Watershed Stories

Keep up with the work of Ausable River Association 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.

Apr

2019

Adirondack Salamanders

The Ausable watershed is home to a diverse array of amphibians, including frogs, toads, and salamanders, and, though they may not be thought of as terrestrial animals, many spend most of their adult lives in the woods and waterway edges. Some utilize...

Ecology

Mar

2019

Fish of the Ausable Watershed, Part II

The Ausable watershed encompasses 512 square miles, 27 High Peaks, and includes 94 miles of river channel fed by more than 70 streams. It is home to over 20,000 human residents living primarily in settlements downstream of its protected...

Ecology

Mar

2019

Form + Function = Fish

Standing on the newly constructed toe wood structure in the Dream Mile on a warm September day before sunset, I watched the flow of water moving through the restored channel. Amidst the intertwining submerged roots and large boulders of the toe wood, thousands of small fish congregated, exploring the windfall of new habitat.

Restoration

Feb

2019

Ice Jams - Scourge of Winter?

For some residents living along the Ausable and other Adirondack rivers, river ice raises the harrowing potential of ice jams. What causes ice jams, and how are they related to winter ice and stream health?

Restoration

Jan

2019

Road Salt Mobilizes Heavy Metals into Freshwater Ecosystems and Groundwater

Road salt plays an important role in the fate of heavy metals in roadside soils and freshwater ecosystems.

Road Salt

Jan

2019

Are You Drinking Road Salt?

The short answer is maybe. Last year several scientific studies released point to widespread groundwater contamination from road salt across New York State.

Road Salt

Jan

2019

Lower West Branch Runs Free

After years of effort, the 125-year-old dam on the lower West Branch Ausable River has been demolished.

Restoration

Nov

2018

2018 River Steward Recap

River Steward Nicole recaps her 2018 education and outreach season.

Stewardship

Nov

2018

5 Winter Driving Safety Tips To Keep You Safe and Help Reduce Road Salt

Check out these five tips that, if we all adopted, would allow highway crews to apply less salt while maintaining safe passage on our roads during the winter.

Road Salt

Oct

2018

Synchronicity: Autumn Leaf Change and Brook Trout Spawning