Upcoming Events

The Ups and Downs of Cayuga Lake - 35 people couldn't get enough of this talk June 25, 2009at at the Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge. The learned why the level of Cayuga Lake waters fluctuate throughout the year. As well as what and who controls the changes in lake levels and why. This program was jointly sponsored by the Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge, the Cayuga Lake Watershed Network and the Cayuga Lake Watershed Intermunicipal Organization.

This lecture will be repeated at various locales around the lake. August 27 6pm at the at the History Center in Ithaca, the History Center is co-sponsoring the talk with the Watershed Network, and hosting it at their August History Cafe. See The History Center and follow the link from the event. October and April 2010 road shows are planned as well. Stay tuned for details.

Bill Kappel, a hydrogeologist with the U.S. Geological Survey, will answer questions about the seasonal variations in the level of Cayuga Lake. Bill includes a historical water-level perspective on Cayuga Lake -- its ups and downs, natural and man-made. Come learn about the hydrology, geology, and history of Cayuga Lake.



Sunset on Cayuga - casual dinner, music, dancing at Lake Watch Inn, East Shore Drive, Lansing, on Saturday September 26 from 5 - 9pm. SAVE THE DATE.

A fundraiser for the Watershed Network. $45 per person, $80 per couple. Each ticket will provide two drink vouchers for attendees. We offer special table purchases for 8: $500 for Small Mouth Bass and $750 for Large Mouth Bass. There will be recognition for the tables with wine/champagne, door prizes and special centerpieces.



A fall conference will be held in Ithaca, and will concentrate on phosphorus.

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Did you Miss?

"Weeds and other aquatic plants: the good, the bad and the ugly"

A successful conference, sponsored jointly by the IO and the Watershed Network, was held Saturday March 28 in Seneca Falls.

CSI held a symposium "Expanding Horizons: Monitoring Water Quality County-Wide" on Thursday, January 22, 2009

Lakefest 2008 at Goosewatch Winery Sat Aug 23 was a great success and ejoyed by all

Water Monitoring Plan for the South End of Cayuga Lake public meeting was held Wed. June 25 Tompkins County Public Library, Ithaca

For more information view the full news release (PDF 12 kb) or contact the Cayuga Lake Watershed Network at 607-532-4104 or manager@cayugalake.org

Smart Steps for Clean Water
7:00 -8:30 pm on Wednesday May 21
United Ministry of Aurora, Main Street, Aurora, NY

Sharon Anderson offered a lay person's guide to protecting our lake, and answered questions about water use and water conservation.

Cayuga Lake Spring Conference on April 12, 2008 at Unitarian Church Annex, 2nd Floor, 306 N Aurora St., Ithaca.

If you missed this, you missed a great one! Any slides from the conference will be posted as available. Susan Riha offered predictions for upstate NY climate change and how non-point source pollution and flooding may be affected. Workhop topics: Dredging Cayuga Inlet by Liz Moran and Water Weeds and Lakeside Land Use by Paul Lord. Beautiful Landscaping, Naturally by Dan Segal and Management of Lakeside Septic System by Win McIntyre.

Cayuga Waterfront Spring Cleanup March 29

Our waterfront got a real spring cleaning as community groups and volunteers assembled on the afternoon of Saturday, March 29th, to clean up litter and debris that has collected on the edge of the inlet and on the southern shores of Cayuga Lake.

Events Before 2008

Rain Gardens: A Beautiful Step for Clean Water June 26, 7:00 pm, Finger Lakes Institute Classroom
Rain gardens add beauty to yards, provide habitat for butterflies and birds,reduce flooding and protect streams and lakes from pollutants. A rain garden is a bowl shaped garden that captures and filters rainwater from a downspout, patio or slope. The rainwater slowly seeps into the ground water reducing runoff but disappearing in too short a time to breed mosquitoes.

Stream Critter Sampling, Saturday, June 9, 10:00 am to 3:00 pm

The field portion wass near the Village of Dryden and followed by a classroom session at Tompkins-Cortland Community College (TC3).

Canoga Marsh Restoration Tour and Work Party, Saturday, June 2, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Tour started at 10:00 a.m. followed by an all day work party. Plant shrubs, transport cattails, clean up Canoga Creek, rip out invasive roses and put up nesting boxes as part of an extensive wetlands restoration project in Canoga Marsh. These habitat improvements complement the newly dug vernal pool and wetland potholes and make the habitat even better for waterfowl, frogs and salamanders.

Salmon Creek Forum, Thurs., May 17, 6:30 p.m.– 8:30 p.m., Genoa Town Hall, 1000 Bartnick Road
Co-sponsored by the Cayuga County Water Quality Management Agency.

Salt Point Cleanup, Sunday, May 20, 3:00 – 5:00 p.m., Myers Rd, off Route 34B, Lansing
This successful event co-sponsored by theWatershed Network, the Town of Lansing and Cayuga Lake Watershed Intermunicipal Organization. In only 2 hours, fourteen people removed 38 bags of trash, old tires and rusted scrap metal that filled an entire dumpster.

Water Quality Monitoring Volunteer Orientation, Wednesday, May 23, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Henry St. John Building Conference Room (lower level), corner of S. Geneva and W. Clinton Streets, Ithaca. .Sponsored by Cooperative Extension of Tompkins County and the Community Science Institute. Register at 607-272-2292 or tms23@cornell.edu.

Tree and Shrubs Planting, May 7, Trees and shrubs were planted to augment work begun in 2005 to stabilize the banks of Virgil Creek and protect Lake Road.

Rain Gardens: A Beautiful Step for Clean Water, Thursday, May 10, 7:00 pm – 8:30 p.m., Cooperative Extension Cayuga County, 248 Grant Avenue , Auburn
Rain gardens add beauty to yards, provide habitat for butterflies and birds, reduce flooding, and protect streams and lakes from pollutants. A rain garden is a bowl shaped garden that captures and filters rainwater from a downspout, patio or slope. The rainwater slowly seeps into the ground water reducing runoff but disappearing in too short a time to breed mosquitoes. See more information about rain gardens.

Fall Creek Clean up, Saturday, May 5, 9:00 – 11:00 a.m.
Volunteers removed trash from the creek shores from the source at Lake Como to its outlet at Stewart Park. This Annual event is co-sponsored by the Watershed Network, Fall Creek Watershed Committee and the Leon Chandler Chapter of Trout Unlimited.

The Wonder of Water in Tompkins County, Saturday, May 5, 9:00 a.m. – 3: 00 p.m., Ithaca Farmers Market
The Watershed Network offered hands-on activities at this annual event that included a drinking water taste test, water-related information and much more -- all part of this National Drinking Water Week Celebration.
Docks and Moorings: A Forum for Municipalities
Thurs., March 29, 7:00-9:30 pm
New Fire Hall, Route 414, Fayette

Concern is growing about the enclosed buildings and two-story structures being constructed on the water as part of a dock. This program covered together sample ordinances, the experience of towns with ordinances already in place, and information on the legal framework that could allow municipalities to pass ordinances. Time for discussion will follow the presentations giving officials the opportunity to explore the pros and cons of such ordinances. Co-sponsored by the Watershed Network and the Cayuga Lake Watershed Intermunicipal Organization. Registration required.

Spring Fling: Native Plants for Beauty and More
Wed., April 4, 7:00-8:30 p.m.
Cooperative Extension Tompkins County, 615 Willow Ave. Ithaca

Ephemeral bloodroot, dark purple asters, delicate maidenhair ferns and the vibrant fall leaves of chokeberry only give hints as the diversity and beauty of native plants. Dan Segal of the Plantsmen Nursery in Lansing shared the many benefits of incorporating native plants into the home landscape including adding color, attracting birds and butterflies, and dealing with difficult conditions.

Toward a Healthier Cayuga Lake: Welcome to your Watershed. How it Works, How You Can Help. March 15, 2000 at the Seneca Falls Library`

Explanations of A Preliminary Water Quality Study of Selected Finger Lakes

Program on the complex threats facing the Finger Lakes by John Halfman, Professor of Geoscience at Hobart and William Smith Colleges. He summarized his preliminary investigation of water quality indicators from the seven central Finger Lakes, Honeoye, Canandaigua, Keuka, Seneca, Cayuga, Owasco, and Skaneateles Lakes. All of the Finger Lakes are listed as threatened, stressed, or impaired by New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. Read the full report (PDF). Halfman's presentation was followed by an update on water quality monitoring planned by local groups including the Tompkins County Water Resources Council and the Watershed Network, the co-sponsors of the event.

Drinking Water and Septic System Care

Educational programs on caring for your well and septic system. All attendees of After the Flush receivd a discount coupon for a septic tank pump out. All attendees of How Well Is Your Water? participated in water sampling tests for a private drinking water well conducted as part of the educational program. Funding from the Tompkins County Health Department provided a 75% discount for county residents on well tests.

Grasses for Conservation, Agriculture and Energy

This half-day seminar on grasses coverd topics of interest to both the farming community and outdoor enthusiasts. There were three general topics covered. The first topic discussed the positive benefits of grass on both water quality and wildlife habitat. The second topic covered both the benefits and challenges of grass for grazing and bailage. The final topic addressed opportunities for farmers to grow grasses as a renewable energy feedstock. Presenters include representatives from NYS Department of Environmental Conservation, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Cooperative Extension, Cornell University, Graze New York, and the agricultural community.

Native Water Law and Public Policy: Critical Issues in the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Watersheds

November 17-18, 2006 Cornell University Law School, Myron Taylor Hall, Ithaca, New York

This exciting two day event sought to bring attention to critical water issues facing American Indian communities and their neighbors in the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Watersheds. Day one began with a day devoted to Native education, law, and water and the lessons and struggles of Native communities in dealing with Great Lakes/St. Lawrence watershed issues. Speakers and participants includedNative water practitioners, planners, and activists from across the continent and particularly from the Great Lakes/St. Lawrence Basin. Day two, as part of the annual Cornell Law School Symposium focused primarily on contemporary legal issues and strategies in Native water rights and management and featured nationally recognized academic leaders and legal practitioners as speakers and guests.

Sponsored by: the New York State Water Resources Institute (WRI), the American Indian Program at Cornell University, the Cornell Law School of the Dean and Dean of Students, and the Cornell Law School's Journal of Law and Public Policy, Cayuga Lake Watershed Network.

Lawn Care and Water Quality Workshop

October 30, 2006, 5:00 pm
Cornell Cooperative Extension of Cayuga County where participants received free soil sample test for your lawn. Details

Rain Gardens: A Beautiful Step Toward Clean Water

Public programs were held at the Lansing and Newfield Town Halls. Participants learned the what, why and how of rain gardens, and helped plant a rain garden that will capture runoff from paved areas. The programs was co-sponsored by the Cayuga Lake Watershed Network and the Towns.

Read more about rain gardens

After the Flush

Caring for your septic system protects your wallet as well as the environment. Attend a free program, open to everyone, and learn how conventional and alternative systems work, preventive maintenance and routine care that can save costly repairs while protecting water quality. Made possible by funds from Seneca Meadows, We Care Septic and other local contractors.

Plant Trees Along Six Mile Creek

The roots of the trees planted will help anchor the soil, reducing harmful erosion of Six Mile Creek. We worked at the Silt Dam, which helps remove silt from this drinking water supply for the City of Ithaca and other communities at the south end of the lake. Reducing silt in the creek also benefits fish and means less gets into Cayuga Lake.

Find out what lurks below the lake's surface, what affects fish survival, how NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation protects the fisheries, and what alien fish are poised to invade. A FREE program for anglers, nature lovers, boaters, creek and lake shore owners …and the just plain curious! Program Agenda.

Free Tour of New Manure Digester

Tour of the anaerobic digester at Patterson Farms in Aurelius

Shoreline Clean Up in Lansing. Volunteers teamed up to cleanup Salt Point in Lansing. Join us next year for this annual fall program.

Aquatic Weeds: Good, Bad and Ugly. This free training covered the benefits of aquatic plants, options for managing an over abundance of water weeds and how to recognize invasive weeds, such as water chestnut that are a serious threat to the lake and canal. Participants received a plant identification guide and a list of plants posing the greatest threat. The program is part of Weeds Watch Out! which is helping control the spread of invasive aquatic plants. Free and open to the public.

Growing a lush lawn while protecting water quality. Lake Friendly Lawn Care seminar June 9 at Cayuga Museum.

How Well is Your Water

Four sessions around the watershed were held to learn how to protect your drinking water well. Programs:

After the Flush

Four programs around the watershed on septic systems were offered in February and March of 2005. The free programs were open to everyone and covered how conventional and alternative systems work, preventive maintenance and routine care that can save costly repairs while protecting water quality.

Neighbors Around the Cayuga Lake Watershed: Fall Conference at NY Chiropractic College in Seneca Falls.

View the day’s agenda.

Aquatic Invertebrate Safari! A great activity for the whole family.

Exploration of local waters including sampling. Our streams and ponds hide a treasure trove of tiny organisms by the Cornell Cooperative Extension Education Department.

Prepare your Lawn for Fall & Next Summer

A Cornell Soil Analysis was offered to residents of the Cayuga and Owasco Lake watersheds who attend a free seminar on watershed friendly lawn care.

The Lawn Care Workshop on Healthy Home and Yard Care for Clean Water, was offered by Cornell Cooperative Extension of Tompkins County

An Update on the Requirements for New Construction Under Phase II Stormwater Regulations

Workshop objectives:

• Overview of regulations
• Elements of Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plans (basic and full)
• Responsibilities of municipalities and contractors
• Accountability for implementation of regulations
• Clarification for questions
• Opportunity to discuss existing municipal efforts

NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation (DEC) staff will describe:

• Role of DEC
• Guidance they can provide
• Available assistance

Providing Safe Drinking Water: Workshop

This free, interactive workshop helped businesses reduce potential liability and costly clean-ups, promote public health, and protect the environment. It was designed for owners, managers, employees and volunteers of rural businesses and organizations with a private well that provide drinking water to customers as part of their services.

Everything You Need to Know About Septics: The Use and Economics of Septic Systems in Changing Communities

...a regional conference, to address the application and suitability of innovative on-site technologies. The Network collaborated with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Onondaga County and other organizations to offer this event to over 150 people.

Farmers Market

The Network worked with the Farmer’s Market, Black Locust Initiative and 4-H youth to improve kayak access and stabilize a section of Cayuga Inlet’s bank.

Cayuga Lake Watershed Monitoring Conference

In October 2003, the second conference on monitoring efforts in the Cayuga Lake Watershed was held at Wells College in Aurora. An impressive group of presenters (see agenda) provided insights on new research since the March 2002 conference. The conference is sponsored by the Cayuga Lake Watershed Network, Cornell University, and the Cayuga Lake Watershed Intermunicipal Organization.

Emergency Planning & Farm Safety Program

The Cayuga Lake Watershed Network, in cooperation with Cornell Cooperative Extension, the Farm Bureau, and county emergency management offices and conservation districts, offered series of workshops on emergency action planning for farms.

Participants received a free farm safety manual and emergency planning kit, and had an opportunity to discuss emergency situations relevant to their operations. Completed emergency action plans are an important measure for protecting your family, visitors and employees.

Controlling the Impacts of Stormwater

A series of educational programs educated municipal officials, agency staff, contractors and engineers on new Department of Environmental Conservation stormwater regulations. The events were sponsored by: Cayuga Lake Watershed Network, Tompkins County Water Resources Council and the Cayuga Lake Watershed Intermunicipal Organization

Tour Nutrient Management on a Modern Dairy Farm

The residents from around the watershed visited the award-winning Patterson Farms, a family-run dairy in Aurelius, NY, for a presentation of modern techniques designed to keep nutrients on the farm. More programs will be offered to the public in 2004. Contact the Network if you are interested in arranging a group tour.