Chautauqua Lake is pictured. Chautauqua Institution will host its annual lake conference on June 21.

The Chautauqua Institution Lake Conference will be returning to Chautauqua Golf Club this summer on Saturday, June 21 from 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. As in past years the event is free of charge and open to the public, but the Institution does ask that attendees register in advance via their website. Attendees can also submit questions to presenters during registration.

This year’s conference features a range of familiar faces as well as several first-time speakers. Dr. Kevin Rose is scheduled to begin the day’s talks with an update from The Jefferson Project, which has partnered with the Institution on its lake research program for the past five years. Dr. Rose and his team conduct water sampling and analysis throughout the summer and operate a network of environmental sensors, which includes stream monitoring stations and floating vertical profilers that collect data from the lake’s waters. These different data streams help the research team build advanced computer models of the lake environment that can be used to address problems like harmful algal blooms. Recently The Jefferson Project and Institution unveiled a dashboard displaying live lake data at chq.jeffersonproject.live/.

Dr. Courtney Wigdahl-Perry of the State University of New York at Fredonia is next on the dais. Dr. Wigdahl-Perry, working with students from the Fredonia Biology Department, has been active on the lake for the past decade, focusing research on local populations of algae and other microorganisms. This work involves looking at the many conditions that affect algae growth, such as temperature, oxygen, and nutrients.

Colleen Bradley and Ryan Bell will be on hand representing the New York State Department of Health at this year’s event. New to the Chautauqua Conference, Bradley and Bell are both New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission Environmental Analysts who will discuss drinking water source protection. Chautauqua Lake is a Class A waterbody that provides drinking water to many local residents and visitors.

Executive Director Randall Perry will be speaking on behalf of the Alliance, and providing an update on some of the watershed projects that the Alliance and its members have undertaken with local towns and villages. The talk will highlight the Grandview Stormwater Management Project in Lakewood, which is now nearing completion after six long years of work by project partners.

For a more in-depth look at some of the work being done on the Institution’s grounds, Betsy Burgeson will give the day’s final presentation. Burgeson is the Institution’s Supervisor of Gardens and Grounds. Climate resiliency and improvement of water quality continue to remain priorities for leadership and staff at the Institution, and Burgeson’s discussion will focus on models for effective stormwater management. She will also offer a walking tour of the Institution’s grounds following the day’s talks, which will begin at 1:30 p.m. at Miller Park.

John Shedd, Vice President of Campus Planning and Operations, and Mark Wenzler, Peter Nosler Director of the Chautauqua Climate Initiative, will coordinate the day’s events on behalf of the Institution. The day’s schedule and speakers may be subject to change. Thank you to all who have helped make this year’s conference possible. This event and others hosted by Alliance members offer important venues for the public to learn more about all the work being done to help understand and improve the lake and watershed.