AIS Surveys on Cayuga Lake, 2025

By Catherine Farrell and Claire McMahon

This summer, the Finger Lakes PRISM Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) Field Team, hosted by the Finger Lakes Institute at Hobart and William Smith Colleges, has been monitoring Cayuga Lake’s nearshore ecosystem. This science-driven team prioritizes early detection of aquatic invasive species (AIS) to provide rapid response to emerging invasive populations to better inform management of invasives in the lake.

On Cayuga Lake, the AIS Field Team monitors six locations near popular boat launches. These sites are areas of high concern because AIS can attach to watercraft and be transported from one waterbody to another. From June to August, the team performs monthly sampling efforts from kayaks within a half-mile radius of each boat launch. At each site, the team samples up to 300 points by tossing macrophyte sampling rakes into the water and pulling up submerged plants for identification and measurement. Both native and invasive plants are recorded, and AIS are reported to iMapInvasives, an online, GIS-based data management system.

The team also collects water quality data near each launch to gain further insights into local aquatic macrophyte ecology. These data help reveal how Cayuga Lake’s ecosystem changes over the season and from year to year, how it compares to other lakes, and can help determine which areas are most vulnerable to new invasions. Invasive species can adversely impact aquatic ecosystems, including macroinvertebrate and fish communities, so it is important to mitigate existing AIS-related issues and prevent further infestations on Cayuga Lake and other Finger Lakes. These programs are essential to Cayuga Lake to ensure it remains healthy and accessible for residents, boaters, swimmers, and nature lovers.

The Finger Lakes PRISM AIS Field Team has new staff leaders this year including a new program manager and AIS field coordinator. Catherine Farrell is the program manager and previously worked with AIS within two other NY PRISMs and recently completed her master’s degree in community ecology at Binghamton University. Claire McMahon is the new AIS field coordinator and has a background in conservation, invasive species management, and aquatic ecology. She has assisted with AIS research in other PRISMs and recently completed a master’s degree in Lake Management at SUNY Oneonta.
The AIS Field Team is excited to continue their work gathering data on aquatic invasive species throughout the Finger Lakes. Any questions, or concerns about AIS can be directed to Catherine Farrell at cfarrell@hws.edu.

Invasive Species Awareness Week

By Natalie Stanton, Planner, Cayuga County Department of Planning & Economic Development

New York State’s annual Invasive Species Awareness Week is from June 3rd to June 9th, 2025. This annual campaign aims to enhance public awareness and understanding of invasive species and their detrimental impact by offering a diverse array of activities throughout the state and providing individuals with practical ways to prevent the spread of invasive species. To get more information on invasive species, and a schedule of Invasive Species Awareness Week events visit https://nyis.info/ny-invasive-species-awareness-week/.

Hydrilla

By Liz Kreitinger, Steward/Executive Director, Cayuga Lake Watershed Network

Managing invasive Hydrilla (Hydrilla verticillata) in Cayuga Lake requires a combination of sustained chemical treatments, public education, and cooperative efforts from lake users to prevent further spread. Since its discovery in the inlet in 2011, each Hydrilla infestation location has been targeted with herbicide treatments which have reduced plant density and slowed its spread.

However, preventing the spread of Hydrilla by local boat traffic remains a significant challenge. In June, for the first time this year, Hydrilla was detected by a Finger Lakes Partnership for Invasive Species Management (FL-PRISM) Watercraft Steward at Cayuga Lake State Park who was inspecting a motorized kayak exiting the lake. This is the furthest point north in Cayuga Lake that Hydrilla has been detected to date. Preventing Hydrilla from spreading into the shallow northern shelf of Cayuga Lake and the canal  system is a top priority due to its vigorous growth which can choke waterways for recreation and crowd out other species.  In response to the finding, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and FL-PRISM have put additional effort towards surveys in areas surrounding the park. As of the beginning of August, no established fragments of Hydrilla have been found in the area.

Public awareness campaigns urging lake users to “Clean, Drain, Dry” boats and equipment, along with voluntary inspections by Watercraft Stewards, rely heavily on public cooperation, especially at private docks and informal launch sites. The Cayuga Lake Watershed Network’s education activities continue to focus on these activities and invasive species awareness.

Coordination with local partners is facilitated through the Cayuga Lake Hydrilla Task Force which now includes members from Tompkins, Cayuga and Seneca Counties. As part of an ongoing effort to manage Hydrilla in Cayuga Lake, herbicide treatments administered by the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and DEC continue this summer in all three lakeshore counties. Surveys to monitor treatment effectiveness, plant community response, and possible new patches are ongoing. For details on treatment schedules and extent, water monitoring for herbicide levels, and herbicide information sheets visit our website: https://www.cayugalake.org/resources/hydrilla-information-action/.

 

New York State Invasive Species Awareness Week 2024

New York State’s annual Invasive Species Awareness Week is from June 3 to June 9, 2024. This is an annual campaign to promote knowledge and understanding of invasive species and the harm they cause by providing a wide range of activities across the state and showing people how to stop the spread of invasive species. To get more information on invasive species, and a schedule of Invasive Species Awareness Week events visit https://fingerlakesinvasives.org/nyisaw24/ and   https://nyis.info/events/month/2024-06/ .

Hydrilla in Cayuga Lake

The Cayuga Lake Watershed Network will be hosting the Hydrilla in Cayuga Lake 2023 Annual Updates and Panel Discussion via zoom on December 18, 2023 from 12:00-2:00 pm.  Please join us to learn and ask questions about Hydrilla and the challenges it presents to Cayuga Lake, as well as the current management strategies.  Presenters include Sam-Beck Anderson from the Finger Lakes Partnership for Regional Invasive Species Management, Richard Ruby from the United States Army Corps of Engineers and Cathy McGlynn from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.  To register, click here .

2023 End of year Hydrilla Public Session
2023 End of year Hydrilla Public Session Image

 

 

iMapInvasives Training and Invasive Species Walk

Due to issues with the iMapInvasives app and the smoke from the Canadian wildfires, the iMapInvasives training that was scheduled as part of New York State Invasive Species Awareness week was cancelled.  However, Michele Wunderlich was able to provide an impromptu iMapInvasives training earlier in the week to Ann Robson, OWLA president and Ally Berry, Owasco Lake Watershed Inspector.  They learned how to use the iMapInvasives app and were given a brief invasive species identification training in the field.

If you would like iMapInvasives app training, please contact Michele Wunderlich at mwunderlich@cayugacounty.us.

Photo is of common buckthorn, an invasive species.