After their chilly plunge–the water temperature is still hovering around 60 degrees–Jim Grant, accompanied by Larry and Karen Jacques, discussed their findings throughout the years and what locals can do to help the conservation efforts of the lake.

The effort to clean up Mirror Lake began almost 25 years ago with a small group of concerned locals. Grant, an avid triathlon participant at the time, said he was often disappointed to look down during his swim and see the layer of cans, bottles and other trash at the bottom of the lake. Since they had no scuba gear, he and a few others waded waist-deep into the water and picked up what they could. Grant recalls the massive trash bags full of bottles and cans that were hauled out of the water.

“[The lake] is quite clean now, but it’s been a twenty-five year effort,” he said.

Jacques, ex-captain of the Ironman safety dive team, is also familiar with the ongoing issue of trash piling up at the bottom of the lake. He and his wife, Karen, have been diving in the area for several years, and recall the “literally thousands of cans and bottles” that have been pulled out of the water by themselves and other like-minded divers.

Along with the routine trash the divers come across, they’ve also found some pretty interesting items along the way. Grant said he once found an entire parking meter, still full of change, that was dutifully returned to the village. Less surprising are the cellphones, wallets and a plethora of hockey pucks that sink to the bottom when the pond hockey rinks have melted away. Unfortunately, because fishing is allowed from the docks, there is an excessive amount of fishing line in the water. This creates a serious hazard for both swimmers and divers alike.

Karen laughs about the collection of antique bottles that her husband has found and decorated their home with — some dating back to the 1800s. Grant likes to give old pint bottles from the former Lake Placid Club’s creamery as gifts; he said they make great bud vases. While saltwater turns old bottles into what we know as sea glass, freshwater lakes preserve much of what is thrown into them, acting as a time capsule for any debris strewn along the bottom. Larry said this means that while you may think your trash disappears or disintegrates beneath the surface of the water, it will actually stay there for generations to come unless removed.

All three divers agreed that almost all of the pollution seen in Mirror Lake is entirely preventable, with Grant saying that “99% of the trash we see is nuisance trash.”

Reportedly, most of the trash is only a few feet from the shoreline–about as far as someone could throw a bottle–and then the amount of debris is drastically reduced. Because fresh water preserves trash that was left behind hundreds of years ago, everyone who appreciates Mirror Lake, locals and tourists alike, should be inspired to use one of the many nearby trash cans instead of carelessly littering.

The Mirror Lake Watershed Association is extremely grateful for these divers who so generously give their time to help clean up the lake. To learn more about the association’s volunteer efforts to protect the lake, go to mirrorlake.net or join them for their monthly meetings at 5 p.m. on the second Monday of each month, usually held on the second floor of the public beach house.

(Sophie Morelli is the summer watershed steward for Mirror Lake, working for the Paul Smith’s College Adirondack Watershed Institute. The North Elba LEAF grant to pay for the position was secured by the Mirror Lake Watershed Association.)