[ Home ] [ Up ]

Volunteers to Survey Streams for Erosion Problems

A group of volunteers will begin to survey the major tributaries of Honeoye Lake and the smaller streams and ditches that flow into the lake. The purpose of this survey is to identify erosion problems that cause excessive sediment to flow into the lake. This sediment is a major source of nutrient enrichment to the lake that enhances algae blooms and excessive growth of submerged plants. Once problematic erosion sites are identified, changes may be designed to remedy the excessive erosion. 

This effort is under the direction of the Honeoye Lake Watershed Taskforce (HLWTF) whose mission is to protect the water quality of Honeoye Lake, that includes representatives from each of the towns in the watershed,. The HLWTF completed a Watershed Management Plan with a grant from New York State Division of Coastal Resources in October 2007. This plan identified erosion from a number of sources such as development, timber harvesting, highway practices, and home owner practices as a major source of the nutrient rich sediment entering the lake.  

Earlier this year New York State awarded another grant for $50,000 to address these erosion related problems. This grant will take a two pronged approach, the first being to determine if any structural modification of existing drainage could reduce erosion - the stream survey begins addressing this problem. The second approach will review town regulations and management practices to determine if any changes would be beneficial in reducing erosion.  

Surveying the streams is the first step in looking for problems with existing drainage. The volunteers that are surveying the steams will work under the direction of Bill Hershey, Ontario County Soil and Water Conservation District and Dr. Bruce Gilman, Finger Lake Community College. If anyone does not want the volunteers to hike the streams on their private property please notify Bill Hershey at 396-1450. 

Anyone that knows of an existing erosion problem on a stream may also contact Bill Hershey to assure that the steam survey includes these sites.