How the Health of the Cayuga Lake Watershed Affects my Life

Chris Corning, grade 8, South Seneca Central School

Chris Corning

The health of the watershed affects my life in many ways. It affects our area’s agriculture. I need to eat. It affects tourism and living styles of the residents. And I do live here. It also affects the recreation of the area. And I love to play. So you see, it affects a lot of my life.

The agriculture in the watershed has a big impact on my life. Agriculture has a very interesting relationship with all aspects of the watershed. Without the watershed, we wouldn’t have the water in streams and soil to help the plants and animals grow. Polluted water kills plants, so we must keep our lakes, streams, and rivers clean. The watershed has a lot of open space, making it a good farming community, so it can supply us with food. Modern farm systems have major waste disposal problems and much of it ends up in the lake, contaminating water that will eventually be drunken by animals. We must be careful to protect the watershed and the agricultural community.

Our watershed makes a great tourist spot and a beautiful place to live. I am affected a lot by tourism, and I live here. The lake provides a beautiful view from the surrounding land, which attracts many visitors. The cultural life of the area draws attractions like concerts and museums, which in turn draw tourists. The lake provides a great location for parks, and everyone loves parks! It has even been proposed to extend New York State’s scenic byway to include 84 miles of road running from the Montezuma Wildlife Refuge south to King Ferry, and then east to Cortland County. One last thing that attracts tourists to our watershed is the area’s recreational activities, mostly having to do with the lake.

Recreational activities are very plentiful in our watershed and playing affects me a lot. On a warm summer day, the lake can be crowded and even quite noisy with all the boat traffic. Most everyone who lives on the lake owns a boat of some kind. Hundreds of anglers come out every year on opening day of trout season to try their luck with our lake. I don’t seem to have any luck at all. With jet skis becoming more and more popular, canoes, rafts, and even swimmers must look out for the many riders enjoying the waves. Swimming is a very popular sport to many people who jump in at any private dock, public beach, or any chance they get. (I’m one) The watershed also provides many preserved woodlands toward the southern end of the lake, which make ideal hiking spots. Recreation is a big part of my life and much of it has to do with Cayuga Lake and our watershed.

My life has a lot to do with the watershed. I wouldn’t have much of a life without it. In fact, agriculture, living style, and recreation are such big parts of my life that I need the watershed to live at all.