NYS Forest Rangers had a busy July 4th weekend in which they recovered the body of a paddler; rescued two people on an inflatable kayak from rapids they didn’t know existed on the Saranac River; assisted with an overturned sailboat on Lake Champlain; rescued someone from the rapids in the Siamese Ponds Wilderness; and two teens hiding from a black bear near Lake George. [Read more…] about Rangers Recover Paddler’s Body, Make Multiple Rescues July 4th Weekend
Willsboro
William Gilliland: An Irish Immigrant Lake Champlain Settler
William Gilliland was born in 1734 in Caddy, Northern Ireland. His father died while he was a boy and his mother re-married. He was said to have been talented and ambitious and initially sought to establish himself in business and society in the city of Armagh.
However, a frowned-upon liaison with the daughter of a local upper class family caused him to seek his fortune elsewhere. [Read more…] about William Gilliland: An Irish Immigrant Lake Champlain Settler
William Gilliland, Philip Skene & the NH Grants at the Eve of Revolution
In the latest episode of the Crossroads of a Continent podcast Tim Dusablon discusses the events in the Champlain Valley leading up to the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War including the New Hampshire Grants and loyalists Philip Skene and William Gilliland‘s grand plans for a 14th British colony.
Before the War families from southern New England and eastern New York had settled in “the Grants,” as the New Hampshire-titled lands disputed by the Province of New York but now located in Vermont were known.
They believed that the royal governments of New Hampshire and New York, representing the king, wouldn’t deny the rights of citizens who settled the land, organized governments, paid taxes, and obeyed the laws. [Read more…] about William Gilliland, Philip Skene & the NH Grants at the Eve of Revolution
New Project To Monitor Atlantic Salmon in Boquet River
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has begun a collaborative project with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and the town of Willsboro, in Essex County, to improve monitoring of spawning Atlantic salmon in the Boquet River.
Much of the Boquet River salmon fishery occurs below the dam and fishway in Willsboro. DEC and partners hope to evaluate various management strategies to improve the Atlantic salmon population. [Read more…] about New Project To Monitor Atlantic Salmon in Boquet River
68 Acres Conserved on Willsboro Point, Lake Champlain
The Adirondack Land Trust recently purchased 68 acres on Willsboro Point for ecological conservation and community benefit. The parcel features 950 feet of natural shoreline on Lake Champlain’s Willsboro Bay, open fields, and shrublands.
American kestrel, indigo bunting, great crested flycatcher, and long-eared owl are among 136 bird species observed in the immediate area. [Read more…] about 68 Acres Conserved on Willsboro Point, Lake Champlain
DEC Rebuilds Damaged Boquet River Fishing Access Site
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation in Region 5 recently coordinated with the Town of Willsboro (with assistance from Trout Unlimited and Boquet River Association) to rebuild an angler access site on the river near a popular salmon fishing pool.
The Boquet River in Essex County is the steepest river in New York State, and is more prone to erosion and storm damage, in part due to the channelizing of the river. [Read more…] about DEC Rebuilds Damaged Boquet River Fishing Access Site
1776 Gunboat Philadelphia: A Revolutionary War Roadside Attraction
In 2026, the US will celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. That year, the Smithsonian Institution’s Museum of American History will unveil a new display interpreting the 54-foot 1776 gunboat Philadelphia, built for Benedict Arnold at Whitehall and the oldest surviving ship of the US Navy. [Read more…] about 1776 Gunboat Philadelphia: A Revolutionary War Roadside Attraction
The Tale of a Lake Champlain Tsunami
The sharpest contrast between rivers and lakes is in water movement. While rivers flow inexorably downhill, lake water movement is more subtle. Anyone who has weathered a storm on a lake, however, can attest that less consistent water movement does not mean no water movement at all.
In fact, at one point, about 5,000 years ago, it seems a tsunami formed on Lake Champlain. [Read more…] about The Tale of a Lake Champlain Tsunami
Naturally Reproducing Atlantic Salmon Returning to the Lake Champlain Basin
In 2019, for only the third time in 150 years, scientists found wild Atlantic salmon fry in the Boquet River, a tributary of Lake Champlain in Essex County. The long-term effort to restore self-sustaining, naturally reproduced populations of salmon to the Lake Champlain basin appears to be on the verge of success. [Read more…] about Naturally Reproducing Atlantic Salmon Returning to the Lake Champlain Basin
Grand Opening of Long Pond Trail in Willsboro
Champlain Area Trails (CATS) and its Long Pond Conservancy Program will host the Long Pond Trail Grand Opening, north of Willsboro, Essex County, NY on July 8th at 9:30 am. This 4.5-mile hiking trail leads to the forested western shore of Long Pond. [Read more…] about Grand Opening of Long Pond Trail in Willsboro
Founding Director of Champlain Area Trails Retiring
Chris Maron, the founding Executive Director of Champlain Area Trails (CATS), announced he will retire in December 2024 after 14 years. Under Maron’s leadership, CATS became an accredited land trust that developed miles of trails, protected land, publicized local hiking opportunities, and enabled thousands of people to connect with nature in New York’s Champlain Valley. [Read more…] about Founding Director of Champlain Area Trails Retiring
Father & Three-Year-Old Son Drown Cold Water Kayaking
On May 7th, 2021, at approximately 2:20 pm, State Police responded to the Willsboro Bay state boat launch for an overturned kayak. An investigation at the scene revealed that 28-year-old Patrick S. Wells, and his son, 3-year-old Beckett L. Wells, both of Willsboro, were kayaking in a single-person kayak when, for an unknown reason, they overturned into the cold waters of Lake Champlain. [Read more…] about Father & Three-Year-Old Son Drown Cold Water Kayaking
After Arson, Museum Sells Land To Conservancy
Long Pond Conservancy (LPC), working under the umbrella of Champlain Area Trails (CATS), has purchased a portion of the western shore of Long Pond in Willsboro, Essex County, NY.
The 48-acre parcel on the western shore of Long Pond was originally part of a 212-acre tract owned by the 1812 Homestead Living History Museum. In 2013, the museum board decided to sell a portion of their land to establish an endowment for the museum. Those needs shifted when an arsonist burned down most of their principal buildings in 2016, including the original farmhouse that was built around 1812.
[Read more…] about After Arson, Museum Sells Land To Conservancy