Human History edit
Before any settlements arrived on Lower St. Regis Lake, the lake was used for recreational purposes and as a food source. In 1858 Paul Smith bought land on Lower St Regis Lake.[1] Smith wanted to create a place for families to stay while he took the fathers and husbands out hunting.[2] As a result, the St. Regis House was created.[1] However, this house was not big enough for his guests, so he expanded the house to create the Paul Smith's Hotel.[1] As the hotel continued to grow a sawmill was added as well as 3 golf courses.[2] The hotel brought many tourists to the area to experience the great Adirondack Park.[1] Wealthy families who came to visit Paul Smith's Hotel then decided to build their own houses and camps on the lake.[3] Due to new settlements the overall development of Lower St. Regis increased 5 times its previous amount.[3] In 1946, Paul Smith's Hotel made a transition into Paul Smith's College.[2] Paul Smith's College has remained in that location since then. As a result of all these settlements, the Lower St. Regis Lake experienced extreme cases of eutrophication.[2] This was due to families dumping wastewater from bathrooms and kitchens straight into the lake.[2] Important homeowners such as Dr. E.L Trudeau, Phelps Smith, and Dr. Walter B. James were determined to help save the declining lake health by ensuring wastewater was disposed of properly instead of being dumped in the lake.[3] In addition, building any structure closer than 30ft from the shore was prohibited.[3]
- ^ a b c d Surprenant, Neil. Paul Smith's Adirondack Hotel and College. ISBN 978-1-4396-3707-4. OCLC 1015248326.
- ^ a b c d e Rechlin, Mike; Laxson, Corey; Milewski, Craig; Stager, Curt (n.d.). "An Environmental History of Lower St. Regis: Lake Degradation and the Path to Ecological Redemption". Retrieved March 3, 2023.
- ^ a b c d Laxson, Corey (January 11, 2022). "St. Regis: State of Lake Report 2021". Adirondack Watershed Institute. Retrieved March 4, 2023.