Great Sacandaga Lake Coliform Monitoring Program 2023 Report

The Great Sacandaga Lake Coliform Monitoring Program (GSLCMP) for 2023 was designed to quantify the bacterial water quality at selected locations in the Great Sacandaga Lake and in selected streams that feed the lake.

The coliform sampling of the Great Sacandaga Lake was started in 1991 and has been performed every summer for the past 32 years, except for the year 2020 due to the Covid-19 Pandemic. Public bathing beaches, recreational areas, and feeder streams were the primary focus. Seventeen shoreline locations were sampled in June, and an additional twenty-two samples were taken on August 9, 2023. All of the sampling results have shown that the Great Sacandaga Lake water is within allowable standards for recreational contact.

GSLA has been concerned about potential contamination from Kennyetto Creek. Just upstream of the lake on State Route 30 is Adirondack Animal Land, a potential source of bacteria. In the same area, Lane Winney owns 83 acres at the southern end of the Great Sacandaga Lake. The Town of Mayfield has granted approval for Winney to build a large RV park (more than 200 sites) on his land along Woods Hollow Road. In June, the samples taken from Kennyetto Creek under the RT30 bridge were unsafe for bathing (E. coli >2419.6 per 100 ml). The Kennyetto Creek flows into the Great Sacandaga Lake on a very narrow and shallow bay, locally known as Mussel Harbor. To better understand the impact of the creek and gather historical information before the RV park is built, the August sampling included samples from Mussel Harbor. The sample taken under the RT30 bridge was still unsafe for bathing; however, it significantly improved to E. coli 307.6 per 100 ml.

One of the more popular locations on the lake where boaters go, and swim is Sand Island. Some boaters leave garbage and debris including human waste on the island. The Great Sacandaga Lake Advisory Council has been working for years to be able to put porta potties on the island. Current plans will have them there during the next boating season. On August 9th four samples were taken just off the Sand Island beach for historical baseline data.

Two primary measurements were made at each sampling location: Fecal Coliform (FC) and Escherichia coli (E.coli) Bacteria. These bacteria serve as indicators of the presence of animal or human waste. It should be noted that prior to 2019, the GSLCMP used different primary measurements: Total Coliform (TC) and Fecal Coliform (FC) Bacteria. Total coliforms include bacteria that are found in the soil, in water that has been influenced by surface water runoff, and human or animal waste. Fecal coliforms are the group of total coliforms that are present specifically in the gut and feces of warm-blooded animals. E. coli is a rod-shaped bacterium that is commonly found in the lower intestine of warm-blooded animals. In recent years, scientists believe that the use of FC and E. coli tests provides a better indication of possible contamination than was obtained by using TC and FC analysis.

The presence of elevated levels of these bacteria serves as indicators that potentially disease-causing protozoa, bacteria or other microorganisms may be present in the water.

The presence of elevated levels of these bacteria serves as indicators that potentially disease-causing protozoa, bacteria or other microorganisms may be present in the water.