Letter from Warren County Soil & Water Warren County Soil and Water Conservation District
394 Schroon River Road,Warrensburg, NY,12885
Phone: 518-623-3119
Fax: 518-623-8765
marenalexander@nycap.rr.com
www.warrenswcd.org
September 15, 2020
Stephen Ballas
67 Knox Road
Queensbury, NY 12804
Dear Steve,
This letter is a follow up to a site visit made to 67 Knox Road in Queensbury. I visited the
property in regards to making planting recommendations for a shoreline buffer on Lake
George. The following recommendations are made based on the current site conditions
and are intended to help stabilize the shoreline on your property. I have attached an aerial
map and soil map of the project location.
During our site visit,we looked at the current vegetation on the property and identified the
species. Most of which were very hardy species and will be good for longterm shoreline
stabilization.The property is comprised of mostly conifer species such as White Pine and
Eastern Hemlock.We identified many other species such as Red Oak and Red Maple.
Herbaceous plants found along the shoreline ranged from Blackeyed Susans, Spirea sp.,
and Jewelweed all of which are native and starting to establish. Overall, the species
composition is good,but increasing the buffer width and number of native plants on the
property will be crucial for long-term shoreline stabilization.
The soils at the site are classified as Charlton fine sandy loam. These soils can be found on
steep slopes which is characteristic of this property. Overall these soils indicate a well-
drained soil and have low runoff potential when thoroughly wet. Establishing a well-
vegetated native buffer will improve water quality on Lake George and minimize any soil
erosion on the property.
For shoreline buffers,we recommend using a mix of native trees, shrubs, and herbaceous
plants. Selecting a range of native species will not only create a biologically diverse habitat
for pollinators,but the changing bloom times offer a change of scenery throughout the
year. (For examples of shoreline buffers, see the links below.)While the property has some
hardy species already establishing, I would recommend adding species such as:
Shrubs:American Cranberry*, Buttonbush, Meadowsweet, Mountain Holly, Northern
Spicebush*, Red Twig Dogwood*, Summersweet*, Speckled Alder,Winterberry Holly*,
Witch Hazel*
Herbaceous Plants: Beebalm*, Blue Flag Iris*, Broad Leaved Cattail, Great Blue Lobelia,and
Joe Pye Weed*, Blue Vervain*, Little Blue Stem
Trees: Black Spruce, Red Maple,White Spruce,Maple Leaf Viburnum*, Mountain Maple,
Striped Maple, Sugar Maple, Serviceberry
Note:The species with the star(*)next to them, indicate they are deer resistant species. In
heavy deer browsing areas, intermixing deer-resistant species into your planting plan can
be very beneficial to ensure the area remains well vegetated.Just note,that although these
species are not desired by deer, it does not mean they won't try them.Another item to
consider is the time of year for planting and how deer behave.When spring comes, deer
are usually more drawn to find food sources that may sometimes be less desirable when
preferred species are scarce. Consider pushing back your planting time to help minimize
the desirability of these plants.
For our native planting projects, I usually go with a maximum of 4sqft spacing between
plants. This allows for a variety of species to fit at the site and allows for good vegetative
cover. If deer browsing is a significant concern, it doesn't hurt to increase the number of
plants and purchase larger plants as to not see the noticeable effect of browsing while your
plants are starting to establish. In addition, I also apply a heavy mulch to the planting areas.
As a rule, I generally go with a minimum depth of 4 inches of mulch. This will help retain
moisture in the ground for the plants and minimize any weeds from establishing.
Another item to consider is selecting species that are recognized as "feet wet"to be
planted along the shoreline. Species that are tolerant to changing water levels are Blue Flag
iris,American Cranberry, Red Twig Dogwood, Speckled Alder, Summersweet, Buttonbush,
Spicebush, Red Chokeberry,Joe Pye Weed, and Meadowsweet. (For more options, refer to
Fiddlehead Creek Nursery's Native Plants for Tough Places(Sunny&Wet/ Shady&Wet).
As a Queensbury resident and owner of a property on Lake George,you are required to
follow the zoning requirements set by the Town of Queensbury Planning Board. The zoning
guidelines for landscaping and buffering standards can be found at the town's website
at https://ecode360.com/10406428. Based on their guidelines, the area you are looking to
revegetate,you will need a minimum number of trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants. For
further questions on this, discuss with the Town of Queensbury Planning Board.
In addition to the items above, I have attached a map with information about revegetating
two additional areas on the property. For a hedgerow buffer, I recommend using taller
growing shrubs such as red osier dogwood and Common Elderberry in the back of the
buffer. Shorter growing herbaceous plants such as Little Bluestem,White Wood Aster, and
Swamp Milkweed can be used in the front portion of the hedgerow. These species should
establish well on the site and accomplish your goals as a landowner. For the grassed area
on the upper portion of the property that was unmaintained, I recommend utilizing the
area for short growing native grasses such as Tufted Hairgrass, Little Bluestem, and Purple
Love Grass. Planting these species closely together will help reduce weeds from growing
and will reduce any necessary maintenance to the area. (See provided maps for location
details - planting area is an estimation).
Below are references and recommendations for the shoreline buffer:
Lake George Association's Shoreline
Buffers https://www.lakegeorgeassociation.org/protect/lake-friendly-living/shoreline-
buffers-help-protect-lake-george/
The recommended BMP's and installation designs can be found in the New York State
Standards and Specifications for Erosion and Sediment Control book, also known as the NYS
Blue Book<http://wl,vw.dec.ny.gov/docs/water pdf/2016nysstanec.pdf> and the NYS
Stormwater Management Design Manual
<https://www.dec.ny.gov/chemical/29072.html>. I've attached practices from these two
documents to this letter. These are practices that we have utilized for numerous projects
and they are approved by the NYSDEC for use in their permit and grant projects.
I hope this information will be useful and will reduce any unnecessary impact to the
property. Please contact me if you have any questions.
Sincerely,
•
Maren Alexander
District Technician