Clean water is a treasure in the United States. Until it’s not. We often forget the value of clean water as a resource until that water has been ruined. Despite the vast number of protections bodies of water in the Adirondacks have, some are in better condition than others.
The Village of Lake Placid, which many people fail to remember, has been the stage for two Olympic games, most recently in 1980. Upon my first visit, I noticed how “old” everything felt. For one thing, that sense of “oldness” was a good thing. The vibe allows for an immersion into 1980’s Adirondack culture. On the other hand, much of the town infrastructure is in all but utter decay. The roads are shot, the homes are teetering on 2×4’s and the school has not been renovated in decades. The poor construction of the roads, parking lots, and sidewalks however has been especially consequential when observing local water quality. The combination of intense road salt application due to high winter road traffic and the construction of roads right on the edge of Mirror Lake have caused great detriment to Mirror Lake’s water quality. Luckily, the Town of Lake Placid has worked on several game-changing infrastructure solutions to prevent further damage to the lake.
Porous pavement demonstration.
Mirror Lake on the other hand, gets direct runoff from a downward-sloping town full of old roads. In the winter months, Lake Placid deals with nasty road ice and several feet of snow with intense road salt and sand application. While this keeps roads safe for drivers, the effects of salt entering the water systems have such negative effects that many parks in the Western U.S like Yellowstone and Teton have banned road salt entirely. Water testing in Mirror Lake displays a salt level higher than 97% of other lakes in the Adirondacks.(Ausable River Association 2020 Water Quality Report) Higher sodium and chloride levels, paired with higher levels of phosphorus increase the likelihood for algal bloom in the lake. Luckily, in that regard, Mirror Lake is relatively nutrient low or oligotrophic, so algal bloom is unlikely.(Jennifer Graham, United States Geological Service) The 2019 Mirror Lake water report states that “Significant long-term upward trends in conductivity, sodium, and chloride remain. Elevated bottom water chloride concentrations were documented and evidence exists that this is impeding the natural turnover of the lake in the spring. The disruption of this important physical process has the potential for the greatest negative effect on aquatic life. The highest chloride concentrations ever reported for the lake (129 mg/L) were observed in February and March.”(Ausable River Association) At its highest level, the Chloride concentration nearly resembled brackish water. In terms of salinity however, the concentration remains at a lower safety.
If the Adirondacks do not ban the use of road salt however, several questions arise as to what can be done. This summer, with New York state funding, Lake Placid has begun construction of a $15 million dollar infrastructure plan. There are two main focuses that may help the salt situation in Mirror Lake. The first is permeable and porous pavement. Porous pavement allows liquid runoff to enter the soil beneath the pavement instead of running in large amounts directly into reservoirs and lakes. By allowing the water to seep into the soil, the earth purifies much of the groundwater as it travels. This step is key in using the soil as a natural filtration system. What little water makes it into lakes and streams ends up being significantly cleaner than direct runoff. While most of the permeable pavement being added right now is in the form of sidewalks and parking lots, roads are expected to be replaced within the next few years as well. The other half of the Lake Placid infrastructure plan involves new pipe and sewage systems under the road. The old pipes were badly corroded and in need of replacement to prevent seepage. Modern and larger plumbing systems are crucial in allowing for future development and overflow control. Using new and creative methods to limit water quality deterioration will be the future of human coexistence with our main sources of water and marine life. Such methods will keep the treasure of water an Adirondack token for decades to come.
“Hochul Touts Environmental, Economic Projects in the Adirondacks.” Adirondack Explorer, 24 Sept. 2021, https://www.adirondackexplorer.org/stories/hochul-touts-lake-placid-stormwater-project.
“Mirror Lake.” Ausable River Association, https://www.ausableriver.org/watershed/lakes/mirror-lake.
“Porous Pavement.” Megamanual.geosyntec.com, https://megamanual.geosyntec.com/npsmanual/porouspavement.aspx.