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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.

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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Jul
10
2024
What’s happening at the Ausable Conservation Nursery this season?
Read our most recent blog to see whats been going on at the nursery!
Restoration
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Jun
14
2024
Under the Microscope
Do they look like willow leaves or maple leaves? Does it have two tails or three tails? What shape are the gills? Are there branching gills on abdomen segment six?
Ecology
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May
06
2024
Stream Restoration on Private Land
Private landowners living near or owning property along a river or stream in the Ausable and neighboring watersheds often reach out to us about eroding banks, flooding, and other streamside concerns. These inquiries inspired us to provide some general background information about the process we follow in our ongoing efforts to assess and restore streams that often suffer from the combined effects of historical land use (e.g., clear cut logging in the 19th and 20th centuries, public and private roadways, private dam failures, etc.) and the increase in extreme storms due to our changing climate. The short answer is that there are no quick and easy fixes. The process takes time and can be expensive, depending on the extent of the degradation and the size of the river or stream. Knowing this at the outset can help landowners understand that, although there are options available to address these common problems, restoring the self-sustaining function of a stream is complicated.
Restoration
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The Ausable River is a river on the edge.
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