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A Look Under The Ice

Watershed Stories

Keep up with the work of Ausable Freshwater Center (AFC) staff. These stories share information about our stewardship and monitoring work, natural stream restoration, and culvert replacement techniques by highlighting specific projects in the Ausable and Boquet River watersheds of northern New York. They also give you fun facts about the plants and wildlife that live in these watersheds, as well as tips for enjoying responsible, low-impact recreational opportunities.

May
15
2025
Mirror Lake and Beyond: How Buoys Boost Lake Data
In 2020, the Ausable Freshwater Center (AFC) teamed up with Dr. Kevin Rose and his lab group from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) to deploy a high-frequency sensor array in Mirror Lake –starting a partnership between the two...
Limnology
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Feb
12
2025
The Shrinking Habitat of Cold-Water Fish in the Adirondacks
Many lakes in the Adirondacks face two primary threats that impact cold-water fish, including our native salmonids—brook trout, lake trout, and whitefish. The first threat is climate-induced increases in water temperature. The second is deep-water oxygen depletion.
Brook Trout
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Feb
06
2025
Adapting Historic Monitoring to Meet New Challenges
As the threats and inputs to Adirondack lake ecosystems have evolved, the ways we study these systems have too. Since acid deposition was the primary stressor of the last 50 years, research questions which guided monitoring programs focused heavily on...
Limnology
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Nov
15
2024
What Happens to Lakes in the Fall?
Lakes experience a chemical and hydrological transformation in the fall. This is thanks to one of water's unique properties: unlike most materials, it is most dense as a liquid. Water's maximum density occurs at 4 degrees Celsius (39.2 degrees Fahrenheit...
Limnology
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Nov
14
2024
A Fellow's Summer with AFC
Hello! My name is Angie Zhu, Colgate University class of 2026. This past summer, I had the incredible opportunity to work with the Ausable Freshwater Center (AFC) as a Colgate Upstate Institute Field School Fellow. During my time as a fellow, I worked...
Road Salt
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Sep
12
2024
Managing Invasive Species in the Ausable Watershed
The Ausable watershed supports a variety of plant and animal species, playing a critical role in the local environment and economy, but its health is threatened by invasive species. Some species the Ausable Freshwater Center (AFC) is paying special attention to include knotweed species, reed canary grass, round goby, and Chinese mystery snail...
Invasives
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Aug
21
2024
Hiking Cobble Lookout: A Walk Through Forested Beauty
One of my favorite hikes when I want a leisurely walk with breathtaking views is the trail to Cobble Lookout in Wilmington, New York. This trail, which was constructed in 2014, is roughly 2.5 miles round trip with less than 300 feet of elevation gain. I’ve done this hike multiple times in all seasons and every time it seems to blow me away...
Recreation
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Jul
31
2024
Duff your buffer! Get friendly with your riparian layers
Riparian buffers are vegetated areas of land situated next to bodies of water such as streams and rivers. They assist in filtering pollutants, stabilizing stream banks, and providing habitat for wildlife. Moreover, riparian buffers provide shade,...
Stewardship
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Jul
23
2024
Birding along the Ausable River
Our River Steward, Meghan, has been out and about the Ausable collecting anger user data, maintaining wader wash stations, and keeping an eye out for invasive species. In her downtime, she's been able to enjoy the wonderful sights and sounds of the watershed, including birding. Check out her most recent blog to learn more about her birding adventures and how you can get out and enjoy the many birds of the Ausable!
Recreation
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Jul
19
2024
Celebrate Lakes Appreciation Month!
July is Lakes Appreciation Month. This national initiative to appreciate and protect lakes was started in 1998 by the North American Lake Management Society (NALMS) and is supported by the US EPA. Lake Colden, located in the High Peaks Wilderness...
Limnology
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Our mission — is to help communities protect our streams and lakes.
Threats
Threats
The Ausable River is a river on the edge.
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AsRA is working hard to protect the Ausable River.
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Explore
Explore the recreational resources of the Ausable.
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