What's in Our Water?

Simon Horrocks, Dryden, 2006. High School level, tied for 2nd place prize.

Simon Horrocks

“We create the world in which we live; if that world becomes unfit for human life; it is because we tire of our responsibility.” This quote by Cyril Connolly is something we can use to remind ourselves of the great responsibility we have to the land around us. Every day, many of us see Cayuga Lake, and admire its beauty. From sail boating to the majestic orange of a sunset it is hard not to appreciate its obvious beauty at times. Sadly, it’s what’s ending up in the lake that may one day cause us to think of Cayuga Lake in a much different light.
Pollution is an issue that is a crisis today. In part, it is the small decisions that many of us unwittingly make that cause the most harm to things that we take for granted such as Cayuga Lake.
We all pollute, and it is impossible to eliminate it. The challenge is to live our life with as little damage to the earth as possible. First, in municipal areas such as Ithaca, water flows over impervious areas, into storm drains and road ditches and into tributaries such as Buttermilk, Cascadilla, Sixmile, and Fall Creek carrying everything we leave behind. It is easy to see the filth contaminating many of these rivers. Plastic, diapers, and garbage can easily be seen from the street as the water empties into the lake.. This type of pollution is the more obvious and easiest to see. Some residents consider it a simple solution, a quick way to eliminate a little bit of garbage. To them, it is not a terrible crime. After all, it is only a small amount of garbage that will wash away to that great expanse of water never to be seen again. Little do they realize that a bottle here or a container there adds up. We end up with filthy and dangerous waters and an intolerable stench along some areas as a result of these little acts.
The second source for pollution in Cayuga lake and the one that causes more detriment is the pollution that we cannot see. For those who live what seems to be a great distance away from these waterways, it is not so easy to distinguish how we may be polluting. Nature has a tendency to exaggerate even small indiscretions. The agricultural sector for example, is challenged in many ways here.
Farmers must make every effort to practice good stewardship - often even the simplest oversight can lead to pollution on the farm which may seep through groundwater to a tributary and ultimately into the lake. The agricultural industry of the Cayuga watershed consists primarily of dairy production. These farms are a vital part of our economy and our communities. Risk of runoff, erosion, and infiltration, dangerous levels of animal waste and pesticides can be carried to the lake, damaging streams and tributaries as they go. Even more difficult to control can be the high levels of nitrogen and phosphorus into the water systems. These unseen products can cause fish kills and algae blooms. It is imperative that the agricultural industry take great care to prevent nutrients and chemicals from entering our waters..
We must all take responsibility to ensure the preservation of these great waters that have sustained and served us, as well as so many generations before us. From the breathtaking view on a summer evening to the base upon which crop growth depends, the quality of our water system depends on every one of us. Fortunately, activities are underway to repair the damage that has already been done. For example, efforts such as the restoration of Sixmile Creek and the development of volunteer groups who donate their time to clean up the garbage rotting on the bottom of the streams and inlets are underway. As residents of the Cayuga Lake Watershed, we must actively choose, and choose now, whether we will keep these waters clean or not.
Ask yourself, how much more work is it to properly dispose of garbage? Is protecting our waterways a terrible price to pay? Is it necessary to spread manure on frozen ground where it may run into a stream? Must pesticides be applied when the wind may carry them into the lake? Our actions must be in accordance with our words and feelings of appreciation for the beauty around us and the value of clean water. Whether it is a fondness for sailing or fishing or the duty of farming we must never tire of our responsibility to our water systems that sustain us.