Kettle Lake study

View Andrew's August C-OFOKLA Presentation
Kettle Lake Study
Contact Andrew at abrainar@syr.edu
Researchers at the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry (SUNY ESF) are conducting research on some of the kettle lakes (Song Lake, Crooked Lake, Tully Lake, Little York Lake, and Gatehouse Pond) located in central New York.  Specifically, the study is investigating the impacts of boat traffic and development on the success of non-native species establishment.  The kettle lakes associated with the Cortland-Onondaga Federation of Kettle Lakes Association (and Gatehouse Pond) are an ideal system to examine these processes due to a gradient in boating access (public vs. private) and a range in the number of households surrounding each lake. 

ALGAE IN THE WATER WHAT’S TOXIC - WHAT’S NOT?

TUESDAY,  APRIL 17^TH, 2012   7:00 PM

OPEN TO THE PUBLIC!

Tully United Community Church

~Fellowship Hall~

5872 Meetinghouse Rd.

Tully, NY

Guest Speaker: Dr. Gregory Boyer is Chair of the Environmental Chemistry Department at SUNY- ESF and Director of the Great Lakes Research Consortium. He is an expert in algal toxins and has been around the globe researching, monitoring and analyzing algae blooms from Lake Champlain to Lake Taihu in China. His lab is one of the primary labs in the region for measuring freshwater algal toxins.

Join us at 6:00 PM to share refreshments with Dr. Kimberly Schulz and several SUNY-ESF Limnology students to view and discuss their work on our lakes.

Presented by

THE CORTLAND-ONONDAGA FEDERATION OF KETTLE LAKE ASSOCIATIONS, INC.

We will hold our regular meeting after the presentation. Feel free to stay and find out more about C-OFOKLA.

Our thanks to Dr. Kim Schulz from ESF and also to Andrew Brainard who spent time this last summer exploring Crooked Lake for a variety of environmental markers.  They also made a presentation to the Crooked Lake Homeowners explaining the meaning of the latest CSLAP report.  Our thanks also to Seth Aldrich and volunteers for spending the time each year collecting water samples for submission for testing.  Here are the slides from Dr. Schulz's presentation:

Crooked Lake 2011

State of the Lake 2010

We've gotten the results of the 2010 Lake Testing. Please take a moment to check this out. It appears that there are some concerns regarding increased "productivity-higher nutrient and algae levels, and lower water clarity. The report is dense and the board is going to get help in interpreting this data.  It is important that we continue to test and see if this is an anomaly or a trend.

7 minutes from beak to butt

Why do geese like your lawn?  This year the buzz is on naturlizing your shore line.  One of the benefits is that doing so discourages visits from:

Song Lake Might hold rare fish

From the Cortland Standard February 26, 2011:

·Song Lake might hold rare fish

ESF students snap pics of possible chubsucker, a threatened species that has not been caught in decades 

By .JEREMY HOUGHTALING Staff Reporter PREBLE – 

It appears a threat­ened species of fish might still be alive in Song Lake.

The lake chubsucker, a chubby, medium-sized fish that according to the state Department of Envi­ronmental Conservation has not been caught in New York waters in 60 years, is thought to have been found in one of the trap lines last fall meant to research fish populations. Pictures were taken by students from SUNY College of Environ­mental Science and Forestry, but no conclusive evidence confirmed the rare fish actually existing in the lake positioned between Pre­ble and Tully.

The Cortland-Onondaga· Federation  of Kettle Lake Associations is hoping to preserve the lakes so fish like tile lake chubsucker can continue to survive. The nonprofit organization formed in 2008 with representa­tives from the Song Lake Property Owners' Association, Crooked Lake Homeowners' Association, Little York Lake Improvement So­ciety and the Tully Lake Property Owners' Association.

"I'm excited to see if we have it," Tarki Heath said, tempering her optimism with the thought that the fish found could be just a subspecies.

More trap lines will likely be set this year in an attempt to catch a similar fish and a DNA test would be done to confirm its identity.

Heath, the federation's presi­dent, said each lake association has agreed to pool its resources, because although each is differ­ent, they all face many similar problems. We need to protect the resourc­es that need protecting," Heath said,

The mission of the organization is to protect the lakes' resourc­es, while educating and raising awareness.

A kettle lake is defined as a lake formed by melting chunks of ice that fell . off glaciers while they were retreating during the last gla­cial period in North America.

Marjorie Grillo, a representative from the Song Lake Property Owners' Association, said the group was not formed because the lakes were in poor condition.

The lakes are not in terrible condition, Grillo said, adding that  she would like to see the situation either kept that way or improved.

Karen Lang, the federation's  vice president, pointed out that although there are no real controver­sies as of yet, it would be helpful to have more voices if something comes up with one of the lakes.

Last June, members of various kettle lakes associations worked together to convince the Preble Town Board to enact a keyholing ordinance - limiting the amount of shoreline access per household.The ordinance helped curb the negative impacts on Song Lake, Heath said.

The group has two interns work­ing for them from SUNY ESl~ with one investigating invasive species and the other looking into the various environmental factors, such as boats or algae that have an impact on the lakes.

A couple of members of the group held a workshop session to look at .their outreach measures Wednesday, in hopes of increasing awareness and increasing turnout at their regular meetings,

A part of the group's goal is to educate the public about the lakes, and the organization has had many different guest speakers with ex­pertise in different areas pertain­ing to the kettle lakes. •

The next meeting is March 28 at the town hall in Tully. Dan Segal, a plant nursery owner from Ithaca, will be the guest speaker, and will present information about plants that are native to the area.

More information about the group can be found on its website cofokla.org.

Learning about Gas Leasing

Cortland SWCD - Home Page:
New York Gas Development Update & Leasing Considerations (2/28/2011, Grange Auditorium, Free and Open to Public)
An educational seminar on natural gas exploration is scheduled for Monday February 28th, from 7pm to 9pm at the New York State Grange Headquarters in Cortland, NY. The seminar will focus on future leasing considerations, how to ensure an expired lease is released by gas companies along with an update on gas development in NY.
As policy makers and stakeholders continue to debate the risks and benefits of natural gas development in New York, the outlook is still unclear. Much of upstate New York contains significant natural gas reserves that will continue to attract the gas industry. Therefore, rural landowners will still be faced with complicated decisions regarding drilling and related activities such as pipelines, compressor stations, water storage and access roads.
Brett Chedzoy, an expert from Cornell Cooperative Extension will be providing an update on the current status of gas development in NY and highlight key leasing recommendations for landowners. Joe Heath, Esq. will be on hand explaining the process of getting an expired lease released by a gas company. He will also share some of the tactics gas companies are using to attempt to extend existing leases, some of which are preventable. The seminar will also take a glimpse at our neighbors in Pennsylvania, painting a picture of what our landscape may look like when exploration activities commence in NY.
This seminar is sponsored by the Cortland County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) and is free and open to the public. If you have any questions about the seminar or any of the services or programs provided by the SWCD please call 607-756-5991

Plantings around the lake

THE CORTLAND-ONONDAGA FEDERATION OF KETTLE LAKE ASSOCIATIONS, INC.

Tully Town Hall

5833 Meetinghouse Road, Tully, NY

Monday, March 28^th, 2011

7:00 PM

Open to the Public!

What Makes a

Lake Friendly Landscape?

       

Guest Speaker: Dan Segal, owner and operator of The Plantsmen Nursery in Ithaca, will present information on native plantings, with a focus on riparian plants to create buffer zones and restore native species around our lakes.  Dan has 20 years of ecological restoration and landscaping experience working with native plants, in wetlands and many other natural habitats.

Please Join Us!

We will hold our regular meeting after the presentation.

Feel free to stay and find out more about C-OFOKLA.

Why is this man kissing a fish?

THE CORTLAND-ONONDAGA FEDERATION OF

KETTLE LAKE ASSOCIATIONS, INC.

Why is this man kissing a fish?

Open to the Public!

Topic of Discussion: Presentation Posters and discussion from a variety of ESF Practicum Project

Tully Town Hall

5833 Meetinghouse Road, Tully, NY

Monday, January 24^th, 2011

7:00 PM

Why is this man kissing this fish?

Find out when students from Dr. Kimberly Schulz’s ESF Limnology class, present their projects from this fall on Song Lake, Crooked Lake, Tully Lake and others. 

We will hold our regular meeting after the presentation. Feel free to stay and find out more about C-OFOKLA.

Picnic for CORTLAND-ONONDAGA FEDERATION OF KETTLE LAKE ASSOCIATIONS,

THE CORTLAND-ONONDAGA FEDERATION OF
KETTLE LAKE ASSOCIATIONS, INC.
Indoor/ Outdoor
Annual Picnic
at
Little York Lake Pavilion
Sunday, September 26th
1:00 to 4:00PM
Join us as we celebrate our beautiful lakes!
This picnic is open to all our friends and neighbors
 Good food and great neighbors
 Activities and displays
 Raffles and games for all ages
Drinks, chips and hot dogs will be provided, but please bring one dish to pass
~BYO for special drinks~
For more information or to participate as a sponsor call: Tarki Heath -315- 696-5262, Karen Lang-607-423-4653,
Tom Cappa -315-696-6668, or Dan Johnston – 315-696-8157

Flood Maps

For those interested, you can check out the flood maps for our area.  Crooked Lake properties do not seem to show up in any flood plain maps.On the left, product search, put in flood maps and your address. I had to increase the scale (top margin) to 20.Flood maps for Town of Tully

Next Cortland-Onondaga Federation of Kettle Lake Associations Speaker

Eric Murdock was Project Manager for the US Environmental Protection Agency’s Skaneateles Lake Demonstration Project. The objective of this project was to research, select, and install alternative onsite wastewater treatment systems in the Skaneateles Lake Watershed. Most of these systems were the first of their kind in New York State and/or the United States. Eric will present on the watershed protection work he performed in and around Skaneateles Lake.

______________________________________________________________
This 20 minute presentation will be followed by 10 minutes for questions

The C-OFOKLA general meeting will follow

Learning Opportunities

Lots of lake things coming up. First is our social event scheduled for March 20th.

There is a workshop scheduled on March 30th at Aquatic Invasive Species identification that some of you might be interested in. See the work attachment for details. This will cover both plants and aquatic animals.

Contact: Sisters of St. Francis,c/o Sr. Caryn Crook, 7770 Green Lakes Road, Fayetteville, NY 13066    315-637-9334    Registration Fee: $25 and lunch is included.  Any questions call at above number or email caryncrook@yahoo.com.
Aquatic Invasive Species Workshop

March 30, 2010     9:00 am to 4:00 pm
Location:  7770 Green Lakes Rd., Fayetteville, NY 13066

For a 'green' lawn, focus on mowing, not early fertilizing, says CU turf specialist

Donna K. sent in this article on lawns and runoff. We thought it might be of interest.
Take care to keep your lawn from being a source of phosphorus pollution, especially if it's located near water or prone to runoff.

For a 'green' lawn, focus on mowing, not early fertilizing, says CU turf specialist

By Craig Cramer

Most lawns in New York already have enough phosphorus and don't need supplementation, especially if clippings are left on lawns, according to recent research by Marty Petrovic, a turf specialist at Cornell. He says that new guidelines can help promote an eco-friendly lawn.

"The first step to minimize the environmental impact of your home lawn is to raise the mower's blade to a height of 3 to 4 inches -- usually the highest setting on your mower -- and leave the grass clippings on the lawn to recycle nutrients," says Petrovic.

Taller grass competes better with weeds and sinks roots deeper into the soil to better withstand midsummer heat and drought, explains Petrovic, and such lawns require less watering and prevent soil from washing away.

In analyzing soil tests sent to the Cornell Nutrient Analysis Laboratory for lawn fertilizer recommendations, Petrovic found that at least 80 percent had enough phosphorus already. When soils are extremely high in phosphorus, Petrovic has found that it dramatically increases the amount that runs off into lakes and streams, where it can promote algae blooms and eutrophication (excessive nutrients in the water) and reduce water quality.

Other tips to promote a "green," eco-friendly yard:

• Keep your mower's blades sharp for a clean cut that reduces stress on the grass.
• Since phosphorus can leach out of plant material on hard surfaces, clean up plant waste promptly; prevent runoff by also cleaning up any fertilizer or other chemicals on hard surfaces.
• Avoid applying fertilizer where the soil is always wet because these spots are more prone to runoff.
• Do not allow clippings and leaves to blow or be raked into roads, ditches or storm water drains where they (and the phosphorus they contain) can easily get into a waterway.
• Do not apply phosphorus fertilizer unless certain you need it. If levels are high, it might take five to 10 years to draw down phosphorus in the soil to the point more is needed even if you remove the clippings. "Meantime, look for zero-phosphorus fertilizers, and if your retailer doesn't carry any you should encourage them to do so," suggests Petrovic.
• Do not overapply organic products -- especially those made from composted animal manures, which are usually relatively high in phosphorus.

"A quarter- to half-inch application of a typical composted manure product may have 8,000 times more phosphorus than a year's worth of a commercial product's season-long weed and feed program," says Petrovic. "That's a century's worth of phosphorus in a single application."

To get the benefits of organic matter without too much phosphorus, consider yard waste composts, suggests Petrovic. They are generally lower in phosphorus than most manure-based products.

• Even if you have enough phosphorus and return clippings to the soil, grass still needs some nitrogen to form dense turf to prevent runoff. If you don't want to use zero-phosphorus chemical fertilizers, Petrovic suggests an organic nitrogen source, such as corn gluten, or planting a legume, such as clover, in the lawn that will remove nitrogen from the atmosphere and fix it in the soil.
• Fall and late spring -- not early spring -- are the best times to apply nitrogen. Fine-tune watering practices and do not try to grow grass where it doesn't want to grow. Plant shade-loving plants where there's too little light, rain gardens where drainage is poor, and hardscape high-traffic areas.

For more lawn care information, including the online publication "Lawn Care Without Pesticides," visit http://www.gardening.cornell.edu/lawn.

2nd Annual Homeowners Picnic

All Crooked Lake Homeowners are invited to join us on Sat. July 25th for the 2nd Annual Homeowners Picnic. This year's hosts: Melanie and David on Gatehouse Rd - 2:00pm-6:00pm

Suggested Contribution of $10.00 per family appreciated. RSVP by July 18th with dish to pass.

Contact:
Marlene Heinmiller - 8306
Melanie Kalman - 5364
Lissa Ward - 8694
Carla Laubach 882-1289

We'll be discussing our next actions regarding clearing the weeds from the lake. Hope to see you then!

Fishing on the lake

This is a reminder asking all to “fish wisely.” More than one neighbor has seen people on the lake (pulling bass out). It is not yet bass season. By state regulation bass fishing must be catch and release until the third Saturday in June. Allowing fish to be pulled prior to that date ruins the fishing for the rest of us.

Remember that this lake is for all Crooked Lake homeowners. If you are allowing guests on the lake, please remind them that they are also expected to fish wisely and follow state regulations. It would be best if they could use your own craft. Please tell them that if they bring any water craft onto the lake, it needs to have been cleaned and dry before being put in our water. Boats constitute a major source of propagation of invasive weeds into the lake.

Let’s work together to self regulate and avoid involvement by the DEC or other authorities.

Update from DEC

We heard back from our letter to the DEC. David & Melanie and Sue & Tom both wrote. The response was disappointing. A copy of the letter is below. (if you click on the document it will get to a readable size)

Wetlands Map

Thanks to Douglas A Freehafer of the USGS for these images.[

WaterShed Topo