Owasco Watershed Lake Association
“Speak on behalf of the lake for she cannot speak for herself.”
Owasco Lake is essential to our community character and our economic future. The Owasco Watershed Lake Association, as the voice of the lake, recognizes this and has joined together to draw attention to the value and importance of Owasco Lake.
OWLA commits itself to facilitating the strategies and activities that are designed to restore our watershed and improve water quality for both drinking and full recreational use of Owasco Lake and its watershed.
YOU CAN BE PART OF THE SOLUTION BY JOINING OWLA TODAY!!
Learn About The 2019 Ditch Remediation Program
Scientists estimate that more than 20% of the sediment and nutrients reaching the lake came from eroding roadside ditches. This can be easily fixed by hydroseeding exposed soil and using rock on steep ditch surfaces. OWLA and partners have created a Ditch Remediation Program to reduce soil and nutrient erosion into the lake.
It’s not just the Water, it’s the ‘Shed
Owasco Lake is the collection point for all of the water used in the 208 square mile watershed.
Do you know that Owasco Lake provides drinking water for more than 44,000 people in our community? The lake offers year-round recreation, attracts tourists from far and wide, and continues to be a crown jewel of central New York! In turn, because Owasco Lake’s health is in jeopardy, all of us need to assist in its restoration, maintenance and preservation.
Since nutrient runoff, coupled with atmospheric changes, have endangered the lake, members of Owasco Watershed Lake Association, the state Department of Environmental Conservation and the Owasco Water Quality Management Council are working tirelessly to diagnose the sources of runoff, document the findings and determine actions for remediation. Our collective future, economic, physical and social, is greatly dependent on the future of Owasco Lake. Reaching the goal of a healthy Owasco Lake cannot happen without cooperation from the community at large.
2019 HABs Reporting
The OWLA HABs Program Volunteers began monitoring their assigned shoreline zones once a week from July 8 through early October.
Learn More about the NYS DEC GIS-based, interactive map:
NEWS
Scroll through for current OWLA and area news:
Thank you Jon Robson for this informative article that reminds us about the importance of keeping the water in Owasco Lake clean!!
Owasco Watershed Lake Association: What's in a glass of water?
The sight of a woodland lake at sunset or the soft blanket of snow over a peaceful country landscape can cause us to pause and reflect on nature. After aLovely article! I wish some of my neighbors that spray Roundup on their West Lake Road property’s read this!
Thank you Adam Effler, Executive Director of the Owasco Lake Watershed Council, Drew Snell and Kaitlyn Shanahan the Watershed Inspectors for speaking and discussing the health of the lake! #owascolake #fingerlakes #lovefreshwater
EVENTS and MEETINGS
Events Calendar
Check Out The Calendar For Area Events
News
OWLA presents important news and information from our area!
OWLA Monthly Meetings:
OWLA Monthly Meeting
OWLA Monthly Meeting
OWLA Monthly Meeting
OWLA Monthly Meeting
Robert N. Brower
Memorial Honorarium
In 2018 we lost our friend and advocate for the lake and the environment, Bob Brower. OWLA has established an Honorarium in Bob’s name to help fund projects that were dear to him.
Please consider contributing to the fund to honor Bob’s memory.
What can you do to HELP?
Protecting Owasco Lake is essential to the maintenance of our community character and the improvement of our economic future. We encourage everyone to help the Owasco Watershed Lake Association personally and/or financially. By this commitment you will help keep Owasco Lake clean and safe.