Seneca-Keuka watershed partnership reports on local project progress

KEUKA LAKE -- Property owners around Keuka Lake may be noticing some changes in the impact of stormwater runoff now that work has begun on projects aimed at reducing the flow of phosphorus into the lake.
One project -- adjustments made to a tributary leading to Brandy Bay on the west side of the east branch -- has already reduced the sediments flushed into the lake, according to Colby Petersen, Keuka Watershed Manager. The Yates County Soil & Water Conservation District built weirs in the tributary and used rip rap to slow the flow of water which often carries pollutants that are known to increase the instance of harmful algal blooms (HABs).
This project, and more like it, are the result of the work done over the past five years to quantify the status of Seneca and Keuka Lakes, and develop a plan to improve the water quality in both lakes. The research and the resulting Seneca-Keuka Watershed Nine Element Plan for Phosphorus lays the groundwork for many more projects to be completed in the coming months and years, says Steve Butchko, former Wayne Town Supervisor and member of the Seneca-Keuka Watershed Partnership Executive Committee. That committee secured the funding and guided the process which resulted in the plan's approval by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and the Department of State.
The plan includes an extensive matrix that prioritizes potential actions in six categories: Hydrologic Resilience, Best Management Practices on Working Landscapes, Wastewater Management, Invasive Species Management, Local Laws, and Education, Outreach and Economic Development.
Butchko, Petersen, Seneca Watershed Steward Ian Smith, and Executive Committee member Mark Morris presented a progress report to the Keuka Watershed Improvement Cooperative (KWIC) Nov. 28.
The plan, structured around nine elements identified by the Environmental Protection Agency, identifies the causes and sources of non-point source pollution, involves key stakeholders in the planning process, and identifies restoration and protection strategies. It is a working plan that will be implemented throughout the entire watershed for years, according to Butchko.
The plan uses two types of models to predict the impact of a proposed project in a specific sub-watershed.
The 800 ft. long Brandy Bay project cost $60,000, and $300,000 will be needed to complete another 2400 feet of improvements, says Petersen. Securing those funds is one reason the watershed's plan is so important. Butchko calls the approved plan a "membership card" that improves the chances of winning state or federal grants to help pay for such projects. He says just having an approved plan adds up to 70 points toward the 100 points needed for securing a grant.
Other projects that have either been recently completed or begun around Keuka Lake include:
• 150 ft. of weirs in the headwaters of Sugar Creek
• New 12-inch diameter drainage pipe installation in the town of Pulteney. Petersen says such installations from the 1960s and 1970s are beginning to fail.
• Vineyard sprayers are now available in every township in the Keuka watershed
• Facilities on farms for safely containing chemicals that might spill during mixing of fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides
• Expansion of the wastewater inspection area in the Keuka watershed
Potential future projects for the Keuka watershed include:
• Development of a lake level management pool to keep Keuka's lake level closer to the established model and to make Keuka's outflow more natural.
• Green infrastructure project for Penn Yan, similar to those recently completed in Dundee and Geneva. These projects help manage stormwater runoff.
• Planting trees in open areas, such as near the Hammondsport school.
Background
The Seneca-Keuka Watershed spans 712 square miles and stretches from the Town of Italy in western Yates County to the Town of Hector in eastern Schuyler County; from the Town of Horseheads in Chemung County to the Town of Geneva in Ontario County; and from the Town of Fayette in Seneca County to the Town of Urbana in Steuben County. Seneca and Keuka Lakes contain more than 50 percent of the water of the 11 Finger Lakes and they are joined by a natural waterway, the Keuka Outlet, historically known as Minnesetah River.
The project is sponsored with funding provided by the New York State Department of State under Title 11 of the Environmental Protection Fund. Additional funding is provided by Seneca Watershed Intermunicipal Organization, Seneca Lake Pure Waters Association, Keuka Watershed Improvement Cooperative, Keuka Lake Association, The Finger Lakes Institute at Hobart and William Smith Colleges, Seneca County, Schuyler County, Ontario County, Yates County, Steuben County, and Corning Inc.
For more information about the Seneca-Keuka Watershed Partnership contact Ian Smith at 315-781-4559 or ismith@hws.edu, or Colby Petersen at 315-536-5188 or Colby@ycsoilwater.com.