Upcoming Events

Lake Management Conference Held in Hamilton
May 2 - 5

Aquatic weed identification and control, boat safety and impacts, limnology 101, lake law and watershed management options are just a few of the workshops offered at the 20th annual conference presented by the New York State Federation of Lake Associations (NYSFOLA). Members of organizations like the Network may attend one to three days of presentations at the White Eagle Conference Center on Lake Moraine. Details of the May 2-5 conference are available at www.nysfola.org (click on Annual Conference) or by calling 800-796-3652.

The New York State Federation of Lake Associations (NYSFOLA) is a coalition of lake associations, environmental groups, agencies and private corporations and individuals concerned with the preservation of lakes, ponds and their interconnecting waterways. NYSFOLA serves as the New York Chapter of the North American Lake Management Society. Any member of the Network can join this statewide organization for a reduced fee of $10.00.

National Drinking Water Week Celebrations
May 3 - 10

Volunteers collect samples for water quality & habitat assessment.

Drinking Water Week is a national event in which communities across the nation join to promote public awareness and involvement in drinking water issues. The celebration gets underway in the southern portion of the watershed with the annual Fall Creek Clean up, on Saturday, May 3, 9:00 – 11:00 am. Last year, 83 volunteers from Tompkins, Cayuga and Cortland Counties removed some 3300 pounds of trash from this beautiful creek and its corridor. Contact George Patte, Chair of the Fall Creek Watershed Committee, at (607) 272-8784 to sign up yourself or a group. The Fall Creek Chapter of Trout Unlimited co-sponsors this event, along with the Network.

Festivities continue on Friday, May 9th at Center Ithaca on the Commons and Saturday, May 10th at the Farmers’ Market. Between 9:00 am and 2:00 pm each day, the Tompkins County Health Department will sponsor taste tests of local municipal water supplies. Local agencies and watershed groups, including the Network, will showcase programs, information, and opportunities to get involved. Volunteers may also participate in streambank protection activities and demonstrations, sponsored by the Black Locust Initiative and the Network, which will take place throughout the day on May 10, at the Farmers’ Market. All are welcome! For more information contact Niamh O’ Leary, at (315) 364-3279, or noleary@wells.edu.

In Cortland County, additional Drinking Water Week activities are being planned, including school programs on safe drinking water and water conservation, articles and the distribution of Water Week place mats to local restaurants. Look for similar events to be announced in your local paper for other areas of the watershed, or check the Network website.

"Frog Songs" Hike Planned
Saturday, May 10, 7:30 p.m.

The Finger Lakes Land Trust is sponsoring an educational and fun evening hike, titled, “FROG SONGS” at the Lindsay-Parsons Biodiversity Preserve in W. Danby. Herpetologist Jackie Grant will lead the program. Bring flashlight or headlamp! From Ithaca, go south on Rt. 13. Take left exit on Rt. 34/96 and go about 7 miles to the preserve parking lot, opposite house #2500 and just beyond the W. Danby Fire Station. Contact Charlotte Nunes, at (607) 275-9487, for more information.

The Cortland County Water Festival
Saturday, May 31, 10 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

This outdoor event will be held at the Water Works on Broadway Street in Cortland. The event will feature many activities, including tours of the Cortland Aquifer and pump house, family games, groundwater and water quality demonstrations, and informative water-related displays. Kids can also enter coloring contests, visit the Dunking Booth, play miniature golf, dig for prizes in the sandbox and meet Cortland County Soil & Water mascot Ronny Raindrop®. This free event is sponsored by the Cortland County Water Quality Coordinating Committee. Call Seth Dennis, at (607) 753-0851 for more information.

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