Home » Travel » Adirondack Mountains » F is for Floating Classroom

F is for Floating Classroom

© Gary W. Taylor

This time of year, my wife and I are always thinking about everyone getting ready to go back to school. The teachers are preparing their rooms and lesson plans, the parents are buying new clothes and supplies for their children, and the kids - they're just excited!

We used to be the same way, prepping for school, getting ready to start another year. Since we retired from teaching in 1998, we look at everyone's prepping to go back differently. We honestly don't miss it, but we do think about it (less each year!)

So, with that in mind, I thought it would only be appropriate to write an article about a "floating classroom" on Lake George. The Lake George Association started the Floating Classroom in 1991. More than 1,000 students participate in the program each year.

Participants spend two hours on a commercial vessel on Lake George and two hours at Up Yonda Farm in Bolton. Reservations are required as well as a $15 fee per person.

The vessel presents a hands-on program on the water. Once anchored, the students conduct experiments, collect data using secchi disks, plankton nets, and other limnological equipment. They then decipher the information from these tests to determine the water quality of the lake.

A secchi disk is 8 inches in diameter with alternating white and black quadrants. It is used to determine the transparency of the water. The disk is lowered into the water until it is no longer visible. This point is called the "secchi depth" and is measured in meters from the surface of the water. This determines the clarity of the water in that area. The water clarity is affected by many factors. Decaying plants, algae, waves, run-off, and suspended sediments are just a few.

There are still areas of the lake that we anchor in that are crystal clear at depths of more than 20 feet. My secchi disk is my white anchor and my depth meter on my boat. It works great!

The 2-hour part of the program that is held at Up Yonda Farm in Bolton allows students to see what aspects of the land affect the water quality. Different soil types and construction run-off can greatly affect the water quality. A few years ago, the pH of the lake was affected in the southern basin by new construction. Zebra mussels got their start due to the run-off from new construction cement work. Check out my article Z is for Zebra Mussels for more information on them.