Chautauqua Lake and Watershed Management Alliance

Chautauqua NY

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November 2022 Minutes

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Chautauqua Lake and Watershed Management Alliance

Minutes of the Board of Directors – Public Meeting

Thursday, November 10, 2022 at 4:30 PM ET at The Lawson Center, 73 Lakeside Drive, Bemus Point, NY 14712 & via Zoom

Directors Present: Bruce Erickson, Paul Wendel, Jr., Mike LaTone (via Zoom), David Shepherd, Janis Bowman (via Zoom), Jim Andrews, and Ellen Barnes

Directors Absent: Don Emhardt, Martin Proctor

Staff in Attendance: Randall Perry – Alliance Executive Director, Taylor West – Alliance Project Manager, and Jay Young – Communications Coordinator

Others in Attendance: Linda Swanson – Sheldon Foundation; Craig Butler; John Ford; Howard Aiken; Peter Beeson

Member Representatives in Attendance: Becky Nystrom (via Zoom), Whitney Gleason, John Jablonski, Twan Leenders – Chautauqua Watershed Conservancy; Dave McCoy – County of Chautauqua; Louise Ortman – Town of North Harmony; Cassie Pinkoski – Chautauqua County Soil & Water Conservation District; Mary Hutchings – Chautauqua Lake Partnership; Karen Rine – South and Center Chautauqua Lake Sewer District

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I. Call to Order

B. Erickson called the Board Meeting of the Chautauqua Lake and Watershed Management Alliance (Alliance) to order at 4:30 PM. A quorum of 7 out of 9 Alliance Board Members were present at the start of the meeting. 

II. Approval of 10/27/2022 Board Work Session Minutes

E. Barnes made a motion to accept the minutes from the 10/27/2022 Board Meeting. The motion was seconded by P. Wendel and was approved unanimously.  

III. Projects Update

T. West indicated that the Alliance is working with members to execute their State Assistance Contracts for 2021 New York State Department of Environmental Conservation grant awards, including the Town of Chautauqua’s Chautauqua Roadside Swales Stabilization Project; the Town of North Harmony’s Ball Creek Stabilization Project; and the Village of Lakewood’s Grandview Stormwater Management Project. T. West indicated that engineering is being progressed on projects where possible, and indicated that more information on past Alliance projects can be found on the website at www.chautauquaalliance.org/projects/ and www.chautauquaalliance.org/annual-reports/.

The following projects update was provided as a meeting handout:

  • 2018-2022 Invasive Species Early Detection – Volunteer Task Force
    • Water Chestnut (~330 plants) found/removed in Chautauqua Lake Outlet in June-October 2022
      • Collaborative efforts among CWC, ACNC, Alliance, WNY PRISM, and Volunteers
    • Starry Stonewort found in Chautauqua Lake in Ashville Bay and near Prendergast Point in August 2022. Management planning work underway by CWC
      • This species of macro-algae has been found in Chautauqua Lake since around 2009.
      • CWC’s 2022 surveys have documented at least 7.25 acres of Starry Stonewort across two areas of the lake (Ashville Bay and Prendergast Point)
    • Contact the Chautauqua Watershed Conservancy (CWC) to get involved
  • 2018 Busti Precision Swales Stabilization (NYSDEC WQIP)
    • Grant closeout underway
  • 2021 Village of Lakewood Grandview Stormwater Management Project (NYSDEC WQIP)
    • Project aims to create a series of pocket wetland structures to capture and treat ~100,000 cubic feet stormwater from the Grandview subdivision with the goal of reducing flooding along Rte. 394 and sediment and nutrient loading in Chautauqua Lake. A trail is planned for around the project providing an educational and recreational opportunity for the public
    • Contract execution with NYS underway
    • Engineering underway by EcoStrategies
  • 2021 Town of North Harmony Ball Creek Stabilization Project (NYSDEC WQIP)
    • Project aims to stabilize ~440 linear feet of streambank along Ball Creek in the Town of North Harmony to reduce sediment and nutrient loading in Chautauqua Lake
    • Stow Road Bend (~120ft) Largely Completed 7/8/22 (photos below) – Riparian area planting in recently completed by CWC and Royal Fern Nursery
    • Engineering on Tri-James Bend underway by EcoStrategies
    • Contract execution with NYS underway
  • 2021 Town of Chautauqua Roadside Swales Stabilization Project (NYSDEC WQIP)
    • Project aims to stabilize ~16,000 linear feet of swales within the Town of Chautauqua to reduce sediment and nutrient loading in Chautauqua Lake.
    • Contract execution with NYS underway
    • Preparing for engineering Request for Proposals (RFP) process
  • List of Alliance-partnered NYS grants that have been closed out:
    • 2015 NYS Invasive Species Management Grant (C. Young Senate Initiative), closed ca. Apr 2019
    • 2016 Lakewood-Busti Stormwater Mgmt. Engineering Study (DEC/EFC EPG), closed ca. Jan 2019
    • 2013 Celoron Breakwall & Boardwalk LWRP Phase I Grant, closed ca. Sep 2018
    • 2016 Celoron Breakwall & Boardwalk LWRP Phase II-III Grant, closed ca. Aug 2019
    • 2017 Mayville-Chautauqua Stormwater Mgmt. Engineering Study (DEC/EFC EPG), closed ca. Feb 2020
    • 2015 County Round 12 WQIP Streambank Stabilization Projects at Ball, Bemus, Goose, Prendergast, Dutch Hollow (Phase 1 & 2), and West Dutch Hollow Creeks, closed ca. April 2022
    • 2017 Celoron Park Improvement (Amenities Building) LWRP Phase IV Grant, closed ca. Mar 2021
    • 2018 Lakewood Chautauqua Avenue Green Street Retrofit (NYSEFC GIGP), closed ca. Jan 2022
    • 2018 County Round 15 Skimming Capital Equipment (NYSDEC WQIP), closed ca. Apr 2022

Additional information is available on the Alliance website Projects page and in our Annual Reports:

IV. Alliance Committees

a.) Audit Committee

B. Erickson indicated that the Alliance’s audit paperwork was completed and submitted on time. B. Erickson indicated that the public audit information will be posted on New York State’s website when it becomes available.

b.) Lake Management Committee

R. Perry indicated that the Lake Management Committee met on November 2, 2022. R. Perry indicated that it was a productive meeting where a large amount of information on 2022 lake maintenance programs was shared. R. Perry indicated that the Committee had good conversations about new initiatives planned for 2023 to address conditions in the South Basin, and other future coordination.

B. Erickson indicated that there was continued dialog between the service providers, which is helpful to identify potential areas for improvement.

V. 2022-2023 Alliance Consolidated Local Funding Program Update

R. Perry acknowledged any veterans present and those in the community and thanked them for their service in honor of Veterans Day on 11/11/2022.

R. Perry thanked all of the Alliance Members who submitted funding requests. R. Perry thanked the volunteers from the Alliance Committees who participated in the technical review of applications. R. Perry thanked the Board for its work in the review and prioritization of applications. R. Perry thanked the local foundations who will be reviewing the Consolidated Grant Request, and for their generous funding for past projects. R. Perry indicated that 17 applications were submitted by Alliance Members, totaling ~$2.95 million. R. Perry indicated that the requests were approximately 92% for lake maintenance programs, 5% for other in-lake projects; and 3% for watershed projects. R. Perry indicated that the Alliance is in the process of submitting a Consolidated Grant Request to participating foundations totaling $800,000 to support lake and watershed projects in 2023. R. Perry indicated that the Alliance looks forward to updating its Members on individual funding awards once information is received from the foundations and the Board finalizes individual grant awards. R. Perry indicated that he is hopeful this will occur in February, 2023.

VI. Other

B. Erickson indicated that D. McCoy met with the Chautauqua Lake Association Board recently to discuss mechanical in-lake maintenance and shoreline cleanup moving forward. B. Erickson indicated that the discussion was frank and productive and that more information will be forthcoming.

B. Erickson indicated that flyers were available with information on the Public Information Meeting of the Chautauqua Lake Protection and Rehabilitation Agency, which is scheduled for 5 PM on Thursday, November 17, 2022. The meeting will be held in the Legislative Chambers of the Gerace Office Building in Mayville and will be streamed online at the County’s Facebook page.

VII. Open Floor: Member Representatives and Community Members in Attendance

D. McCoy asked if anyone in attendance had seen many zebra mussels this year. D. McCoy indicated it seemed like they were sparse.

J. Bowman indicated that she had seen quite a few zebra mussels while working in Burtis Bay recently.

M. LaTone indicated he saw quite a few while removing his dock in Bemus Bay.

J. Jablonski indicated zebra mussels seemed sparse on his dock, but indicated that he had seen them while fishing.

J. Jablonski indicated that Carol Markham, Conservationist for the Chautauqua Watershed Conservancy (CWC), conducted over 150 consultations with landowners through the Lakescapes program in order to help improve water quality. J. Jablonski indicated that CWC also conducted a shoreline buffer survey, and that information from the survey is being compiled and should be available by the end of the year. J. Jablonski indicated that CWC is in the process of closing out three new land purchases, including ~50 acres on Cheney Creek, and two sites on Goose Creek of ~54 acres.

VIII. Adjourn

J. Andrews made a motion to adjourn the November 10, 2022 Board meeting. The motion was seconded by P. Wendel and was passed unanimously. The meeting adjourned at 4:41 PM.

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The Alliance Board of Directors passed a motion to approve these 11/10/22 Meeting Minutes on 12/8/22.