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.

Oct

2021

How Much Oxygen Is in Our Lakes and Streams?

If you spend time following the work of the Ausable River Association, you know that dissolved oxygen (DO) is an important component of water quality. Dissolved oxygen is the measure of how much oxygen is dissolved in water, or the amount of oxygen that is available to aquatic organisms.

Limnology

Sep

2021

Why You Should Always Bring a Headlamp

In case you didn't know, this blog is about always carrying a headlamp with you on your day trips. But maybe you already figured that out from the title....

Recreation

Aug

2021

What Controls the Amount of Water in the River?

Have you ever wondered why one river in our region has more water flowing than another river? What accounts for this difference if both rivers have been receiving similar amounts of rainfall?

Hydrology

Aug

2021

What Causes Foam on Rivers?

While hiking near a stream in the Ausable watershed, I noticed a light tan foaming blob on the water's surface next to the bank. Stream foam or suds are often seen on windy days, accumulating against logs, on the banks of streams or along lake shores. This is most often a harmless natural occurrence.

Ecology

Jul

2021

What Insects Tell Us About Water Quality

An additional tool we can use to understand water quality in our streams and lakes is to look at biological measures such as fish, macroinvertebrates, and algae abundance and diversity. Most often, macroinvertebrates are used as bioindicators of water quality.

Ecology

Jul

2021

Creating Climate-Ready Culverts: Part 1 – The Survey

The Ausable River Association has been working with our partners, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and The Nature Conservancy, since 2010 to identify and replace aging and undersized culverts. Our "right-sized" climate-ready culverts are critical to improving flood resilience, aquatic species passage, and stream health in our watersheds.

Restoration

Jul

2021

Where Should I Fly Fish In the Summer?

Many anglers know that Adirondack summer months are not the ideal time for trout fishing in larger rivers. As the weather warms, so does the water. Water temperatures in the upper 60s and above cause stress for all trout species, and temperatures above 70 °F can be lethal for brook trout. So, what is the summer angler to do? Read on to find out!

Recreation

Jul

2021

Getting Restoration Right

Over the past 10 years the Ausable River Association has developed a regional reputation for successfully applying natural stream restoration techniques to protect the health of our waterways and communities. We've restored thousands of linear feet of...

Restoration

Jun

2021

Sustainable Trail Design

Though I enjoyed the classic Adirondack views, what really got my attention was the use of switchbacks up the mountain. This is a rare find in the Adirondacks, where most trails run straight up the mountain. This led me to take a closer look at trail building and design when I returned home.

Recreation

Jun

2021

Spring Turnover on Mirror Lake - Incomplete

This spring, Mirror Lake began to mix but did not completely turnover. Turnover is an essential natural process that healthy lakes complete in the spring and fall of each year.

Road Salt

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