A Healthy Watershed? It Depends on Your View…

Bill Foster
Watershed Educator

Student Jessica Smith prepares to collect water samples from the deck of the Haendel. There is no substitute for direct experience!

Summer is the season when our attentions turn to the cool waters of Cayuga Lake, our sparkling waterfalls, and the peaceful wooded gorges that provide respite from the heat of the day. We revel in the availability and beauty of our water resources, here in the Finger Lakes region. We depend on them as communities, and for many of us, they are a part of daily life — but what do we know about our lake, or our stream systems? If these resources are important to you, take a moment to consider what you know about them, and what you might want to learn.

During 2002 volunteers participating in the Citizens’ Statewide Lake Assessment Program (CSLAP) began collecting water quality samples from four locations on Cayuga Lake. The results indicate that Cayuga Lake is a fairly clean, high quality, body of water. On the other hand, many lakeshore homeowners and recreational users have a different impression. "Each day, our oars hit pieces of garbage… or our fin becomes entangled upon stray fishing line. The drainage from roads [provides] almost a constant stream of murky brown water", according to Alex Wolverton, an Ithaca High School rower. Lending weight to this view is the fact that portions of the lake are classified as impaired, on the basis of sediment and nutrient impacts, and intermittent beach closures.

Certainly, both impressions of Cayuga Lake cannot be true… or can they? To understand these seemingly inconsistent opinions, one must consider that CSLAP monitoring points are all located well out from the shore of the lake, in deep, clear water. On the other hand, for people observing the lake from the shore, where water is shallow enough for weed growth, and under more immediate influence from nearby tributaries, the view is much different. The water and habitat in these two portions of the same lake tell the stories of two quite different systems, which is far from unusual. In fact, any observation of such a complex system as a watershed is likely to be reflective of a specific point of view.

	What will our watershed look like when he grows up?

Finding a way to assemble these many perspectives into a truly complete picture is the focus of a major new Cayuga Lake Watershed Network effort. Is the lake healthy, or are portions of the lake in trouble? What about our streams and river corridors? Working with partners throughout the Finger Lakes, the Network will host a conference of researchers and regulators this fall, to discuss just what type of data they have at their disposal, and how it might start to truly shed light on the situation. Watershed Steward Sharon Anderson notes, "The most important aspect is coordination. Where are the gaps? How can we make data more usable for Cayuga Lake and all of the Finger Lakes?"

Until the Network can share its findings, the best way for watershed residents to realize the value of our waterbodies is to get out and experience them individually. As you become familiar with the waterway near your home — perhaps walking your stream and comparing information with your neighbors — your understanding of where water is coming from, where it is going, and how well the system in working will surprise you. In our Spring 2003 edition, George Patte wrote of his experiences with the Fall Creek Watershed Committee, noting that, "this is exciting work for a group of volunteers." Indeed, it is important work that affects the future of our watershed. Critical decisions on water quality goals, development and water usage are being made every day at the federal, state and local levels of government, based on the inconsistent, incomplete information presently available. If we can create better data that tells a more complete story, and ensure an informed public to participate in those decisions, we will all be better served.