Canandaigua Lake Watershed Association

TO PROTECT THE WATER QUALITY AND OVERALL ENVIRONMENT OF THE CANANDAIGUA LAKE WATERSHED.

THE CANANDAIGUA LAKE WATERSHED EDUCATION PROGRAM WAS CREATED IN 2007 TO TEACH LOCAL STUDENTS ABOUT THE CANANDAIGUA LAKE WATERSHED AND ITS GREAT IMPORTANCE TO OUR REGION. THE PROGRAM AIMS TO INCREASE STUDENT AWARENESS OF WATER QUALITY ISSUES AND EMPOWER THEM TO BECOME STEWARDS OF THEIR WATERSHEDS THROUGH THEIR DAILY ACTIONS. BY INTRODUCING CONNECTIONS BETWEEN HUMAN ACTIVITY AND WATERSHED HEALTH, STUDENTS GAIN A GREATER APPRECIATION FOR THEIR ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES AS CITIZENS OF A GREATER WATERSHED COMMUNITY. (CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O)THE WATERSHED EDUCATION PROGRAM HAS BECOME A MAINSTAY FOR THE SCHOOLS WITHIN THE CANANDAIGUA LAKE WATERSHED (CANANDAIGUA, MARCUS WHITMAN AND NAPLES) AND FOR THE COMMUNITY AT-LARGE. FROM PRESCHOOLERS TO ADULTS, THE PROGRAM INVOLVES MORE THAN 3,000 PARTICIPANTS EVERY YEAR IN HANDS-ON, ENGAGING CLASSROOM AND FIELD-BASED LESSONS. OUR EDUCATORS CONTINUE TO FINE-TUNE EXISTING PROGRAMS IN ORDER TO MEET CHANGING CURRICULUM STANDARDS AND THE NEEDS OF THE STUDENTS WE TEACH. THE GOAL IS TO PROVIDE THE BEST POSSIBLE EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE FOR STUDENTS TO LEARN ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF PROTECTING WATER QUALITY IN THE WATERSHED.IN ADDITION, CLWA ALSO HOSTS A WIDE ARRAY OF EDUCATIONAL OUTREACH PROGRAMMING TO SERVE RESIDENTS, BUSINESSES AND THE GENERAL COMMUNITY THROUGH EDUCATIONAL WORKSHOPS, PRESENTATIONS, GUIDED HIKES AND ACTIVITIES THAT EDUCATE THEM ON LAKE FRIENDLY PRACTICES AND ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES. THE WATERCRAFT STEWARD PROGRAM PLACES BOAT INSPECTION STEWARDS AT THE LAKE'S TWO BUSIEST LAUNCH SITES, THE CANANDAIGUA LAKE STATE MARINE PARK AND THE DEC BOAT LAUNCH IN WOODVILLE. FROM MAY - OCTOBER, STEWARDS MAN THE BOAT LAUNCHES 7 DAYS A WEEK TO EDUCATE THE BOATING PUBLIC ON CLEAN BOATING PRACTICES TO PREVENT THE SPREAD OF POTENTIAL HARMFUL AQUATIC INVASIVE SPECIES. STEWARDS PROVIDE BOAT INSPECTIONS, AND EDUCATION ON THE CLEAN, DRAIN, DRY GUIDELINES WHILE SERVING AS THE FIRST LINE OF DEFENSE TO PROTECT THE LAKE FROM AQUATIC INVASIVE SPECIES. THE SPREAD OF AQUATIC INVASIVE SPECIES IS ONE OF THE MOST SIGNIFICANT THREATS TO THE HEALTH OF THE LAKE. IN NEARBY FINGER LAKES, INVASIONS OF SPECIES LIKE HYDRILLA HAVE COST COMMUNITIES HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS TO TRY TO ERADICATE WITH CHEMICAL CONTROLS. PREVENTION IS THE MOST EFFECTIVE MEASURE WE HAVE.CLWA ALSO PROVIDES TERRESTRIAL INVASIVE SPECIES PROGRAMS THAT MONITOR FOR INVASIVES THAT ARE IMPACTING OUR WATERSHED FORESTS AND AGRICULTURAL PRODUCERS. WE MAINTAIN A HEMLOCK WOOLLY ADELGID MONITORING PROGRAM, PROVIDING SURVEY WORK AND PROPERTY ASSESSMENT TO RESIDENTS AND PUBLIC USE AREAS. CLWA WILL ALSO BE IMPLEMENTING A SPOTTED LANTERNFLY TRAP PROGRAM. OVER THE LAST 5 YEARS, CANANDAIGUA LAKE WATER QUALITY HAS DEGRADED SIGNIFICANTLY. HARMFUL ALGAE BLOOMS (HABS) HAVE BECOME A REOCCURRING CONCERN AT THE END OF EACH SUMMER, CLOSING PUBLIC BATHING BEACHES AND EVEN WARRANTING A SHUTDOWN OF A PUBLIC DRINKING WATER SYSTEM IN ONE WATERSHED COMMUNITY.UNDERSTANDING THE ECOSYSTEM CHANGES THAT ARE CONTRIBUTING TO THESE WATER QUALITY CONCERNS ARE OF UTMOST IMPORTANCE IN ORDER TO CHOOSE EFFECTIVE MANAGEMENT PROGRAMS TO HELP MEDIATE THE CONCERNS. THE CLWA HAS ENTERED PARTNERSHIPS WITH ACADEMIC AND STATEWIDE RESEARCHERS TO STUDY THE WATER QUALITY OF CANANDAIGUA LAKE THROUGH EFFECTIVE RESEARCH PROGRAMS THAT INTEGRATE CITIZEN SCIENTISTS INTO THE DATA COLLECTION. CURRENT PROGRAMS INCLUDE: THE SHORELINE HAB MONITORING NETWORK, LAKE FOAM RESEARCH PROJECT, THE CITIZENS STATEWIDE LAKE ASSESSMENT PROGRAM, AND THE STREAM MONITORING PROGRAM.IN RESPONSE TO INCREASE WATER QUALITY CONCERNS INCLUDING HARMFUL ALGAE BLOOMS (HABS), IN LATE 2018 CANANDAIGUA LAKE LAUNCHED A "LAKE FRIENDLY LAWN CARE" EDUCATIONAL AND OUTREACH PROGRAM TO ENCOURAGE RESIDENTIAL AND BUSINESS BEST PRACTICES FOR LAWN CARE. THE GOAL OF THE PROJECT IS TO REDUCE THE COLLECTIVE AMOUNTS OF FERTILIZER AND PESTICIDES FLOWING INTO CANANDAIGUA LAKE BY ENCOURAGING LANDOWNERS TO BECOME EDUCATED AND INFORMED ON THE IMPACTS THEY HAVE AS WATERSHED CITIZENS THROUGH THEIR LAWN CARE AND STORMWATER MANAGEMENT. PROJECT ACTIVITIES INCLUDE WORKSHOPS AND TALKS IN THE COMMUNITY, SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGNS AND THE DISTRIBUTION OF EDUCATIONAL LITERATURE FROM REPUTABLE SOURCES.PROGRAM PARTNERS INCLUDE THE CITY AND TOWN OF CANANDAIGUA AND THE CANANDAIGUA LAKE WATERSHED COUNCIL. THERE HAS BEEN A PUSH TO EVALUATE THE LAWN CARE PRACTICES OF SOME OF THE LARGER LANDOWNERS (BUSINESSES/ORGANIZATIONS) IN THE WATERSHED AND WORK WITH THEM TO INCORPORATE HEALTHY LAWN CARE FOR THE LAKE. TO DATE, OVER 179 PROPERTIES HAVE TAKEN THE PLEDGE, INCLUDING PLACES LIKE FINGER LAKES COMMUNITY COLLEGE, CITY AND TOWN PARKS, LOCAL CHURCHES, CONSTELLATION BRANDS, AS WELL AS MANY OTHER BUSINESSES AND RESIDENTS. THEY CAN PROUDLY DISPLAY THEIR PARTICIPATION WITH ATTRACTIVE LAWN SIGNS.WE HOPE TO GROW THIS ONGOING PROGRAM OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS TO BE WATERSHED-WIDE, WHICH WILL TAKE MORE RESOURCES. THERE IS ALSO INTEREST FROM OTHER FINGER LAKES TO JOIN THIS INITIATIVE AND SHARE BRANDING AND MARKETING TO KEEP A COHESIVE APPROACH ACROSS THE FINGER LAKES. THESE PROGRAMS ARE ALSO SUPPORTED BY CONTRIBUTIONS.