×

Chautauqua Institution: Herbicides May Increase Algae Blooms

Chautauqua Lake pictured at sunset. Photo by D. Arlene Bonnett

Chautauqua Institution has filed a lawsuit against the town of Ellery and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation for not providing a “comprehensive study” on the use of herbicides on Chautauqua Lake, a move the institution has described as adverse to the long-term health of the lake.

Michael Hill, institution president, and John Shedd, vice president for campus planning and operations, shared their feelings on the situation and hoped that everyone involved would be equally committed to the health of the lake and its residents.

“Our biggest concerns lately have been related to algae,” Shedd said.

It is the opinion of the institution’s scientific counsel that herbicide treatment that was approved by the DEC may have caused the growth of algal blooms. A recent increase in algal blooms has worried the institution and concerned officials about the potability of their drinking water and the health of aquatic species.

“We’ve had quite a few years of experience on the lake looking at the conditions,” Shedd said. With their own waterfront system, Shedd and his team are responsible for its health and have put into place multiple long-term measures to ensure water quality in the future. Among these projects are the installation of rain gardens and other stormwater management projects.

Chautauqua Institution President Michael E. Hill P-J photo by A.J. Rao

Chautauqua has implemented wetlands to slow runoff as soil filters water before it flows into tributaries that lead into Chautauqua Lake. Native plants help filter out phosphorus and nitrogen, the two main nutrients that can pollute the lake. Stone wiers allow these nutrients along with unwanted sediment to settle while water runs into the lake.

For institution residents, trees are required on property to help absorb runoff. “No mow zones” keep the grass long and better able to absorb water. Subsurface detention systems also hold water in place. Maximum impervious surfaces have also been found to reduce nutrient runoff into the lake once they were installed. Chautauqua tests all projects to make sure they better the health of the lake and don’t want their efforts undone by what they view as dangerous herbicide use.

“That’s what we’re hoping to be: a model community,” Shedd said of their numerous watershed projects.

Shedd said these projects provide a long-term approach to lake health instead of the quick fix he considers herbicides. Their scientific counsel agrees.

Hill wanted to clear up a misperception that the institution is not in support of herbicides. Rather, he expressed they are in favor of better, more time-intensive research that makes an effort to understand whether the benefits of herbicides will outweigh the potential dangers.

P-J file photo

“We’re asking for a thoroughness of the study,” Hill said. “That’s all we’ve ever been asking for.”

“Just dumping herbicides in the lake is a poor approach,” Shedd said.

They both emphasized the lawsuit originated because of the way they felt the study was handled, namely through a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement. With no comprehensive study, Chautauqua argues that applications of herbicides should have never been approved by the DEC.

“Herbicides can potentially be a tool,” Shedd said. “(The SEIS) is used as the basis for future actions.”

While it remains unknown whether locals have become sick due to drinking water at Chautauqua, Hill and Shedd said they were interested in the long-term health of both its residents and local wildlife.

Chautauqua Institution argues that the town of Ellery did not engage the community enough through a seeker process and did not answer the concerns of residents, including representatives of Chautauqua.

Hill mentioned that the scientific counsel of Chautauqua Institution did not think enough positive information was found in the SEIS that encouraged the DEC to approve the spraying of herbicides.

“We’re saying the answers were not provided properly,” Hill said. “A lot of these questions were very thoroughly asked, and it’s their responsibility to answer these questions.”

Chautauqua is also arguing that Ellery is unfit to be the lead agent on Chautauqua Lake. They hope for a county coalition to be established in the future and that a broader range of community members’ opinions be taken into account.

“No one community should own the lead status on this,” Shedd said.

Hill and Shedd hope no more permits for spraying are issued without more comprehensive studies done first. It is also their hope that the original study is finished according to their standards before the case goes to court Oct. 4.

“It’s always been our goal to be in constructive conversation with all the partners of the lake,” Hill said. “We’re optimistic that everybody is looking for the same outcome.”

Ellery Town Supervisor Arden Johnson met last Thursday concerning the lawsuit and is turning the matter over to the town’s environmental attorney for recommendations for how to proceed.

Johnson reiterated that they conducted the SEIS legally and that they filed for DEC approval, which was given and allowed for permits to spray herbicides.

“The spraying is working,” Johnson said. “The town of Ellery still needs support spraying.”

Johnson mentioned that he is “very confident” in the impact study they conducted and wants to continue spraying in the future. He noted the rotten smell and color have cleared from their area of the lake. After spraying, Bemus Bay is clear as well.

Surprised by the lawsuit, Johnson left no further comment.

Newsletter

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *
   

COMMENTS

Starting at $4.62/week.

Subscribe Today