The Cayuga County WQMA has approved its work plan for 2022. This work plan lists the priorities and actions that the Communications and Outreach Working Group, Invasive Species Working Group and Nutrient and Sediment Working Group plan on conducting in 2022. You can view the 2022 WQMA Work Plan.
Author: Michele Wunderlich
Cayuga County WQMA Year End Report
The Cayuga County WQMA has completed their 2021 Year End Report. This report lists the work done by the WQMA’s Communication and Outreach Working Group, Invasive Species Working Group and Nutrient and Sediment Working Group. The 2021 WQMA Year End Report is available here. Previous years’ reports can be found here.
Cayuga County WQMA Newsletters Available On-Line
As of June 2021, the Cayuga County WQMA quarterly newsletter will be available on the WQMA website in pdf form. To view the newsletter or other WQMA resources, go to http://cayugacountywater.org/what-we-do/resources/.
Cayuga County WQMA 2020 Year End Report
Owasco Watershed Lake Association Update
Submitted by Rick Nelson
The Owasco Watershed Lake Association (OWLA) Board is busy with existing projects and developing new ones for water quality improvements and watershed awareness.
Trained Harmful Algal Bloom spotting volunteers started two weeks ago to check all around the lakeshore for HABs. Very few have arrived so far.
Our roadside ditch remediation program continues in cooperation with the Cayuga County Soil and Water Conservation District to reduce future sediment and nutrient loading into Owasco Lake.
In addition, the OWLA Board is in the initial stages of new efforts for the late summer into Fall:
• to increase awareness – interact with school teachers to incorporate water quality educational programs such as those available from the Finger Lakes Institute at Hobart and William Smith Colleges;
• install roadside signs highlighting the watershed boundaries, and important measures citizens can take to protect Owasco Lake.
• a tree planting program will hopefully blossom into a Lake wide effort with many volunteers; and
• a trash pickup day/week, hopefully Lake wide, to remove trash and debris from our shorelines, ditches, and streams.
For more info visit www.owla.org.
Photo credit: Rick Nelson
CCE Cayuga County Welcomes 4-H STEM Educator Kim Oswald
CCE Cayuga County is pleased to announce the hiring of Kim Oswald as our 4-H STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) Educator. Kim will be providing multiple opportunities for hands-on and engaging STEM activities for our youth.
Kim is a graduate of the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Studies. As a student, Kim engaged with the Syracuse community promoting STEM and environmental education through schools, community gardens and libraries. She has also worked as a naturalist at Beaver Lake Nature Center in Baldwinsville, N.Y., as well as in the Sawtooth National Recreation Area in Idaho. Kim is excited to apply her education and experience to create exciting programs for youth in Cayuga County.
Kim also looks forward to bringing her experience leading stream water quality monitoring and lake monitoring to 4-Hers to learn about their local watershed. Kim will bring her experience of working with the Great Lakes Research Consortium to include cutting edge research and findings about water quality, to ensure that her programs are up to date with today’s research.
She can be reached at klo55@cornell.edu, 315-255-1183 Ext. 234. STEM Sparks Curiosity