OUR PROGRAMS AND ONGOING EFFORTS

Lake Friendly Living

To learn more about Lake Friendly Living, and the Owasco Lake Watershed Management Council's involvement in The Lake Friendly Living Coalition of the Finger Lakes, please utilize the following link:

Click here to learn more about Lake Friendly Living

For Reporting Water Quality Concerns:

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Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs)

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HAB Surveillance Program (NYSDEC)
- A map of reported HABs in the last two weeks, and archived HAB locations
Suspicious Algal Bloom Report Form (NYSDEC)
- See something that looks like a HAB? Report it!
Advanced HABS monitoring buoy (USGS)
- Water quality monitoring locations and data available through the USGS

Owasco Lake Watershed Rules and Regulations

Project Update

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The Owasco Lake Watershed Rules and Regulations (WRR) Update Project is an important water quality initiative being undertaken by the Owasco Lake Watershed Management Council.

The project goal is to update and revise the 1984 Owasco Lake Watershed Rules and Regulations, through a thoughtful and engaged public participation process resulting in effective and equitable watershed regulations that will help to improve, protect and preserve water quality within Owasco Lake and it’s 208 square mile watershed for the benefit of current and future generations.

NYS Department of Health-- State Consensus Project Updates:

7.19.22 Monthly Owasco WRR Update for OLWMC

8.16.22 Monthly Owasco WRR Update for OLWMC

9.20.2022 Monthly Owasco WRR Update for OLWMC

10.18.2022 Monthly Owasco WRR Update for OLWMC

11.15.2022 Monthly Owasco WRR Update for OLWMC

12.20.2022 Monthly Owasco WRR Update for OLWMC

1.17.2023 Monthly Owasco WRR Update for OLWMC

2.21.2023 Monthly Owasco WRR Update for OLWMC

3.21.2023 Monthly Owasco WRR Update for OLWMC

4.18.2023 Monthly Owasco WRR Update for OLWMC

5.16.2023 Monthly Owasco WRR Update for OLWMC

6.20.2023 Monthly Owasco WRR Update for OLWMC

7.18.2023 Monthly Owasco WRR Update for OLWMC

8.15.2023 Monthly Owasco WRR Update for OLWMC

9.19.2023 Monthly Owasco WRR Update for OLWMC

10.17.2023 Monthly Owasco WRR Update for OLWMC

11.21.2023 Monthly Owasco WRR Update for OLWMC

12.19.2023 Monthly Owasco WRR Update for OLWMC

1.16.2024 Monthly Owasco WRR Update for OLWMC

2.20.2024 Monthly Owasco WRR Update for OLWMC

Community Project Highlights

Willow Planting

On April 17, nearly 2,500 willow canes were planted along 1,400 feet of Veness Brook and farmer Todd DuMond's crop field. These willows will create a filtration buffer that will capture sediment and material from the field, and from upstream, before it can reach Owasco Lake.

Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs)

Owasco Lake has increasingly experienced Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs), in part due to nutrient additions that promote the growth of Cyanobacteria. HABs can reduce property values, inhibit recreational opportunities, and degrade water quality.

Owasco Lake Sediment Plume

Sediment can carry nutrients to Owasco Lake that feed toxic algae and aquatic weeds.

Erosion

Streambank erosion can create unpleasant sediment plumes, lead to toxic Harmful Algal Blooms, and suffocate fish and aquatic invertebrates.

Emerson Park

The Owasco Lake Watershed

Owasco Lake

Pier and sand bar

Emerson Park Raingarden

The October 23, 2021 planting event attracted community involvement and volunteerism for beautifying Emerson Park and demonstrated a recommended practice for capturing runoff and settling sediments. Raingardens are considered ‘green infrastructure’ practices. Green infrastructure is a recommended strategy within multiple watershed and lake management plans. 100 selected native and wet-tolerant plants were planted in a 500 ft2 area. The OLWMC thanks its project partners, including the Owasco Watershed Lake Association (OWLA), Cayuga County Parks and Trails, Wegmans Food Markets, and the community volunteers that committed their time and assistance.

Fillmore Nature Preserve

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In January of 2023, a 161-acre parcel in the Town of Sempronius was transferred from The Nature Conservancy to the Owasco Lake Watershed Management Council (OLWMC). The parcel was acquired by the Conservancy through a Water Quality Improvement Project grant from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) to help protect drinking water supplies and reduce contributors to harmful algal blooms. The transfer of this parcel, as an important natural resource and source for public drinking water, to OLWMC is part of the Conservancy’s effort to empower local community organizations in managing water resources.

The protection of the 161-acre property, called the Fillmore Nature Preserve, is critical for protecting water quality in Owasco Lake, which provides drinking water to more than 70% of Cayuga County. A study by The Nature Conservancy ranked the property within the top 10 parcels in the Owasco Lake watershed with the greatest impact on water quality. The land includes diverse forests and approximately 40 acres of freshwater wetlands and is located near the birthplace of President Millard Fillmore and Fillmore Glen State Park.

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On May 22, 2023, student conservation work at the Fillmore Nature Preserve was one of the activities included as part of Moravia High School 'Moravia Gives Back Day.' Students picked up litter along the roadway adjacent to the preserve, pulled invasive species and identified species to inform a conservation database. Using a Fillmore Nature Preserve survey map from Cayuga County Imagemate, the group used boundaries to create a map in Google Earth that was uploaded to iNaturalist, a program that tracks species identified during field surveys. Effectively, Moravia High School students were the first to assess biodiversity at the preserve. Now, every time someone uses iNaturalist to identify a species found there, the uploaded information will contribute to the initiated project.

The Fred L. Emerson Foundation provided $9,117 for the OLWMC’s Fillmore Nature Preserve-Conservation Education Kiosk, Access Lot, and Trail Network project to fund the creation of a public access lot and educational kiosk at the nature preserve. The lot was created with in-kind services provided by the Towns of Moravia and Summerhill Highway Departments. On May 25, 2024, the implementation of a perennial pollinator wildflower garden at the Fillmore Nature Preserve, positioned around the perimeter of a newly created public access lot, acted as a collaborative Lake Friendly Living public event. OWLA provided materials and volunteer services for the event.

An educational kiosk positioned on the lot provides information about the value of land preserves, native plants, and associated ecosystem services. The grand opening of the Fillmore Nature Preserve was held November 7, 2024 with promotional support provided by Cayuga County Chamber of Commerce, Cayuga County WQMA and the Citizen Newspaper.

The OLWMC applied for, and received, program support for the creation and posting of trails within the Fillmore Nature Preserve through a Cornell University program called Design Connect. They assessed the conditions and locations of the existing trail network and gathered information for mapping and marking the trails. Their team worked with the OLWMC on a trail map and the educational kiosk panel.

The OLWMC received a plant inventory of terrestrial invasive and sensitive native species from the Finger Lakes Partners for Regional Invasive Species Management (PRISM). With the help of the Cayuga County Department of Planning and Economic Development, the OLWMC applied for and received a ‘boot brush station’ from the Finger Lakes PRISM. PRISM provided plant pictures, descriptions and relevant information for inclusion on the installed boot brush station.