ago.

“We were pulling out about 25 tons a year. Last year was 20 tons, and this year we’re at about 10 tons. The town was spending $65,000 a year, but now we’re down to $40,000 a year.

“…We’ll never get completely rid of it unless the APA allows us to use chemicals every couple of years. You wouldn’t believe how fast this stuff grows. It grows about three feet a month. We start harvesting in late April, and by August it’s growing back in the areas we harvested.

“It’s a forever thing with milfoil, but we definitely have a handle on it. And now, the natural vegetation is growing back. I’ve got people calling me that they want us to take out lily pads and other natural plants, but we can’t touch them.

“As town supervisor, I don’t have to worry about someone swimming and getting tangled up [in milfoil].

“Lake Luzerne is a beautiful lake, and we’re becoming very, very popular with kayakers and canoeists.

“We’ve got people coming from Clifton Park and all over. We’ve got a nesting pair of loons with two baby chicks, and we’ve gotten a grant to study the water quality in the lake and develop a strategic plan, which should be ready in September.” — Gordon Woodworth

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