Good News for Lake George: A Plan to Protect 431 Acres at Mud Pond West

There is wonderful news for everyone who loves the clear water and quiet shorelines of Lake George: the Lake George Land Conservancy has launched a campaign to permanently protect a 431-acre property known as Mud Pond West in the Town of Putnam. The effort would safeguard forests, wetlands, and wildlife habitat in the northeastern corner of the Lake George region, keeping one more beautiful piece of the Adirondack Park wild for generations to come.

A New Conservation Win Takes Shape

The Lake George Land Conservancy (LGLC) is the local nonprofit dedicated to protecting the lake and the lands that drain into it. Its newest project, the roughly $1.8-million campaign to acquire Mud Pond West, is one of its most ambitious in recent years.

The campaign already has strong momentum. The conservancy has been awarded a $50,000 grant toward the purchase through The Nature Conservancy in New York's Climate Resilience Grant Program, a vote of confidence in just how important this landscape is.

Where Is Mud Pond West?

The property sits in the Town of Putnam, in the Gull Bay area along the eastern side of Lake George. As the name suggests, it includes the western third of Mud Pond along with the forests that surround it.

This is classic Adirondack country: mixed woodlands, wetlands, and rolling terrain that feed cool, clean water down toward the lake. Protecting land like this upstream is one of the best ways to keep Lake George's famously clear water exactly that way.

Why This Land Matters for Wildlife and Water

The forests at Mud Pond West provide important habitat for so-called umbrella species, including bobcat, black bear, coyote, and fisher. When you protect enough wild land for these wide-ranging animals, you end up protecting countless smaller plants and creatures along with them.

Healthy forests and wetlands also act as natural filters and sponges, slowing runoff and trapping sediment before it can reach the lake. That means conserving this property is a direct investment in the water quality that swimmers, paddlers, and anglers enjoy every summer.

Connecting Thousands of Protected Acres

One of the most exciting parts of this project is how it stitches the landscape together. To the north, Mud Pond West nearly connects to more than 1,700 acres of protected land that includes the conservancy's Anthony's Nose and Sucker Brook Preserves.

To the south, it directly links to more than 1,000 acres and roughly three miles of lake shoreline, including the Clark Hollow Bay property protected back in 2022. Securing Mud Pond West would create a vast, connected corridor of wild land that wildlife can roam freely.

How You Can Help

Campaigns like this one come together thanks to the support of neighbors, visitors, and lake lovers near and far. The Lake George Land Conservancy welcomes donations toward the Mud Pond West goal, and there are always opportunities to volunteer, visit a preserve, or simply spread the word.

If you would like to learn more or pitch in, visit the conservancy at lglc.org. Every gift, large or small, helps keep this corner of the Adirondacks wild and beautiful.

Quick Facts

• Property: Mud Pond West, about 431 acres in the Gull Bay area of the Town of Putnam, NY.

• Organization: Lake George Land Conservancy (LGLC), based in the Lake George region of the Adirondack Park.

• Campaign goal: roughly $1.8 million to purchase and protect the land.

• Funding boost: a $50,000 grant from The Nature Conservancy in New York's Climate Resilience Grant Program.

• Wildlife: provides habitat for umbrella species such as bobcat, black bear, coyote, and fisher.

• Bigger picture: connects to more than 1,700 acres to the north and over 1,000 acres and about three miles of shoreline to the south.

• Learn more or donate: lglc.org.

Here's to the people working to keep Lake George clean, wild, and welcoming. If this story inspires you, consider supporting the Lake George Land Conservancy or visiting one of its preserves on your next trip to the lake.

See you around the lake,

Greetings From Lake George

Cover image generated by AI.