Category: Uncategorized

Clean Up After Your Pet for Cleaner Water

Posted on by Michele Wunderlich

Written by Michele Wunderlich

Cleaning up after your dog is not just a courtesy, it helps keep our lakes and streams clean. Pet waste can pollute our local water resources and can be a significant risk to public health!

Dog waste contains harmful bacteria and nutrients such as phosphorus and nitrogen.  When rain or snowmelt flows over the land surface, it can pick up the pet waste and carry these bacteria and nutrients into nearby lakes, streams and wetlands.  The bacteria can cause human disease and health problems and can make the water unsafe for drinking and swimming.  Nitrogen and phosphorus

from the waste will also promote the growth of unwanted rooted aquatic plants and algae, including harmful algal blooms, in lakes and streams.

To prevent pet waste from getting into our waterbodies remember to take along a plastic bag or pooper scooper when you walk your dog. Flush the waste (not the bag) down the toilet or toss the waste (bag and all) into the garbage.

Clean water starts with you.

Protect Your Lake This Fourth of July: Use LED Flares

Posted on by Michele Wunderlich

Road flares are a piece of safety equipment many people carry in their vehicle in case it breaks down. They are also often used in Ring of Fire celebrations by lakefront owners when they light flares to create a glowing ring around the lake. The traditional road flares are chemical, or incendiary (burning) flares. These are considered “flammable solids,” as they release dangerous potassium perchlorate and strontium nitrate when burned. These hazardous chemicals can cause adverse health effects, such as injury to eyes, skin, and respiratory system. Furthermore, the blinding light and smoke produced from these toxic flares create additional safety issues. These traditional flares are hot enough to melt tires, skin, and clothing.

The Finger Lakes are sensitive drinking water sources and essential economic drivers that are currently threatened by pollutants that drive the increasing frequency of Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) among other water quality concerns. The size and duration of the use of traditional flares suggests a minimal impact to water quality, but when used in large numbers during Ring of Fire celebrations, at rates greater than common use scenarios, residual ash has a high possibility of contaminating nearby soil and water. It is in the community’s best interest to transition from the use of road flares to the use of LED flares to protect themselves and their drinking water sources while participating in Ring of Fire events. LED flares are non-combustible, low-cost, waterproof, reusable, and do not contain hazardous materials that can burn the skin, eyes, and lungs. LED flares can be carried in your vehicle instead of traditional road flares. Furthermore, the lack of hazardous materials produced by LED flares lends not only to ambient safety, but also to reducing the contamination of the water and soil of the Finger Lakes. This alternative will allow for traditions such as the Ring of Fire to continue, while protecting water quality and the safety of participants.

2024 Bob Brower Owasco Lake Scientific Symposium “Our Lake Our Legacy”

Posted on by Michele Wunderlich

The 2024 Bob Brower Owasco Lake Scientific Symposium will be held on Saturday, March 9, 2024 at Auburn Public Theater at 8 Exchange Street in Auburn or virtually via zoom.  The event runs from 9 am to noon (doors open at 8 am).

Resiliency and adaptation are key in adjusting to the impacts of climate change.  Please plan to attend this Scientific Symposium in Plain English as the professionals touch on a variety of key issues!

Ken Kudla of OWLA will speak on “Our Regional Freshwater Resources.”  Seth Jensen who is the Director of Municipal Utilities of the City of Auburn will speak on “Providing Safe Drinking Water.”  Kirsten Workman a Nutrient Management & Environmental Sustainability Specialist with PRO-DAIRY will speak on “The Evolution of Agriculture and Water Quality in NY- A Path of Continuous Improvement.”  Finally, Dr. Lisa Cleckner of the Finger Lakes Institute will speak on “What does the Buoy tell us about the Biology and Ecology of Owasco Lake Phytoplankton.”

To register for this symposium or for more information, please visit https://owla.org/bbss2024/.

Trade-A-Tree

Posted on by Michele Wunderlich

After Christmas this year, trade in your old tree for a free Colorado Blue Spruce seedling! The Cayuga County Trade-a-Tree for a Tree program offers residents an opportunity to recycle their Christmas tree in exchange for a conifer seedling.   It’s fast, easy, and free!

WHAT: Trade-a-Tree for a Tree Program

WHERE: Cayuga County Natural Resource Center , 7413 County House Road , Auburn

WHEN:   Tree pick-up for those who received coupons is at the Spring Annual Tree and Shrub Sale Pick-up. Please remember to turn in your coupon for a free Fraser Fir Seedling on May 10, 2024 at Soil & Water.

For more information, please contact the District office at 315-252-4171 ext. 4

Dates & Times for Recycling:

December 26-29, 2023 from 8 am to 3:30 pm
January 2-5, 2024 from 8 am to 3:30 pm
January 8-12, 2024 from 8 am to 3:30 pm
January 16-19, 2024 from 8 am to 3:30 pm

Water Quality Data Jam

Posted on by Michele Wunderlich

Water Quality Data Jam

Join Community Science Institute for a team exploration of YOUR water quality questions!

Friday, November 3, 10am – Noon
Tompkins County Public Library
BorgWarner Room
101 East Green St.

Do you have questions about the water quality in your watershed, such as:

  • Where on Cayuga Lake do Harmful Algal Blooms occur most frequently?
  • Which of my favorite swimming holes have the highest  colicounts?
  • How is the water quality on Six Mile Creek, the source of the City of Ithaca’s drinking water?

Community Science Institute (CSI) has been collecting water quality data in the Cayuga Lake Watershed for many years through our volunteer stream and lake monitoring partnerships. We invite you to come explore these data with us at our upcoming Water Quality Data Jam event hosted at Tompkins County Public Library. This event will give community members with questions such as those above an opportunity to delve into the data to find answers for themselves. CSI staff will be close at hand to guide teams to find critical information using our water quality database.

Attendees will work in teams to address their questions about water quality in the Cayuga Lake Watershed and beyond! At the end of the event, teams will come together to share their findings with the rest of the attendees.

Sign up and bring your water quality questions with you. Together, we can embark on a journey of data exploration!

Sign up using the following link: https://www.tcpl.org/event/data-jam-community-science-institute

If you have any questions, reach out to Community Science Institute at info@communityscience.org. We’ll be happy to clarify for you. We hope to see you there!