BLOOM: The Toxic Threat to the Finger Lakes
(NATURE SOUNDS) (BIRDS CHIRPING) (SOUNDS OF WAVES CRASHING ON THE SHORE) (SOUNDS OF KEYBOARD CLICKING) TOXIC ALGAE IS DEFINITELY A NEW PROBLEM. WHEN I WAS GROWING UP WE NEVER HAD ANY OUTBREAKS, AT LEAST NONE THAT I EVER FLUE ANYTHING ABOUT. SINCE THE 2017 FLOOD THERE HAS BEEN A FEW. YOU CAN'T GO SWIMMING.
HAVE YOU TO MAKE SURE YOUR PETS STAY OUT OF THE WATER. IT HAS CHANGED HOW WE FEEL ABOUT SUMMERS. WE HAVE BEEN DEALING WITH BLOOMS IN FRESH WATER RESOURCES FOR A WHILE. IN 2014, I WANT TO TAKE YOU BACK TO WHAT HAPPENED IN LAKE ERIE, THE LARGEST BLOOMS WE HAD EVEN AND IT DISRUPTED THE DRUNKING WATER SUPPLY FOR THE CITY OF TOLEDO. IT WAS SO THICK THAT THEY HAD TO SHUT DOWN THE DRINKING WATER INTAKES IN LAKE ERIE AND SO THAT IS ALL THE PUBLIC WATER COMING INTO A COMMUNITY, SO NO SHOWERING, NO WASHING DISHES, YOU HAD TO BE CAREFUL WHAT WAS USED FROM THE TAP. >> WHAT HAPPENED IS THE CHEMISTRY INSIDE OF THE METABOLISM OF THE LAKE CHANGED SO THE LOADING LEVELS THAT WE WERE HITTING BEFORE WITH THE LIMITS ON THE NUTRIENTS WERE BEING MET BUT THE LAKE WAS RESPONDING DIFFERENTLY SO THAT OUR MANAGEMENT STYLES HAD TO CHANGE DRAMATICALLY.
SO FAST FORWARD TO 2017, WE SAW VERY SIMILAR HOT WEATHER PATTERNS, INTENSIVE STORMS THAT BROUGHT IN LOADING OF THE MATERIALS THAT BROUGHT IN PHOSPHOROUS, MANURE IN THE SOILS THAT FUELED LARGE ALGAE GROWTH. >> THOSE ARE THE TWO NUTRIENTS YOU NEED, PHOSPHOROUS AND NITROGEN. IN THE FINGER LAKES SYSTEM, THE MORE IMPORTANT ONE IS PHOSPHOROUS. IF YOU LOOK AT THE RATIO OF PHOSPHOROUS TO NITROGEN, THERE IS MORE THAN ENOUGH NITROGEN. YOU USE UP AVAILABLE PHOSPHOROUS FIRST.
SO WHEN YOU TRACK WHAT YOU NEED TO HAVE A PLOOM, YOU START MEASURING TOES FRUSES. THEY'RE NOT ALWAYS TOXIC BY CYANBACTERIA CAN PRODUCE THE TOXINS. IT'S A PHOTOSYNTHETIC ORGANISM. THEY'RE COMMONLY KNOWN AS BLUE GREEN ALGAE.
SOME OF THE OLDEST LIVING ORGANISMS ON EARTH, 3.5 BILLION YEARS OLD. THEY'RE THOUGHT TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR BRINGING OXYGEN INTO THE ENVIRONMENT OF EARTH.
CYANBACTERIA'S CLAIM TO FAME IS THAT THEY PRODUCE TOXINS. SOME OF THE TOXINS YOU GET A SCUN RASH. OTHER IS GIVE YOU DIE REARIA AND GASTROINTESTINAL TOXINS BUT THE THIRD TYPE YOU CAN DIE FROM IF YOU GET A HIGH ENOUGH DOSE. >> WE ARE LOOKING HERE SOME LAKE SAMPLES FROM THE FINGER LAKES AND LOOKING AT THE CYANBACTERIA THAT ARE PRESENT. WE SEE A LOT OF MICROCYSTIS HERE AND ONE OF THE THINGS YOU NOTICE ABOUT THE MICROCYSTIS IS THESE ARE COLONIAL FORMS. MUCH HARDER TO INGEST BY ZOO BLANK HOIF HIVE ZOOPLANKTON AND OTHER FEATURES.
THEY CAN FLOAT ON THE SURFACE. THEY CAN MOVE UP AND DOWN IN THE WATER COLUMN. AND ONCE THEY START TO GROW VERY QUICKLY, THEY CAN SHADE OUT OTHER COMPETING PHYTOPLANKTON. OWASCO LAKE WAS THE FIRST FINGER LAKE TO HAVE A RECOGNIZED BLOOM IN 2016. WHAT IS CAUSING IT NOW TO BLOOM? SO THIS IS WHERE THE SCIENTISTS AND THE RESEARCHERS ARE HELPING US IDENTIFY WHAT HAS CHANGED. >> PEOPLE WERE PARTICULARLY SURPRISED WHEN SKANEATELES LAKE EXPERIENCED A CYANBACTERIA OUTBREAK AND THAT'S BECAUSE OF THE CHARACTER OF THE LAKE AND ITS WATER CHEMISTRY AND SO ON.
THAT SIGNALED TO FOLKS THAT OUR SITUATION HAS CHANGED. THAT WE CAN'T TAKE THIS WATER QUALITY FOR GRANTED ANYMORE. THAT'S PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT IN SKANEATELES BECAUSE IT'S THE UNFILTERED DRINKING WATER SUPPLY FOR SYRACUSE. THE OTHER LAKES ARE USED FOR PUBLIC WATER SUPPLIES. BUT ALL THAT WATER IS FILTERED BEFORE IT GOES INTO PEEP'S HOMES. >> HARMFUL ALGAE BLOOMS WHETHER THEY'RE TOXIC OR NOT IMPACT OUR WATER QUALITY IN THE FINGER LAKES.
IT LIMITS SWIMMING, LIMITS FISHING. IF IT IS IMPACTING THE DEPTHS OF WATER SUPPLY INTAKES, THAT CAN BE A MANAGEMENT OPPORTUNITY THAT FOLKS HAVE TO DO TO TREAT THAT WATER. IT'S AN ESTIMATED 1 TO 1.5 MILLION PEOPLE THAT UTILIZE THE WATER OF THE FINGER LAKES AS PUBLIC WATER SUPPLY.
>> WORST CASE SCENARIO WE ARE FIGURING OUT RIGHT NOW, IF NOTHING IS DONE, THE PICTURE IS SAD. IT WILL BE REALLY HOT, WE WON'T HAVE A PLACE TO GO SWIMMING, WE WON'T HAVE A PLACE TO GET WATER. SPEND MORE MONEY FOR TREATMENT OR ALTERNATIVE WATER SUPPLIES AND IT'S GOING TO IMPACT BUSINESSES AND OUR QUALITY OF LIFE.
(NATURE SOUNDS) I LIKE TO THINK OF THE WATERSHED AS A BOWL. AND THE LIP OF THE BOWL ARE THE HILLS AND WATER RUNS DOWNHILL. AND WHEN IT RINSE RAINS, YOU ONT GET THE WATER IN YOUR BOWL IN YOUR WATERSHED. IT WAS AN EPIPHANY.
I LOVE THIS, FOR US TO UNDERSTAND THE CONCEPT OF A WATERSHED. PEOPLE DIDN'T KNOW WHERE THE CLOUDS ENDED OR HOW MUCH WATER THEY HAD TO WORK WITH AND IT WAS DONE WITH POLITICAL BOUNDARIES. ONCE WE KNEW THERE WAS A WATERSHED, IT DEFINED WHO YOUR NEIGHBORS WERE. THE KEY STAKEHOLDERS THAT HAD TO WORK TOGETHER. NOT BASED IN POLITICS.
IT'S WHO IS IN THE BOWL THAT HAS TO SHARE THE WATER WITH YOU. DATE LITTLE BACK TO THE CONCEPT OF WATERSHED, IT DOESN'T JUST DETERMINE THE QUANTITY OF WATER HAVE YOU TO WORK WITH. IT DETERMINES THE QUALITY. BECAUSE WHEN IT'S FALLING FROM THE SKY, IT'S PRETTY MUCH PURE H20 BUT AS IT FLOWS THROUGH THE WATERSHED, THE LANDSCAPE PICKS STUFF UP.
SOME OF IT IS NATURAL, LIKE DISSOLVED LIMESTONE BUT IT PICKS UP THINGS THAT HUMANS HAVE ADDED IN THE LANDSCAPE. IN THE CASE OF SEPTIC SYSTEMS OR FERTILIZERS FOR YOUR LAWN AND MANURE AND PESTICIDES THROUGH ALL THAT LANDSCAPE, THE WATER, AS IT MOVES THROUGH THE WATERSHED PICKING UP ALL THESE THINGS THAT MAKES THE WATER UNHEALTHY FOR HUMANS OR FISH AND ORGANISMS THAT LIVE THERE. WE GOT RID OF THE TREES AND VEGETATION IN MANY PLACES. THE SOIL IS NOT NICE AND ORGANIC WITH LEAVES.
IT'S VERY MINERAL SO THERE IS NOT THAT SPONGE TO ABSORB THE WATER. >> TO REDUCE THE WATER COMING IN, REDUCE THE SPEED, NOT THE QUANTITY. BUT THE SPEED.
BUT YOU WANT TO SLOW IT DOWN OVER TIME AND LET IT SOAK IN SO IT GETS THE BENEFIT OF THE NATURAL FILTRATION. WE CAN TAKE REALLY STRONG MANAGEMENT EFFORTS TO REDUCE THE NUTRIENTS THAT ARE FLOWING IN AND THE DISRUPTION THAT THEY CAUSE FOR OUR REGULAR DAILY LIVES. >> IF THE WATER IS CARRYING NUTRIENTS OFF YOUR FARM, IT'S NOT DOING YOUR CROPS ANY GOOD.
TWIN BIRCH DAIRY AND WE ARE PRIMARILY A DAIRY FARM. WE GROW THE CROPS TO FEED THE DAIRY AND WE PRODUCE ABOUT 44 MILLION POUNDS OF MILK A YEAR WE WOULD RATHER HARVEST THE NUTRIENTS THROUGH OUR CROPS AND PUT IT BACK THROUGH THE COWS. NORMALLY THIS WOULD BE BARE GROUND. BUT WE'VE GOT THE WHEAT AS A COVER CROP PLANTED AND THE HOOTS, YOU CAN SEE HOW THE ROOTS REALLY GOT HOLD OF THE GROUND PT THAT HELPS HOLD IT AND KEEP IT OUT OF THE WATER, OUT OF THE LAKE. PROVIDING THERE IS A LOT MORE ROOT SYSTEM THAN YOU SEE ON TOP.
OTHERWISE THE SOIL WOULD BE LOOSE. IF IT WAS BARE LIKE THIS, IT WOULD JUST BE LOOSE AND COULD RUN AWAY WHEN THE SNOW MELTS OFF OR WHEN IT RAINS HARD. >> SOIL HEALTH IS THE FOUNDATION OF EVERYTHING THAT WE DO IN THE WATERSHED. SOIL HEALTH IS SOUR SOIL'S ABILITY TO HAVE ORGANIC MATTER AND MICROORGANISMS TO BE BETTER SPONGE TO ABSORB THE STORM EVENTS WE GET ON A FAIRLY REGULAR BASIS. >> IF IT IS RUNNING SOIL OFF OUR FARMS, THAT IS VALUABLE RESOURCE. YOU ONLY GET ONE CHANCE AT IT.
>> THE KEY PIECE WHERE THESE THINGS THAT WE THINK ABOUT, THE ROADSIDE DITCH, THE DEPRESSION THAT RUNS ON BOTH SIDES OF EVERY ROAD. THESE ROADSIDE DITCHES HAVE BEEN CAPTURING RUNOFF. THE PROBLEM IS THAT THEY DON'T JUST CAPTURE RUNOFF FROM THE ROAD. IN MANY CASES WHAT HAPPENS IS THERE IS A HILL ADJACENT TO THE ROADSIDE DITCH LIKE THIS ONE. WHEN WATER RUNS OFF OF THAT LAND, IT GOES INTO THE DITCH.
WHEN THAT RAIN OCCURS, THAT WATER COMES DOWN THIS HILL, IT'S INTERCEPTED BY THE DITCH AND SHOVES IT RAPIDLY DOWN SLOPE. THE MAJORITY OF THESE DITCHES CAPTURE ABOUT A QEART OF THE RUNOFF OF THE STUDIES WE'VE DONE IN NEW YORK STATE. WE WORRY ABOUT NUTRIENTS COMING OFF THE WATERSHED, GOING INTO THE LAKES AND MAYBE CONTRIBUTING TO THE TOXIC ALGAE BLOOMS. NOT ALL THE REASONS ARE CLEAR WHY WE ARE GETTING HABS WHERE WE DIDN'T BEFORE.
BUT NUTRIENTS SEEM TO BE A PART. >> I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO AVOID THE TEND INCY TO POINT AND BLAME ONE ENTITY. IT'S A COLLECTIVE SOCIETAL ISSUE AND IT REQUIRES A COMPREHENSIVE AND SOPHISTICATED SOCIETAL RESPONSE.
AND WE'VE DONE THIS BEFORE. IT'S DOABLE. WE JUST HAVE TO DOUBLE DOWN AND ADAPT TO THE NEW METABOLISM OF OUR FINGER LAKES. (SOUND OF RUSHING WATER) >> AUGUST OF 2021, WE HAD BACK-TO-BACK STORMS, OR TWO SEPARATE FLOODING EVENTS. I WAS OUT OF TOWN.
I WAS IF CHICAGO. AS WE ARRIVED, I WAS GETTING PICTURES AND PHONE CALLS FROM MY NEIGHBORS ABOUT A FLOOD. SO I WASN'T ACTUALLY HERE FOR THE EVENT, BUT I WAS CERTAINLY HERE FOR THE AFTERMATH. AS HAPPENED IN 2017, SO MUCH WATER CAME DOWN, THAT THE WATER BROUGHT DOWN TREE TRUNKS AND LIMBS AND ROCKS AND ALL SORTS OF DEBRIS WHICH AGAIN JAMMED UP THE BRIDGE OVER THE ROAD AND AS SOON AS THE BRIDGE JAMMED UP, WATER WENT EVERYWHERE. A LOT OF YARDS WERE RIPPED OUT AND DESTROYED. A LOT OF THAT STILL HASN'T BEEN REPAIRED YET.
(SOUNDS OF WATER FALLING) OUR REAL TRAUMA FROM THE 2017 FLOOD WAS IN THE FLOOD CONTROL MEASURES THAT WE PUT IN. WE HAVE A FLOOD WALL AROUND THE OUTSIDE OF OUR HOUSE TO, AGAIN, HOPEFULLY CATCH THE WATER IN THE EVENT OF A MAJOR FLOOD. THAT WAS PRETTY PRICEY. AND FLOOD INSURANCE DOESN'T COVER THAT KIND OF A LOSS, SO IT WAS BASICALLY ON OUR DIME THAT WE DID ALL THAT. >> HOW MUCH ARE WE TALK TALKING? >> HONESTLY ABOUT 80,000 BUCKS. >> THE FINGER LAKES IS A SMALL REGION COMPARED TO THE FLOW BUT THE FINGER LAKES REALLY MIRROR THE TYPES OF IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE, THE CHANGES IN CLIMATE THAT MOST PLACE AS ROUND THE EARTH HAVE SEEN.
I WOULD PUT THE FIRST THING ON THERE IS JUST THE WARNING-- THE WARMING OF AVERAGE TEMPERATURES, PARTICULARLY THE WARMING OF AVERAGE TEMPERATURES IN THE WINTER. I THINK THE OTHER THING IS ON THE PRECIPITATION SIDE OF THINGS. REALLY BEEN AN INCREASE IN EXTREME RAINFALL. IF WE LOOK AT OUR AVERAGE RAINFALL ACROSS THE YEAR, IT'S GONE UP. IT'S GONE UP BY GIVE OR TAKE A FEW PERCENTAGES. WHAT HAS CHANGED IS THE CHARACTER IN WHICH THAT RAINFALL COMES.
BUT WE ARE ALSO SEEING HIGHER RAINFALL INTENSITIES. SO IT'S THE FACT THAT WHEN IT RAINS ON A PARTICULAR DAY, IT RAINS MORE ON THOSE DAYS THAN IT DID IF WE SPREAD THAT OUT OVER A LOT OF DAYS UP. STORMS ABSOLUTELY HAVE GOTTEN WORSE OVER THE COURSE OF CERTAINLY MY LIFETIME. WE SEEM NOT TO HAVE QUITE AS MANY HUGE SNOWSTORMS THAN WHAT I REMEMBER AS A KID.
WE ALSO NEVER USED TO GET FOUR INCHES OF RAIN IN AN HOUR OR TWO. LIKE HURRICANE AGNES IN 1972 I THINK IT WAS, THERE WAS FLOODING IN THIS AREA BUT WE HAVE NOT HAD THINGS LIKE WE'VE HAD THE LAST FEW YEARS. LAST RAIN BOMB WE HAD, IT MADE A PIER GOING OUT INTO THE WATER THAT WAS PROBABLY 40 OR 50 FEET LONGER. THE DOCK HAD WASHED INTO THE LAKE. >> BACK IN 2021, AS WE LOOK AT THE WATER GAUGE OF OWASCO LAKE, IT ROSE MORE THAN TWO FEET. IT WAS ALMOST UP TO 715 FEET ABOVE SEA LEVEL.
I APPROACHED OUR HIGHWAY SUPERINTENDENT OF THE DOLLAR AMOUNTS THAT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH FIXING THE MESS AFTER A FLOOD. WITH ONE SITE, IT WAS $32,000 JUST TO FIX ONE AREA THAT GOT WASHED OUT FROM THE RAIN BOMB EVENT THAT WE HAD IN 2021. >> IF WE LOOK AT THE EFFECT OF CLIMATE ON THE FINGER LAKES ON THE BACTERIA, THE INCREASE IN RUNOFF IS ONE MECHANISM WHERE THE NUTRIENTS OR CONTAMINANTS CAN MAKE IT INTO THE OTHER WATER BODIES. THE WATER CAN'T SOAK INTO THE GROUND AND RUNS ACROSS THE SURFACE AND CARRIES THE BACTERIA WITH IT. AS WE WARM THE LAKES, THERE IS MORE OPPORTUNITY FOR THEM TO DEVELOP AND GO THROUGH THE LIFE CYCLES AND BLOOM.
ANOTHER ASPECT IS THE OVERTURNING OF LAKES, LAKES IN THE FINGER LAKES WILL OVERTURN TWICE A YEAR IN THE SPRING AND THE FALL. AND THAT KIND OF MIXES UP THE LAKES AND THINGS ALONG THOSE LINES. STRATIFIES THE SURFACE AND KEEPS THE NUTRIENTS CONCENTRATED WHERE THE SIGHT OWE BACK TOOERIA WOULD BE.
>> THE FACT THAT THERE ARE GOING TO BE MORE FLOODING EVENTS AS THE FUTURE UNFOLDS, WE HAVE THOUGHT ABOUT BAILING OUT, LITERALLY BAILING OUT AND GOING ELSEWHERE. BUT THIS PLACE IS TOO CLOSE TO MY HEART. >> ON THE 22nd, WHAT WE ARE GOING TO BE DOING IS LOOKING AT THE DENSITY OF ZEBRA MUSSELS AND QUAGGA MUSSELS AND THE IDEA IS TO COMPARE THE DENSITIES BETWEEN THE TWO. THEY'RE NATIVE TO THE PONTOCASPI AN REGION. PEOPLE STARTED NOTICES IN THE 80s WE WERE GETTING INVASIVE MUSSELS.
THEY COULD TRAVEL ON POEM'S RECREATIONAL VESSELS TO PLACES LIKE THE FINGER LAKES. ZEBRA MUSSELS TEND TO ATTACH TO PLANTS THAT YOU MIGHT SEE IN THE LAKE OR ROCKY SURFACES AND QUAGGA MUSSELS PREFER SOFT SEDIMENT. AND WE ALSO HAVE RECENTLY BEEN TRYING TO FIGURE OUT IF THEY HAVE HAD PLATABLE IN THEIR DEVELOPMENT IN SOME OF THE BACTERIAL BLOOMS INCREASING AS WELL. ALL SUMMER YOU WERE EVERYTHING THAT'S BEING PRODUCED IN THE LAKE SORT OF SINKING TO THE BOTTOM AS IT DIES. AND NUTRIENTS ACCUMULATE THERE.
THE ZEBRA AND QUAGGA MUSSELS CAN TAKE ALGAE IN AND EAT THEM. THAT'S THEIR FOOD. AND THEY'RE GOING TO BASICALLY EXCRETE ALL OF THAT. AND THEY CAN INCREASE THE NUTRIENTS THERE.
BUT THERE ARE OTHER COMPLICATING FACTORS AS WELL. SO THE QUAGGA MUSSELS THAT CAN GO DEEPER ON TO THE SOFT SEDIMENTS, THEY'RE PRESENT AND RELEASING NUTRIENTS RIGHT NEAR THE BOTTOM. AND MOST THINGS CAN'T ACCESS THAT BUT SOME OF THE BIG SIGN CYANBACTERIA ARE SEA SURFACE IF THE DAY AND IN THE NIGHT GO DOWN TO THE DEEP WATER THAT MAY BE GIVING THE BIG CYANBACTERIA AN ADVANTAGE. AT NIGHT WHEN THEY'RE NOT PHOTOSYNTHESIZING THEY GET A SNACK AT THE BOTTOM OF THE LAKE BY TAKING UP THE NUTRIENTS THE QUAGGA MUSSELS RELEASE AT THE BOTTOM.
THAT'S ONE POSSIBLE WAY. CAROLYN UNDERWOOD IS A SENIOR AT SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY, AND SHE IS DOING A PROJECT RELATED TO OWASCO LAKE. AND WE SET UP A SIMPLE EXPERIMENT TO TEST THE IDEA. DO THE MUSSELS THEMSELVES, THE QUAGGA MUSSELS THAT BURY IN THE SEDIMENTS WOULD JUST THE PRESENCE OF THE MUSSELS INTERACTING WITH THE SEDIMENTS RELEASE MORE NUTRIENTS BECAUSE THAT COULD INCREASE THE CYANBACTERIA AND WE HAVE CONTROLS THAT YOU ARE LOOKING AT NOW THAT DON'T HAVE ANY MUSSELS IN THEM AND THEN WE HAVE TWO TREATMENTS THAT HAVE MUSSELS. ONE WHERE THERE IS SCREENING VERY NEAR THE TOP THAT PREVENT THE MUSSELS FROM GOING MORE THAN TWO SENT CENTIMETERS INTO THE SEDIMENT AND ONE WHERE THEY CAN ACCESS THE WHOLE SEDIMENTS AND EVERY DAY CAROLYN COMES IN AND TAKES A NUTRIENT SAMPLE TO SEE HOW MUCH NITROGEN AND PHOSPHOROUS ARE BEING RELEASED FROM THE SEDIMENT. SEDIMENT WITHOUT MUSSELS, THAT'S OUR CONTROL.
SEDIMENT WITH MUSSELS THAT NATURALLY INTERACT WITH THE SEDIMENT AND SEDIMENT WITH MUSSELS THAT ARE CONSTRAINED TO THE TOP TREATMENT. WE ARE REALLY INVESTIGATING IF THEY'RE AFFECTING THE WATER SEDIMENT. CAN WE ATTRIBUTE THE BLOOM TO ONE OF THE FACTORS? NO. WE KNOW WHAT MIGHT BE CONTRIBUTING BUT WE CAN'T SAY THIS ALGAE BLOOM WAS DEFINITELY DUE TO THIS FACTOR. WE CAN'T ANSWER THAT QUESTION. >> CERTAIN RESILIENCE AND IT'S COMMENDABLE TO THINK THAT WE WANT TO DO WHAT WE CAN TO MAKE SURE WE CAN STAY HERE.
SOMETIMES I WONDER IF IT'S JUST CRAZY. BUT I DO HAVE ROOTS HERE AND IT WOULD TAKE A LOT TO REALLY GET ME TO PICK UP AND MOVE. SO, YEAH, WE DO WHAT WE CAN. >> WE ARE IN AN AGE OF RESILIENCY IN THAT WE NEED TO REBUILD RESILIENCY INTO OUR SYSTEMS THE WAY THAT HUMANS INTERACT WITH THE LAND AND HOW THE LAND IMPACTS THE WATER BASED ON THE WAY THAT HUMANS USE IT. WE ELIMINATE THE RISK OF HARMFUL ALGAE BLOOMS FOREVER? I CAN'T GO THAT FAR.
BUT WHAT WE CAN DO IS REDUCE IT AND MITIGATE IT. THE D.E.C. HAS MULTIPLE PROGRAMS TO MONITOR WATER QUALITY IN STREAMS AND LAKES THROUGH OUR ROTATING INTEGRATED BASE IN STUDIES PROGRAM.
AS PART OF THAT WE HAVE ROUTINE MONITORING, LONG-TERM MONITORING SITES AT SEVERAL LOCATIONS IN THE STATE AND WE ALSO DO MONITORING IN THE WATERSHED VIA OUR WAVE PROGRAM. SO THAT MONITORING DATA IN CONJUNCTION WITH THINGS LIKE UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY, WEATHER FORECASTS INFORM HOW WE CAN MEASURE AND KNOW WHAT IS LEAVING THE LANDSCAPE AND ENTERING OUR WATER BODIES. AS PART OF THE PROCESS, WE CAN PUT THE TAKE THE INPUT DATA AND GENERATE QEART QUALITY MODELS WHICH ARE CONSTRUCTS OF HOW WATER MATERIALS INTERACT TO MOVE MATERIALS AND WATER FROM THE WATERSHEDS INTO THE RECEIVING LAKES.
>> WE HAVE AN EXAMPLE OF A DITCH REMEDIATION PROJECT. THERE IS A LOT OF SEDIMENT IN THE MATERIAL IN THE WATER HERE. SO WHAT OWLA HELPS FUND IN THE COST SHARING EFFORT IS THE MONIES WE RAISE ARE USED TO PAY FOR THE RIP AND THE HYDRO SEEDING THAT WE WILL DO. HYDRO SEED IS A SLURRY OF MATERIAL WITH ACTUAL SEED THAT IS SPRAYED ON TO THE DITCH AND ALLOWS THE VEGETATION TO GROW, THEN IN THE FUTURE HOADZ THE SOIL WHERE IT BELONGS.
>> WE WILL BE HYDRO SEEDING AT THE END AFTER WE GET THE STONE AND STONE IN THE DITCHES TO STOP THE EROSION. WITH EVERYTHING THAT GOES ON HERE, IT WILL PROBABLY TAKE US CLOSE TO A MONTH. >> THE LAST FEW YEARS, OWLA HAS RAISED OVER $50,000 IN THIS MATCHING GRANT PROGRAM THAT WE HAVE WITH THE COUNTY. AND AS WE LOOK AT THE PROJECTS THAT WE HAVE HELPED FUND, THERE HAS BEEN MORE THAN 14 MILES OF DITCH REMEDIATION WITHIN THE WATERSHED.
HEMLOCKS ARE ALL THROUGHOUT NEW YORK AND PLAY A CRITICAL ROLE SHADING THE WATER AND HOLDING THE SOIL IN PLACE. IN THE LAST 30 YEARS, AN INVASIVE PEST CALLED THE HEMLOCK WOOLY ADELGID HAS BEEN INVADING ALL OF OUR HEMLOCK TREES WITH A VERY HIGH MORTALITY RATE. IN A FEW YEARS, THAT WILL CERTAINLY ALMOST ALL BE DEAD TREES. THERE IS A HEMLOCK INITIATIVE PROGRAM AT CORNELL UNIVERSITY IN ITHACA AND WITH THEIR EXPERTISE WE LEARNED ABOUT THE ININVEST ATION.
THE LONGER TERM IS TO GROW THE BUGS THAT FEED ON THIS. WE ARE COMMITTED TO SAVE AS MANY OF THESE WATERSHED HEMLOCKS AS WE CAN. THE FINGER LAKES LAND TRUST IS A NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION THAT WORKS COOPERATIVELY WITH COMMUNITIES TO CONSERVE THE LINE THAT DEFINE THE CHARACTER OF THE REGION AND INCREASINGLY WE ARE INVOLVED IN PROTECTING WATER. THIS TREATMENT OVER MY SHOULDER HERE WAS SUFFERING EXTREME EROSION BECAUSE HOW THE WATERSHED STREAM HAD BEEN CHANGED OVER TIME AND EACH YEAR TONS AND TONS OF TOP SOIL WERE ERODED INTO THE LAKE CARRYING NUTRIENTS WITH THEM. SO WE PARTNERED WITH THE USE OF FORCE FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE ANDY AND ESSENTIALLY RAISE THE BED OF THE STREAM AND USING NATURAL MATERIALS LOG AND ROCK, CAREFULLY PLACE THEM TO LEAD OFF THE ENERGY THAT WAS ERODING ALL THE SOIL AND, INSTEAD, START TO CHANNEL IT INTO A MORE NATURAL SINUOUS PATTERN BECAUSE NOT ONLY ARE WE DEALING WITH EROSION AND ADDRESSING THAT ISSUE, WE ARE DOING IT IN A WAY WHICH PROVIDES AND RESTORES THE NATURAL HABITAT. >> WE ARE MAKING A POSITIVE IMPACT.
WE NEED TO PROTECT THE QUALITY OF THE LAKE FOR OUR DRINKING WATER SOURCE AND IT IS THE ECONOMIC BASE OF OUR COMMUNITY. OUR MISSION IS TO RESTORE AND PROTECT.
2023-05-19 13:15
