Pictured above Chautauqua Lake Association staff remove logs collected from the lake during debris cleanup. Photo by CLA.

The Alliance wishes everyone a safe and enjoyable Memorial Day as we honor all those who have given their lives in service to our great nation.

Many of the in-lake management programs are ramping up as we enter the summer season and lake use picks up. The Chautauqua Lake Partnership coordinated with local municipalities on the targeted herbicide treatment of the early growing invasive curly-leaf pondweed on April 25 using Aquathol K. Those treatments took place on around 205 acres of water in the Town of Busti, Village of Lakewood, Town of Ellery, and Village of Bemus Point. Maps of the treatment areas can be found on the CLP’s website at chqlake.org. State permitting for proposed treatments of invasive Eurasian watermilfoil is in progress. These treatments have taken place in mid-June the past two years.

The Chautauqua Lake Association completed its debris cleanup program on Friday, May 17, removing 7.5 total truckloads of logs and debris to aid boater safety. The final stretch of this season opening cleanup took place near Mayville Park, Hartfield Bay, and Long Point. A week ago two crews began early season plant harvesting using three cutters, a transport, and a large truck. The crews will be based at the CLA shop in Lakewood and at Long Point. Workplans and updates can be found on the CLA’s Facebook page, which noted last week that “The south crew will begin clearing navigational lanes at the Celoron marinas. From there they will continue north along the east shore of Fluvanna, then in Burtis Bay. The mid lake crew will start in Stow working below and above the bridge to Tom’s Point, then move to Shore Acres/Arnold’s Bay area.” Later in June four Mobitracs operated by the Town of Chautauqua are expected to begin working with CLA to clean near shore areas lakewide. CLA shoreline cleanup crews are also expected to begin working around that time. The CLA’s watercraft steward program, which works with boaters to prevent the spread of invasive species, will once again be staffing inspectors at public launches on Chautauqua, Cassadaga Lake, and Lake Erie.

The Post-Journal has reported details on several different lake meetings that will be upcoming this summer. On Sunday, June 2 Chautauqua County will be hosting a symposium beginning at 8:30 a.m. at the Chautauqua Harbor Hotel in Celoron. Presenters will include staff from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, North Carolina State University, SUNY Oneonta, The Jefferson Project, US Army Corps of Engineers, and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. For a third consecutive year Chautauqua Institution will be hosting the 2024 Chautauqua Lake Conference at Chautauqua Golf Club on June 22 at 8:30 a.m. Researchers from The Jefferson Project, State University of New York at Fredonia, Oneonta, and NC State will deliver presentations. More information on those events can be found on the County Executive’s and Chautauqua Institution’s websites.

Over the past several years these lake events have been coordinated by different organizations, including the Alliance and the Institution, as a way of communicating research to the public. Their objectives and structure have evolved as data sets have expanded, research collaborations have been forged, and questions have been refined. This summer they are being expanded and adapted yet again as stakeholders continue to seek a more practical understanding of lake function, health, and management.

The County’s meeting will unite researchers with regulators from DEC and federal partners from the Army Corps. By putting these groups in dialogue with the public we aim to find more bright lines connecting impairments, like excess plant and harmful algae growth, to tangible next steps. Having established forums to bring stakeholders together, we are now seeing a collective push to make use of the insights that are coming from these initiatives. We have many to thank for these opportunities and encourage all those interested to participate. As you plan your summer on the lake don’t forget to visit the County Visitor’s Bureau’s website at tourchautauqua.com for updates on events.