Have you passed through the hamlet of Upper Jay recently? If so, you likely noticed the work in the river upstream of the state Route 9N bridge. It’s the second project to be implemented in the comprehensive East Branch Restoration Plan. This 3,000 linear foot Ausable River Association project will create flood and ice resilience for the town of Jay and restore the natural form and function of this section of the East Branch, making it self-sustaining. The key is to narrow the channel and rebuild the riffle-pool structure that was damaged by log drives in the 19th century through the early 1920s and, later, by gravel mining. Native rock and stone are used to rebuild natural forms that allow water flows and sediment of all sizes to move efficiently through this long reach of river. The project will proceed through September. It’s part of a model effort that will help assess and restore the West Branch, the Boquet River and many other systems. If you’d like to know more, contact us.

Water quality monitoring never ceases. Our staff continues to monitor the entire Ausable River system every other week. Meanwhile, our extensive temperature logger network is recording a season of cooler water — the good side of all that rain. In partnership with Paul Smith’s College, we also continue to monitor Mirror Lake to understand how it may be recovering from heavy salt loading. In another partnership, working with scientists from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Cornell University, and others, we’re midway through a pilot effort to refine new research tools for the upcoming Survey of Climate Change in Adirondack Lake Ecosystems. And we’re expanding our efforts to look at pollution effects in a wider variety of waters through new partnerships. Stay tuned to learn more.

Native wildlife and native plants are a focus for our work. Are you streamwise? We’re promoting a new effort led by the Lake Champlain Basin Program to help streamside landowners assess their bankside plant habitats, awarding certificates to folks who maintain a healthy, native, 50-foot buffer. Call or email us to learn more. Got invertebrates? While high water has slowed us, our biodiversity science staff is finding short windows to safely and carefully sample fish, macroinvertebrates, algae, and more at key stream sites in the watershed. It’s the first step in our three-year effort to evaluate ecological uplift and microhabitat effects of stream restoration projects in the Ausable River Watershed.

If you are feeling left out, take action. Join us for a tour or tire pull. Our events page on our website will get you started. Or contactus@ausableriver.org for other ways to get involved.

And for goodness sake, join us at the very fun September Shindig on Wednesday, Sept. 20 at the Ausable Brewing Company in Keeseville. Great food and drink will be followed by our speaker, national stream restoration expert Rich Starr, and an incredible raffle. Seating is limited. Tickets are available on our website: ausableriver.org.

Too far away? Not able to join in but still want to support this work? The 50:50 matching challenge continues all summer. Every dollar you donate is matched 1:1. Our goal? Raise $100,000 to ensure that the projects above, and many more, can continue. You make the difference. Join us, support the science and stewardship that creates solutions for our waterways and our community.

(Kelley Tucker is the executive director of the Ausable River Association.)