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CLA Official Discusses Harvesting Weeds

OBSERVER Photo by Gregory Bacon Doug Conroe with the Chautauqua Lake Association speaks at the Mayville Village Board meeting.

MAYVILLE – Doug Conroe with the Chautauqua Lake Association says they’re ready to get out and cut the weeds in the lake once again.

Conroe appeared at the recent Mayville Village Board meeting and thanked officials for continuing to contribute to the CLA. According to Mayor Rick Syper, the village has given the lake organization $3,000 this year.

Conroe notes the lake brings people to Mayville. “If you have a healthy lake, you have a healthy economy. An unhealthy lake, which we’re seeing in the south basin quite a bit, your property values are going to be affected, you’re economy is going to be affected, and your sales tax is going to be affected,” he said.

Conroe noted how they’re known as the organization that promotes harvesting weeds. “That’s because it works and it’s the least intrusive environmental action of lake maintenance that you can take. Everything else has more environmental negative aspects to it,” he said.

Mayville and the town of Chautauqua have refused to use herbicides on the lake, in part because Chautauqua Institution gets its water from the lake. The town also has a second water district that uses lake water as well, although that district is transitioning to groundwater.

Conroe agreed that harvesting isn’t perfect but believes it’s the best option. He cited a study that showed there was 1% difference between harvesting and herbicides, in terms of plant loss.

He argues that herbicides cause beaches to be closed. “Green water is a by-product of the unintended consequences of herbicide use. People don’t like me saying that, they don’t like talking about that, but it’s true and that’s why they have a problem down there (in the southern basin),” Conroe said.

According to Conroe, Chautauqua Lake has 33 species of plants in it. “Very few lakes have that amount, and that’s really, really good,” he said.

Conroe noted they have lake stewards who inspect boats to make sure they don’t bring foreign plants in the lake.

Conroe is an official trusted algal bloom reporter for the state Department of Environmental Conservation and works hard to identify harmful algal blooms. Generally the harmful algal blooms have not popped up in Mayville’s shoreline.

Conroe said they “support science” when it comes to fighting weeds and noted they’re working with a number of universities and other organizations about the best way to solve Chautauqua Lake’s problems. “We’re here to be part of the solution,” he said.

Although the CLA generally does not support using herbicides, Conroe said that is not an absolute position. “We believe there is a role for herbicides in Chautauqua Lake. The image out there is we’re opposed to that. Not at all. We believe that there are times and conditions when they are needed. Generally it’s for new and invasive species,” he said.

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