Page 1 December 2017 KLA Newsletter PROTECTING THE QUALITY OF THE LAKE www.keukalakeassoc.org Newsletter “Listen to the Lake” December 2017 The KLA PRESIDENT’S REPORT— Dennis Carlson Officers, I am ever so proud of the volunteers (both KLA Directors & Members and not) Board Members, Committee Admin. Asst. all wish our KLA Chairs and Committee members that help us focus on members a very safe & and address the issues we face in the Keuka Watershed. When I refer to non-members, a recent example revolves enjoyable around the Starry Stonewart (SSW) pull at Sugar Creek holiday season and a in Branchport. The group that heavily supported this ef- Happy New Year! fort not only included the Town of Branchport and Cornell Cooperative Extension but also numerous students from Keuka College that put their energy and enthusiasm into the effort. This enthusiasm allowed the task to be com- pleted in a very efficient manner while contributing to Kla membership their studies at Keuka. Hats off to the entire team! Renewal for 2018 In a similar vain, we have a number of very qualified Board Members and scientific experts leading the charge Membership renewal forms for 2018 will be on helping us all understand more about the Hazardous sent out March 1, 2018. To renew, you may Algae Bloom (HAB) experience we had this past Sep- return to the KLA office the enclosed form with tember. This event was not unique to Keuka (as most your check or credit card info. You may also Finger Lakes had the same issue at the same time) but it renew on-line at our website does require effort to establish information gathering (www.keukalakeassociation.org) with your procedures so that we can keep our membership base credit card. Whichever way you choose to re- and the communities informed with reliable information new, please include any up-dated information. when these situations occur. Intentions are (during the Also you may select to receive our monthly e- winter months) to establish education sessions to share newsletter and e-announcements and choose what has been learned should we experience similar to receive our quarterly newsletter by e-mail, events in in the future. regular mail or both. We look forward to your continued support for 2018 to help us maintain The bottom line is, most things we get involved in are our mission. challenging. The best part is that they bring people Please let the KLA Office know if you do together and we all learn how to protect the watershed. not receive this annual renewal. Thank you. During the winter months we will be gearing up for the 2018 Membership Campaign and we ask for your Newsletter Highlights Critter Corner: Exotic Fish……..8 continued support. We also ask that you consider President’s Report…........1& 2 KLAeidoscope Info………..........9 2017 Membership Renewal...1 Lake Home Names in Directory..9 increasing your level of membership should you be able, Keuka Lake Directory 2017 KLA Member Ads...........10-16,24 as well as encourage any of your lake neighbors that are Info,,,,,,,,,,,,,……………….1&9 2016 KLA Member/Donor Membership Report…………2 Roster ………………….....17-24 not members to join. Memberships are our primary Water Quality Committee…...3 Year-end Tax Deduction…....…24 source of funds to keep our efforts going. So, we ask for Nominating Committee...…...3 Order Forms…...………............25 your support so we can support you. New/Returning Members.…..3 KLA Directors and Officers….....25 2016 Boat Steward Program.4 Business Mems. & Advertisers...26 Navigation & Recreation……5 KLA Office & Advertising Info…..27 Enjoy this edition of the Newsletter and have a great Aquatic Invasive Species….6&7 Membership Application Form…27 2017Scholarship Info…….....7 Boaters’ Safety Course Info……27 winter and enjoyable Holiday Season Check out the 2017 Membership/Donor roster on pages 19-26 Page 2 December 2017 KLA Newsletter Bloom answers Maria Hudson, KLA Water Quality and DEC CSLAP Many concerns have been raised about the blue green algae bloom experienced throughout the Finger Lakes in September. Below is a summary of what we know so far and how we are trying to monitor and pre- vent issues which inhibit the quality and safety of our lake. The Keuka Lake Association (KLA), Keuka Col- lege, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) , the Yates County Soil and Water Conservation District, and the Keuka Watershed Improvement Co- operative (KWIC) have been working together for many years sampling the lake water and monitoring the blooms as well as Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) outbreaks Although we have no definitive reasons for the bloom out break it was probably a combination of factors. Storms early in the season brought nutrients thru runoff into the lake, then, the week between Labor Day and September 10th was windy and cold enough at night to begin lake turnover, bringing nutrients into the water column from sediments, finally starting on the12th or 13th the weather became mirror calm, hot and sunny for two weeks straight. Cyanobacteria (aka blue green algae) that created the bloom, are not true algae but they do use the sun as an energy source thru photosynthesis like green plants. Cyanobacteria also have the ability to regulate their buoyancy which allows them to float to the surface of a lake for maximum utilization of sunlight which can shade and outcompete other algae along the shore. So the sunny conditions and calm waters, after the stirring up nutrients, created an ideal opportunity for these organisms to multiply exponentially and accumulate on shorelines throughout the lake and even suspended in deeper water. These bacteria algae are normally present in small populations. Green algae (phytoplankton) is also normally present and makes up the bottom of the food chain supporting the fishery. There have always been blooms of cyanobacteria and algae on Keuka and other Finger Lakes. Unfortunate- ly, a bacterial bloom such as we experienced produces a toxin which can cause skin irritation, stomach is- sues if ingested and/or allergy like reactions. The KLA and our partners are working hard to identify and mitigate problems that affect use of our lakes for recreation, drinking water, fishing and enjoying the water in general. WATER QUALITY: A team of KLA volunteers along with Yates County Soil and Water, CCE samples water from 4 shoreline sites, and 4 open water sites including the water column, open water shallow and deep wa- ter once a month April- October. The samples are analyzed for nutrients, zooplankton, chlorophyll and other indicators of water quality and ecological stability. Results of these analyses are presented at our Annual Meeting by Dr. Tim Sellers from Keuka College. The DEC Citizen Statewide Lake Assessment Program (CSLAP) also performs sampling and analysis including sampling for HAB indicators and cyanobacterial tox- ins at the surface and deeper in the water column (18m or ~ 60 ft) twice a month at 2-3 sites. CSLAP sam- pling results will be available later this year. See the KLA website under Educational Resources /Water Qual- ity/Lake Monitoring for additional background on our monitoring efforts. AQUATIC INVASIVE SPECIES: These efforts include grants to clear Starry Stonewort and prevent infesta- tions of this invasive weed, water chestnut pulls as well as establishing a highly successful Watercraft Stew- ardship program to inspect boats and remove invasive plants before they are spread. CCE provides the lead with many KLA volunteers as well as help from KWIC. FISHERY MANAGEMENT: The DEC fishery biologists are embarking on a study to improve the cold water fishery (trout and other species) See the power point of the State of the Lake DEC presentation this summer on The KLA website under Recreation and Navigation. AGRICULTURAL AND RUNOFF MANAGEMENT: The Yates County Soil and Water Conservation District works with farmers and land owners to prevent soil erosion, storm water runoff, store manure safely and pre- vent erosion at construction sites. They also assist KLA with AIS control and Water Quality monitoring. See ycsoilwater.com SEWER AND SEPTIC TANK LEAKAGE: KWIC (Keuka Watershed Improvement Cooperative) works to pre- vent pollution from leaky septic, sanitary sewer and dumping into the lake. They also assist with granting for AIS work. See keukawatershed.com Cont. on page 3 Page 3 December 2017 KLA Newsletter Cont. from page 2 HAZARDOUS ALGAL BLOOMS: In addition to Water Quality monitoring DEC CSLAP also monitors shorelines and open wa- ter, reporting and sampling for Hazardous Algal Blooms (HABs) Samples were collected near shore and in the open water (if an open water bloom existed) and were also sampled for total and dissolved nutrients. After the latest bloom, the DEC enlisted the KLA and other volunteers throughout the Finger Lakes to take large volumes of samples of the bloom for genetic testing and other advanced analyses on the types of bacteria present, toxins produced, and nutrients present. See dec.ny.gov/ chemical/290.html, and [email protected] for more infor- mation on toxic blooms. The Dept. of Public Health has info on health effects as well. https:// www.health.ny.gov/environmental/water/drinking/bluegreenalgae/ Keuka Lake is considered one of the most pristine "oligotrophic" of the Finger Lakes This means we have very low rates of dissolved nutrients and algal growth and efforts to keep it clean and clear as well as support the fishery are of utmost importance to the KLA and our partners. Currently, I am looking for additional volunteers to help in shoreline monitoring efforts to identify and report potential problems. Let me know additional questions, concerns or if you would to volunteer! Contact the KLA Office and they will forward to me.