The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has proposed a ban on gasoline powered motorboats on Thirteenth Lake in northern Warren County, New York.
The 2005 Siamese Ponds Unit Management Plan indicates that the DEC has received “numerous letters and phone calls” on the issue. The complaints address the noise, air and water pollution, and impact on nesting loons and paddlers caused by motorboats.
Under the new regulation, electric motors would still be allowed on the lake. This would allow fishermen to troll and the mobility impaired to continue to access the lake and the Siamese Ponds Wilderness.
We’ve spent a great deal of time on 13th Lake, and it’s beautiful. There are very few lakes in the Adirondacks, accessible by car, that are as unspoiled. The lake is fairly well sheltered from wind, and it’s hard to imagine a reasonable use of the lake that isn’t possible with a quiet, smoke-free electric motor.
