The Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin Water Compact, a plan to protect the world's largest source of fresh water from outsiders, was passed Monday by the New York state Senate. A similar plan was embraced by the Assembly two months ago as part of an Earth Day environmental package. In order for New York State to enter into this compact, the State Assembly must pass the identical bill. 

The St. Lawrence River drainage basin extends south to include all of Lake George and parts of Saratoga, Warren and Washington counties, including South Bay near Whitehall.

The compact aims to join seven U.S. states and two Canadian provinces. So far only Minnesota have passed the act -- Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin are still deliberating. For the compact to take effect, all eight states and Congress must approve it by 2011.

The Times Union reported that Sue Senecah, a staffer for state Sen. George Maziarz, who supported the bill, said: "The states on the lake are most concerned about making sure that enough water gets back into the lakes to maintain ecological integrity."

Assemblyman Robert Sweeney, chairman of the Environmental Conservation Committee, recognized that "Somewhere down the road, there may be states with a need for more fresh water, like areas that have been experiencing droughts," Sweeney said.

Therefore, the compact committee is preparing for such circumstances and anticipating the best way to regulate the water supply and set up a plan of action to environmentally preserve the area.