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Local water-quality groups outline Owasco Lake "9-element" plan projects and funding strategy
Summary
Presenters from the county Water Quality Management Agency and the Owasco Lake Watershed Management Council described an approved 9‑element phosphorus‑reduction plan, current grant projects and coordination with local partners to pursue funding and protect streams feeding Owasco Lake.
Seth Jensen, vice chair of the Cayuga County Water Quality Management Agency (WQMA), and Adam Hepler, executive director of the Owasco Lake Watershed Management Council, told the County Legislature on July 22 that a state‑approved 9‑element clean water plan will be used to prioritize grant applications and on‑the‑ground projects to reduce phosphorus and protect Owasco Lake.
Jensen said WQMA was created by the county legislature in 1990 to provide technical guidance to the legislature and to be a public forum for water‑quality issues in Cayuga County. He described the agency’s regular membership—local municipal staff, soil and water conservation district personnel, Cornell Cooperative Extension and representatives of lake associations—and said the group meets monthly to coordinate outreach and technical guidance.
Hepler said the Owasco Lake 9‑element plan, a clean water plan focused on phosphorus reduction and eutrophication control, was approved by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and the New York State Department of State in September. “Our 9‑element plan as a clean water plan ... is a pathway for funding,” Hepler said, explaining that projects aligned with the state‑approved plan are more competitive for state and federal grants.
Hepler outlined ongoing and planned projects the council is coordinating: a federally funded Owasco Inlet streambank stabilization project (described as the Sustainer Great Lakes Owasco Lake Inlet Streambank Restoration Grant) focused primarily in the town of Scipio; a City of Auburn stream corridor assessment covering the Ness Brook and Sucker Brook subwatersheds (HUC‑12) at the north end of Owasco Lake; and work with the Finger Lakes Land Trust to identify land‑acquisition opportunities linked to the stream assessment.
Hepler said the watershed group has also compiled best‑management practice statistics with the county Soil & Water Conservation District, Cornell Cooperative Extension and the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets to share progress with the public.
Neither Jensen nor Hepler asked the legislature to take formal action; both presenters asked the body to continue supporting intermunicipal coordination and to recognize the 9‑element plan as a funding roadmap for future project applications.
The presentation concluded with a brief question period from legislators and thanks to county planning staff for their role in preparing and shepherding the plan.
Background: Owasco Lake has experienced nutrient loading problems in prior years; the 9‑element plan is a planning format that New York State uses to tie technical recommendations to implementation steps and funding strategies.
