MORRISTOWN — Anglers, businesses and elected officials wrestling with dense weeds on Black Lake have landed a big backer.

U.S. Sen. Charles E. Schumer, D-N.Y., called Thursday on the Army Corps of Engineers to visit Black Lake and develop a plan to eradicate Eurasian milfoil, a dense invasive weed making navigation difficult.

"This plague of invasive weeds in Black Lake is devastating to boaters, anglers, homeowners and our tourism industry across St. Lawrence County, and it must be destroyed before further damage is done," Mr. Schumer said in a prepared statement. "The summer season just kicked off and we must do everything we can to encourage fishing and boating in our lakes and rivers. The Army Corps, which has the resources and expertise, needs to investigate and eliminate these invasive weeds in Black Lake before it's too late."

The senator's intervention comes a week after the Black Lake Invasive Weeds Committee agreed to hire a New Jersey environmental consultant to develop a management plan that will be forwarded to the state Department of Environmental Conservation. The state has set aside $5 million to deal with invasive species.

"Our goal is sooner rather than later," said Thomas A. Nichols, committee chairman.

Mr. Nichols, a county legislator, is a member of DEC's Invasive Species advisory board. He spoke days before Mr. Schumer's announcement about finding federal partners including the senator and Rep. John M. McHugh, R-Pierrepont Manor.

"There's a lot of interest," Mr. Nichols said. "Things are moving forward to put a plan together to go to DEC."

The study is expected to be submitted by late June. The town of Oswegatchie is fronting the money and the committee is looking for funds to cover the approximately $6,500 cost, Mr. Nichols said.

Control has proven elusive. Traditional methods, often repeated every year, can cost up to $2,000 an acre and take native plants with them, according to the University of Minnesota. That's bad because healthy native plant populations can prevent milfoil's spread.

Researchers are studying biological controls, including weevils that eat Eurasian milfoil. Some experiments have worked well but others have not, the University of Minnesota reported. The property association at Sylvia Lake, also in St. Lawrence County, has succeeded in controlling it through "hand harvest," but the spread there was not as extensive as in Black Lake.

At Lake Bonaparte, the conservation club has invested more than $75,000 over the past five years introducing milfoil weevils, a long-range solution that is starting to have a measurable effect, according to the club's newsletter. The money has come from lakeside landowners, the town of Diana and private and state grants.

Mr. Schumer's involvement could be the springboard the group needs. He called on the Army Corps in February 2007 to visit Chautauqua Lake, which also has had milfoil problems. The Corps came three months later and Mr. Schumer secured $50,000 for a study.

"Black Lake is one of the most scenic of lakes anywhere, and it is a magnet for sport fishermen," Mr. Schumer said. "The lake is at the heart of St. Lawrence-north country economy and quality of life, bringing in millions of dollars in tourism revenue for the area, and we must do everything in our power to preserve its beauty and vitality."

Times state editor Perry White contributed to this report.