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Something seems a little different with the weather we’ve been having here in Western New York. This spring has been a lot wetter than the previous springs I’ve experienced. Most people I talk about the weather with, or even just causally mention rain to, agree that this amount of rain is unprecedented. While it’s a bummer to reschedule so many sports games, outdoor events, and hikes, and while too much rain can sometimes cause problems like flooding and soil erosion, too much rain can also be a good thing for humans and the environment.   Benefits for Humans: Replenishes water resources: Rain fills up rivers, lakes, and underground aquifers, ensuring a continuous supply of freshwater for ecosystems and human consumption. Supports ecosystems and biodiversity: Regular rainfall nourishes forests, grasslands, and other habitats, providing water and resources for countless species of plants and animals. Cleans the air: Rain washes away dust, pollutants, and allergens, improving air quality. Cools the environment: Rain helps lower temperatures, providing relief from hot weather. Promotes healthy soil: Rain supports the nutrient cycle, keeping soil fertile and productive for plant growth.   Benefits for Plants and Agriculture: Rainwater contains nitrogen: Nitrogen is a vital nutrient for plant growth that supports chlorophyll production and overall plant health. The more rain, the more nitrogen. Rainwater contains more oxygen: Rainwater contains more dissolved oxygen than tap water, which contributes to healthy plant growth. Rainwater is naturally soft: Free of chemicals that we find in our local water sources, rainwater is free from chemicals like chlorine and fluoride, while also containing a slight amount of acidic pH, which can improve nutrient absorption in soil. Reduces reliance on irrigation: Rainfall can lessen the need for artificial watering systems, saving resources like overuse of aquifers and local wells, which reduces costs.  It is crucial though to distinguish between beneficial rainfall and excessive rainfall. While rain is vital for life, too much rain can lead to flooding, soil erosion, delayed planting and harvesting of crops, as well as an increased risk of pests and diseases. This is where creeks, rivers, and wetlands play a crucial role in mitigating flooding and managing stormwater when it rains too much. As a land trust, Chautauqua Watershed Conservancy preserves and protects our creeks, rivers, and streams that help absorb and store excess water.   Benefits of Creeks, Streams, and Wetlands with Excess Rain: Slowing Down Runoff: The natural features of creeks, such as vegetation along the banks and meandering channels, slow down the flow of water. This allows more time for the water to be absorbed into the ground, reducing the volume and speed of floodwater. Water Storage: Wetlands act like natural sponges, absorbing and storing excess water from rain, snowmelt, and floodwaters. This reduces the volume of water flowing into rivers and streams, preventing them from overflowing and causing floods. One acre of wetland can store a significant amount of water, with estimates ranging from 330,000 gallons to 1.5 million gallons. Slowing Down Water Flow: The dense vegetation and natural features within wetlands, such as grass and reeds, slow down the speed of floodwater. This helps to reduce the force of the water and allows more time for infiltration into the soil, minimizing erosion and damage downstream. Reduced Flood Peaks: By storing and slowing down water, wetlands effectively reduce flood peaks, which are the highest levels of water reached during a flood or heavy rain event. This is especially beneficial in urban areas, where impervious surfaces increase runoff and the risk of flooding. Reduced Strain on Infrastructure: Wetlands also help to reduce the pressure on man-made flood defenses like levees and storm drains by controlling and slowing down floodwaters.    Even though we are receiving an unprecedented amount of water so far this year, it is important to remember it’s a good thing. And with the help of healthy creeks, streams, and wetlands to naturally offset heavy rains and flooding by absorbing, slowing down, and filtering heavy rains and floodwaters, downstream communities and infrastructure can be protected. Restoring and protecting these natural features is, therefore, essential for effective flood control and overall watershed health. Article and photo by Bethany O'Hagan, Land Specialist

My parents started vacationing with my brother and me on Chautauqua Lake when I was four years old. At age ten, I began piloting a small boat to fish.  We vacationed at Point Chautauqua each summer where we fished the rocky bottoms along Point Chautauqua to the Vikings Club for smallmouth bass and walleyes.  In my later teen years, we experienced getting stuck in topped out Eurasian watermilfoil in the Mayville flats while water skiing.  Each year, we caught muskellunge, bass, and walleye from Mayville to Prendergast Point and Maple Springs.   As part of these fishing experiences, I experienced the impacts of the construction of Chautauqua Lake Estates. The excavation buried the lake bottom there with soil. Our anchor pulled up this soil and I witnessed the abundance of Eurasian watermilfoil that thrived rooted in the soil that formerly had been on the hill above. Each year brought more shore excavation, more homes, and more erosion and sedimentation followed by more abundant milfoil beds.  Milfoil flourishes when rooted in fresh sediments.    In the 1970s and early 1980s, the excavation for the Southern Tier Expressway and bridge construction provided a major onslaught of sediments into the lake.   In the 1990s, zebra mussels arrived, which made the water measurably clearer for a few years as they filtered out and ate a lot of algae (phytoplankton). They prefer to not to eat cyanobacteria (“blue-green algae”) and choose algae that are a main food for zooplankton such as Daphnia (water fleas). Daphnia are a primary food for young yellow perch and other species. These mussels re-direct the food chain and significantly contribute to the formation of harmful algal blooms (HABs). Zebra mussels also concentrate nutrients by depositing their feces onto the lake bottom between the rocks that host them. These droppings then provide a fertile environment for plants to grow, creating plant communities where they didn’t exist and changing the aquatic communities in these formerly more “clean bottom” rocky areas.    Many positive actions have also occurred over this time. With the closure of the malted milk plant in Mayville in 1976 eliminating its discharges of high phosphorus effluent, the milfoil seems to be significantly less dense from Mayville to Hartfield and rarely tops out as it did in the 1970s. In 1980, the Chautauqua Lake South and Central Sewer Districts went into service diverting effluent from one-third of the lakeshore to the wastewater treatment plant in Celoron. In recent years, lake users and water consumers have been significantly benefiting from upgrading the Northern Chautauqua Lake Sewer District wastewater treatment plant and Chautauqua Utility District treatment plants to tertiary treatment removing over 90% of the phosphorus from their effluent. In addition, wastewater from Chautauqua Lake Estates is now treated at the NCLSD plant. These upgrades reduced external phosphorus loading to the north basin by about 25%.   Offsetting the benefits of sewer extensions and treatment plant upgrades are the impacts of more development and climate change, both of which cause more soil erosion, more nutrient pollution, and early lake stratification, increasing the duration of anoxic bottom conditions driving internal phosphorus loading from the lake sediments. According to NYS CSLAP data, average total phosphorus in our lake waters has increased over the past 36 years, while average water clarity has remained about the same.   So what about the fisheries? Yellow perch are very abundant. Muskellunge fry and fingerlings continue to be stocked by New York State, and abundance cycles up and down. They remain relatively abundant and challenging to catch.  Walleye populations cycle up and down as well. Largemouth bass are as abundant as ever. Smallmouth bass and crappies continue to provide productive fisheries. White perch, a non-native species, are much more abundant than in past decades. My brother and I, and our adult children, are still having fun catching fish on this lake.   So much has changed since I first started fishing on this lake. There are a lot fewer wooded natural shorelines and a lot more fertilized and pesticide treated lawns where those natural shorelines formerly existed. We have more rooftops, parking lots, and roads carrying more stormwater down streams and more urban pollution to our precious lake. There is so much more preventive and restorative conservation work needed in the lake’s 180-square mile drainage basin to reduce the pollution and sedimentation contributing to the lake’s excess plant and algae growth. There are no quick fixes to maintain a healthy lake for all to enjoy! Article and photo by John Jablonski III Special Projects Coordinator

Our Loomis Osprey couple are again the proud parents of 3 chicks!!! We reported having seen 3 eggs on May 19th, which was the only day they were visible in the sheltered cavity in the nest. On May 29th, we saw 2 tiny heads bobbing just above the rim. We were not sure if the third egg had survived . . . until June 8th when we saw the littlest one, who was probably born a week after its older siblings who are now about 2 -3 weeks old. We can see Femke feeding her babies while Hauke brings in the fresh catch of lake fish several times a day. Once again it will be a major task to raise 3 chicks over the course of just a month or two. They will probably be ready to fledge by late July. On June 6th, a strong wind turned the camera 120 degrees around so that it is now facing the trees towards the lake. The view of the nest is not as complete as it was, but still sufficient to see inside! Be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram to see more videos and photos of our Loomis Osprey family!

If you’re anything like me, you’ve been admiring the lush, vibrant green that’s taken over our landscape thanks to this wet spring — all while wishing the rain would give us a break so we can hit the trails! After a winter full of epic snow for skiing, snowshoeing, and snowmobiling, it’s time to gear up for the next season of outdoor fun. And here in Chautauqua County, we are spoiled with choices.   Did you know there are over 700 miles of trails weaving through our region? Whether you're into hiking, mountain biking, kayaking, horseback riding, snowmobiling, or cross-country skiing — we've got it all. And behind this incredible network is a powerhouse coalition: the Friends of the Chautauqua County Greenways (FCCG). This passionate group brings together snowmobile clubs, Chautauqua Rails to Trails, the Chautauqua Watershed Conservancy (CWC), WNY Mountain Bicycling Association (WNYMBA), Friends of Panama Horse and Nature Trails, Boutwell Hill Ski Club, Chautauqua County Department of Planning & Development, the City of Jamestown, and more — all with one goal: protecting and enhancing our trails. The Chautauqua County Partnership for Economic Growth (CCPEG) helps support this collaboration.   Now, for the exciting part: On June 21st, the FCCG invites you to join us for the inaugural Chautauqua County Trails Day!   Mark your calendars — this first day of summer is going to be packed with adventure, discovery, and connection to nature. Whether you're a trail veteran or a curious beginner, there’s something for everyone: Try mountain biking on one of the county’s exhilarating single-track trails. Saddle up and experience our dedicated equestrian paths. Paddle a serene stretch of the Marden E. Cobb Waterway Trail in a kayak or canoe. Explore birding hotspots with expert guides. Or join a relaxed, family-friendly hike through lush forest trails.   You’ll find full event listings and updates at: www.choosechq.com/chqtrailsday (Note that activities are still being added, and trail/weather conditions may affect schedules – so check with hosting groups for the latest details.)   Highlights from the Chautauqua Watershed Conservancy on Trails Day:   8:00 AM – Bird Walk at Cassadaga Lakes Nature Park This birding hotspot is a certified stop on the NYS Birding Trail! Join expert guides Devin Banning and Katelyn Davis from the Chautauqua-Warren Birding Association for a morning of finding fantastic feathered friends.   Starting at 1:00 PM – Guided Kayak Trips on Cassadaga Creek Paddle a scenic 3-mile route from Kabob to CWC’s Kyle’s Landing Preserve at Red Bird Corners. Bring your own kayak or canoe. We’ll have a few extras on hand, plus a shuttle service to bring you back to your starting point.   3:00 PM – Family-Friendly Nature Walk at Dobbins Woods Preserve in Ashville Explore the beauty of this peaceful preserve with guides who’ll help kids and adults alike connect with the wonders of the forest.   With so many free, fun, and family-friendly activities happening all across the county, this is your chance to discover (or rediscover) the incredible trail adventures waiting in your own backyard. We’re thrilled to celebrate this community-powered network and can’t wait to see you out there!   And don’t worry — the rain will  be gone by then… probably. 😉 Article by Twan Leenders, Director of Conservation for Chautauqua Watershed Conservancy and Co-Chair for Friends of the Chautauqua County Greenways Photo by Bethany O'Hagan, Land Specialist for Chautauqua Watershed Conservancy

For the first time this spring, we saw eggs in the Osprey nest at our Loomis Goose Creek Preserve! We suspected that one or more eggs had been laid based on the behavior of Femke and Hauke the past couple of weeks, but the nest has grown to be very thick and tall, making it harder for us to look down into the nest this year. We can now confirm that Femke and Hauke have three eggs to care for and tend to. Now we anxiously await for the arrival of chicks.   We also have very good news about two other Ospreys poles that were installed last summer. There is a pair nesting on the platform at the Chautauqua Golf Course and at least one Osprey, maybe still looking for a mate, at the pole on University Beach at Chautauqua Institution! More Ospreys than ever before can be seen fishing on Chautauqua Lake and flying overhead.

Four words to inspire a change: Plant natives. Save nature.   Here in Chautauqua County, farming is in our roots – grapes, corn, beans – you name it. But these crops rely on more than just hard work and sunshine. They depend on pollinators: bees, butterflies, and birds buzzing and flitting through our fields.   But here’s the twist: our crops aren’t their main attraction. They're just a pit stop on the way to what these insects really love and need – native trees, shrubs, and wildflowers hidden in hedgerows and forest edges. And those places? They’re disappearing fast.   For the past five years, the Chautauqua Watershed Conservancy and our Yard Smarts Program has been encouraging a new way of thinking about our yards. Messy is magical. Less lawn is more life. Native plants are not just pretty, they’re powerful.   The age of the manicured, bug-free lawn is fading. In its place is a new vision: yards that buzz, bloom, and brim with life. Every lawn and every garden is an opportunity to build a tiny piece of habitat – an invitation for pollinators and birds to come feed, rest, and thrive.   With native plants, we can turn ordinary spaces into extraordinary ecosystems. Each yard becomes a link in a living chain, connecting farms, forests, and wild spaces. Together, we can stitch back the fabric of our local ecosystem, one plant and one yard at a time.   Let’s give pollinators what they need – and make our landscapes part of the solution.   How can you help?   Read the book How Can I Help? by entomologist and ecologist Doug Tallamy, who believes that real change starts in our own backyards. Through native plants, fewer chemicals, and simple choices like leaving the leaves, we can help save the insects, birds, and ecosystems we rely on. This latest book by Tallamy offers practical, science-based steps that anyone can follow. He will also be sharing his message live in Erie, PA on Tuesday, May 20th. Visit https://extension.psu.edu/restoring-nature for more information or scan the QR code below. Or contact the Conservancy’s conservationist, Carol Markham, at carol@chautauquawatershed.org .   One yard really can make a difference – and so can you! Article by Conservationist Carol Markham

In the cheerful town of Chatty Creek, everyone wanted the greenest lawn on the block. Families spent weekends mowing, watering, and sprinkling fertilizers like fairy dust to keep their grass thick and bright. The kids loved it - playing tag, watching cloud parades, staging backyard bug battles, and pretending the perfect carpet of grass was their enchanted kingdom.   Trouble Beneath the Turf But while the grass looked great, trouble was brewing. The fertilizers started sneaking into Lilypad Lake, turning the once-sparkling water into murky green soup. Algae took over, the fish disappeared, and the kids' favorite spot to splash, swim, and skip stones became a stinky mess.   The Garden That Faded The more the grass grew, the fewer wildflowers popped up. Bright blooms and busy bees were replaced by endless, boring lawns. Yards all looked the same – green and lifeless. Milkweed and coneflowers vanished, crickets stopped chirping, frogs stopped croaking, and the kids’ insect jars stayed sadly empty. Even the nighttime sparkle of lightning bugs went dark.     The Lawn Lesson The kids of Chatty Creek started to notice. Their bright green lawns weren’t all that magical anymore. They realized that the “perfect” grass had pushed nature away. They missed the buzzing bees, the colorful flowers, and the splashy fun at Lilypad Lake.   A Brave New Bloom So the residents of Chatty Creek got brave and tried something new. Families planted native flowers, cut back on lawn chemicals, and let parts of their yards go wild again. Nature returned - birds sang, bees hummed, butterflies danced, and Lilypad Lake began to sparkle again. The kids found rekindled joy in messy meadows, muddy toes, and nature’s backyard bounty.   And from that day on, Chatty Creek bloomed happily ever after! Article by Conservationist Carol Markham

The invasive Spotted Lanternfly was reported in Chautauqua County on April 26th is Stow. This insect feeds on over 70 species of plants, including grapes, fruit trees, and maples, and its sugary excretions can lead to mold growth and attract other pests. It’s a major threat to the agricultural industry and our enjoyment of outdoors. If you see one, take a photo if you can, report it to www.reportslf.com  (you can also use the QR codes below), and then squash the bug.   Please take a moment to click the links below to learn more and also share this post to help spread awareness! (Click the three dots at the top right hand of the page.)   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehbox8CHWEY   https://lergp.com/spotted-lanternfly   https://dec.ny.gov/nature/animals-fish-plants/spotted-lanternfly

Spotted Lanternfly Nymphs (photo credit: WNY PRISM) Ever heard of the Spotted Lanternfly? How about the Red Swamp Crayfish? No, they're not band names – they're invasive species creeping into Western New York, and they could be wreaking havoc on local ecosystems. But what exactly are invasive species, and are they all that bad?   What Are Invasive Species ?   An invasive species is non-native to the ecosystem under consideration and whose introduction causes, or is likely to cause, economic or environmental harm, or harm to human health. Invasive species may be plants, animals, or pathogens or even microorganisms that make their way into an environment where they don’t belong. Unlike a friendly neighbor who moves in next door, these species tend to overstay their welcome, disrupt the balance of native ecosystems, and sometimes cause serious damage to agriculture, wildlife, and biodiversity.   Meet the Uninvited Guests   Western New York is currently facing a number of invasive species challenges. Some notable troublemakers include: Spotted Lanternfly  – This little pest feasts on fruit trees, vineyards, and native plants, making it a major agricultural threat. It has been spotted in the Buffalo area and was just spotted in Chautauqua County last weekend (at Hogan’s Hut General Store in Stow). Red Swamp Crayfish  – A feisty crustacean known for burrowing into aquatic environments, causing habitat disruptions and competing with native species. Policemen’s Helmet (Himalayan Balsam)  – This invasive plant spreads rapidly, outcompeting native vegetation and altering local landscapes. Wavyleaf Basketgrass  – A seemingly harmless grass, but don’t be fooled! It spreads aggressively and crowds out native plant life.   Other invasives that are on the high priority list of the Western New York Partnership for Regional Invasive Species Management include: Porcelain Betty, Mile-a-Minute, Slender False Brome, Amut Corktree, Scotch Broom, Water Lettuce, Water Hyacinth, and Sticky Sage.   Why Should We Care?   At first glance, some invasive species might not seem like a big deal. After all, what’s wrong with a few extra plants or critters in the mix? But their effects can be far-reaching and often come with unintended consequences:   1. Competition with Native Species These invaders have a knack for outcompeting native plants and animals for essential resources, sometimes driving local species to extinction. 2. Ecosystem Disruptions They change the very structure of habitats. Think of invasive plants like kudzu that blanket forests and the sides of freeways, or aquatic species that alter water ecosystems. 3. Biodiversity Decline When invasive species dominate a habitat, native species often get pushed out, reducing biodiversity and affecting ecological balance. 4. The Disease Factor Some invasives bring along harmful pathogens or parasites that spread to local wildlife, leading to unexpected population declines. Think of the Pilgrams and First Nations people. Or anywhere Christopher Columbus went. 5. Food Chain Chaos Predatory invasive species can disrupt natural food webs, leaving native species struggling to survive. 6. Environmental Degradation Many invasive species damage soil, water quality, and vegetation, making it harder for ecosystems to recover.   Fighting the Invasion   Western New York isn’t sitting idly by while these species take over. Public awareness campaigns, prevention programs, and partnerships like the WNY PRISM are working to stop their spread.   Want to help? Stay informed, and report sightings of invasive species with an amazing app called iMapInvasives. You can find it on any phone operating platform. It’s free and easy to use. It would be extremely helpful in identifying invasives that no one even knows about around where you live and play!   New York’s Invasive Species Awareness Week (NYISAW) is June 9th- 15th!   NYISAW promotes knowledge and understanding of invasive species and the harm they can cause, just like this article. Organizations across all of New York State (including the Chautauqua Watershed Conservancy) will offer a variety of engaging events, such as interpretive hikes, volunteer days, webinars, movie screenings, and fun family activities. By participating in NYISAW, you can help protect your community’s natural spaces, learn about the emerging invasive species, meet your neighbors, and get outdoors.     So, stay vigilant, report any invasives to your local environmental groups, document it in the app, and most important of all, support native plant restoration projects! Article by Land Steward Bethany O'Hagan

Our intrepid crew of staffers Daniel Conklin, Bethany O'Hagan, and Twan Leenders did not mind going out in a downpour earlier this week in order to raise our Osprey nest cam a few inches higher by inserting one additional piece of equipment. In the first two photos below, you can compare the increased thickness of our Osprey nest between 4 days ago and 4 years ago – hence the reason why we had to adjust the camera higher on the Osprey pole at our Loomis Goose Creek Preserve. (It was also 93ºF on the nesting platform 4 years ago vs 47ºF now!) Unfortunately, the camera was not cooperating, but hopefully we can resolve that tech glitch soon. If any repairs need to be made, we’ll need to fix it before Femke starts to incubate any eggs since we do not want to disturb the family. Last year, she began her long, 6-week brooding period around April 24th, as far as we could see. We wish our faithful friends well for another year of successfully raising their offspring and look forward to watching them throughout the season!

Winter is fading away and spring is beginning to take hold. You’ll notice the first flowers poking out of the ground and trees starting to bud. Also, many animals who spent the cold months in hibernation are finally waking up. Hibernation is a survival strategy that allows certain species to endure harsh winters by slowing their body functions. Animals like squirrels, bears, and frogs enter a state of deep sleep or torpor to conserve energy when food is scarce and temperatures drop. Now that the days are getting longer and warmer, these creatures are emerging from their winter sleep, ready to find food and restart their normal activities. Squirrels: Restless Sleepers Unlike some animals that enter deep hibernation, squirrels experience a lighter form of winter dormancy. Tree squirrels, such as gray squirrels, do not hibernate at all but instead rely on stored food and their thick fur to survive the winter. However, ground squirrels, like our chipmunks, enter a true hibernation state. During this time, their body temperature drops dramatically, and their heart rate slows to just a few beats per minute. As spring arrives, chipmunks awaken and emerge from their burrows. Their first priority is usually food since they have lost a lot of weight during hibernation. They also begin searching for mates, as spring is an important breeding season for them. Gray squirrels on the other hand, become more active as food sources, such as nuts and berries, become more abundant. Bears: The Famous Hibernators Bears are often the first animals people think of when discussing hibernation. However, their hibernation is different from that of smaller animals. Instead of experiencing a full shutdown of body functions, bears enter a state of torpor. During torpor, a bear’s body temperature only drops slightly, and it can wake up if necessary. Bears spend months in their dens without eating, drinking, or even going to the bathroom. They survive by living off the fat they built up in the fall. When they wake up in the spring, they are hungry and often start searching for food immediately. Many bears will eat grass, berries, fish, or small mammals as they regain their strength. For female bears, spring is an especially important time. Many give birth during hibernation and emerge with tiny cubs that have been nursing throughout the winter. These young bears are now strong enough to explore the outside world under the watchful eye of their mother. Frogs: Frozen Survivors Frogs have one of the most incredible hibernation abilities in the animal kingdom. Many species, like wood frogs, survive the winter by literally freezing solid. Their bodies produce a special anti-freeze-like chemical that prevents ice from damaging their organs, allowing them to survive being frozen for months. As temperatures rise in the spring, these frogs thaw out and return to normal life. They head toward ponds and wetlands to breed, filling the air with their loud calls. Frogs are crucial to ecosystems because they help control insect populations and serve as food for many predators. A New Season Begins As hibernating animals wake up, they play a key role in restoring balance to nature. Squirrels return to their busy lives, bears venture out in search of food, and frogs fill wetlands with their croaks. Spring marks a time of renewal and energy, reminding us that life always finds a way to thrive after the long winter sleep. Now if it would only stop snowing . . . Article and photo by Twan Leenders, Director of Conservation

Our resident Osprey pair – Femke and Hauke – have returned home from South America to nest once again at our Loomis Goose Creek Preserve in Ashville!   We have been following the pair since 2020 when they first made their home on the nesting platform that we placed at the preserve a few years prior. Typically, Hauke arrives first, followed by Femke several days later – each traveling from different overwintering locations. However, for the first time, they arrived on the same day!   In this first photo from a motion-activated camera placed near the nest, you can see Femke (on the left with the speckled "necklace") holding a stick in her left talon. Both will be busy over the next several days to week cleaning up and repairing the nest and also working to create a soft spot in the middle for the arrival of this year’s egg(s), which we can expect to see in late April.   We are incredibly excited to have our dear Osprey friends back home and look forward to watching them and this year’s young now through early September when they make their month-long, 5,000-mile journey back to South America. Welcome home, friends!   We’ll be sharing additional photos and short videos of Femke, Hauke, and their young on our social media pages throughout their breeding season, so be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram for updates!

Chautauqua Lake is one of the most popular inland fishing waters in New York State. A survey conducted for the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation in 2017 determined that Chautauqua Lake ranked tenth highest of inland waters statewide, based on the estimated total number of anglers (22,189) fishing the Lake annually. It also determined that anglers had a total economic impact valued at about $66,928,818 on the local economy, provided support for 305 jobs, and generated $15,346,545 in State and local tax revenues.   Chautauqua Lake is a very fertile lake, with high amounts of nutrients available for plants and algae at the base of the food web to produce food for all the animals that feed on them. With this abundance of nutrients, the Lake produces a massive amount of fish. To sustain productive fisheries for the Lake’s variety of valuable panfish and game species, the fish need healthy habitats supporting each stage of their lives.   Fish such as walleyes need clean tributary streams and silt-free gravel bars in which to spawn for egg laying and fertilization each April. Muskellunge generally lay their eggs in shallow lake waters of five feet in depth or less amidst new submerged vegetation or emergent vegetation in late April or early May. Smallmouth bass construct nests on sandy, gravel, or rocky bottoms, with vegetation or sheltering rocks nearby later in spring. Largemouth bass also construct nests and generally spawn in shallower, more vegetated warmer bays than smallmouth bass. The males of both species of bass guard their eggs in the nest and guard their young.   Newly hatched fish are classified as young-of-year until the following spring. While a female fish produces thousands of eggs, only a small percentage are successfully fertilized by males and hatch, and most year-of-young never make it to their first birthday. Eggs are eaten by birds, other fish, aquatic insects, etc., and recently hatched fish are food for many animals as well.   Fish need good habitats for the successful deposition and maturation of eggs. Many species rely on submerged or emergent aquatic plants, brush, and/or rocks for recently hatched fish to find shelter from predators. They also rely on aquatic plants to provide a home for a variety of insect larvae, crustacea, worms, etc., as food. Wild shorelines with wetland vegetation and aquatic plants such as pondweeds that grow rapidly in the spring are especially important in providing cover and food for young-of-year fish. Muskellunge young-of-year need shallow, heavily vegetated wetland-type conditions to feed and avoid being eaten during their first spring and summer. In Chautauqua Lake, due to the loss of shallow wetland habitats, less than 25% of adult muskies are fish that grew in the wild their first summer. Most muskies making it to maturity are raised at the State hatchery to a fingerling size of eight inches or more before being released in the fall.   As summer approaches, leaving these plant communities intact as much as possible is important to maintaining healthy panfish and gamefish populations in the lake. If algae blooms, herbicide applications, or other management practices result in the loss of significant percentages of plants in these aquatic communities, both prey fish and young-of-year gamefish can be subject to excessive consumption by larger fish. To protect the abundance of food for the Lake’s fish, all aquatic plant management activities must be carefully planned and managed by the best available scientific research. Article by John Jablonski III, Special Projects Coordinator Photo of Jack Jablonski with a Chautauqua Lake walleye by Steve Jablonski

Winter’s Hidden Secret: Your Yard is Preparing for Spring!   It’s that magical time of year when snowflakes dance from the sky, wrapping the world in a cozy, white blanket. People are warm and snug inside, sipping hot cocoa and watching winter do its thing. But while everyone is bundled up, the team at the Chautauqua Watershed Conservancy is thinking about something important—what’s going on under that snow!   The Secret Beneath the Snow   You see, under all that winter snow, the plants and flowers are waiting patiently for spring. But there's another secret hidden under the snow too—the water that flows through our yards! When snow melts or rain falls, that water runs off our grass, gardens, and driveways and into lakes and rivers, and that water needs to stay clean. The big question is—what’s in that water? That’s where Yard Smarts comes in!   What is Yard Smarts? A Free, Sustainable Yard and Garden Design Service!   Launched by the Chautauqua Watershed Conservancy in 2020, Yard Smarts is a FREE program that helps homeowners, renters, businesses, schools—even entire towns—make small but powerful changes that protect our water, create wildlife-friendly spaces, and keep our yards thriving. And the best part? It’s super easy to do!   How Can You Get Involved? Simple Steps to a Smarter Yard   Think about this: Just by planting native flowers and grasses, you can create a paradise for pollinators like butterflies and bees. By reducing chemical use, you help keep harmful pollutants out of our water. And by designing your yard to soak up rain instead of letting it rush into storm drains, you’re giving nature a helping hand in filtering and cleaning our water naturally.   Join the Movement: 800+ Yard Smart Homes and Counting!   So far, nearly 800 homeowners in Chautauqua County have joined the movement, and we’re just getting started! Whether you live by a lake or miles away, your yard plays a role in keeping our community’s water clean and its wildlife thriving. The best part? A Yard Smart yard isn’t just great for nature—it’s beautiful, low-maintenance, and good for you, too!   Let’s Make Our Yards Smarter in 2025: Attend Our Kick-off Event!   Ready to make 2025 the year your yard goes green (literally)? Join us for our Yard Smarts Kick-off Event on Wednesday, March 26th from 5:30-6:30 PM at the Conservancy’s office (71 East Fairmount Avenue in Lakewood) to learn more about the program and how simple and fun it is to get started!   Your yard has the power to make a difference. Let’s make it Yard Smart!

Our Geographical Location: The 42nd Parallel   Have you ever wondered why plants and animals thrive the way they do here in Chautauqua County? After moving here, I took a dive deep into learning about local geography and the county’s natural surroundings. As a geography graduate, maps are a fascination of mine, and I couldn’t resist exploring the 42nd parallel north, the line of latitude where Jamestown lies. It made me wonder how our location compares to others along the same parallel.   What is the 42nd Parallel, and Why Does It Matter?   The 42nd parallel north is an imaginary line that circles the Earth. It spans roughly 16,104 miles, making it about 64% of the length of the equator. Jamestown sits at approximately 42 degrees 5' 43.9” N, 79 degrees 14' 18.9” W. This latitude doesn’t just show our position – it also connects us with several cities across the United States and beyond. Let’s take a closer look at some of the places that share this parallel.   What Cities Share Our Latitude? Erie, Pennsylvania Ames, Iowa Marshalltown, Iowa Kalamazoo, Michigan Benton Harbor, Michigan Braintree, Massachusetts Medford, Oregon   While these cities may lie along the same line of latitude, their climates and characteristics differ because of geographical and environmental factors. Let’s see how these places vary, even with the same parallel.   Different Climates, Same Latitude   One of the most surprising things about the 42nd parallel is how diverse the climates can be along this line: Medford, Oregon sits in the Rogue Valley between the Cascade Range and Siskiyou Mountains. It has a Mediterranean climate, with warm summers and mild winters – much warmer than expected for a place on this parallel. Ames, Iowa experiences a humid continental climate, with hot, humid summers and cold, snowy winters – typical of the Midwest. Benton Harbor, Michigan also shares this climate, but its proximity to Lake Michigan means higher snowfall due to lake-effect snow. Braintree, Massachusetts, just south of Boston, has a similar humid continental climate, with warm, humid summers and cold, rainy winters.   Despite sharing the same latitude, each of these places has distinct weather patterns influenced by nearby mountains, bodies of water, and other factors.   Global Connections: Water, Water Everywhere   Along the 42nd parallel, many regions are connected by an abundance of freshwater, just like Chautauqua County. For example: Heaven Lake, a volcanic crater lake in Korea, is located along the 42nd parallel. The Caspian Sea, the world’s largest inland body of water, sits along this line. Hokkaido, Japan, is also on the 42nd parallel and is known for its lakes and rivers.   What makes Chautauqua County especially notable is the freshwater around us – Lake Erie to the north and Lake Michigan to the west. We’re part of a region rich in freshwater, a resource that’s becoming more valuable worldwide.   Why Chautauqua County is Special   While many places share our latitude, our area stands out for a few key reasons. First, the sheer amount of freshwater surrounding us is unparalleled. Chautauqua County is nestled between the Great Lakes, offering us a wealth of water resources including our unique watershed that many regions around the world can only dream of. Our climate, influenced by proximity to Lake Erie and the surrounding hills, offers moderate summers, snowy winters, and fertile soil – ideal for agriculture and outdoor activities. It’s not going to take long for the rest of the world to see how lucky we are. Next time you look at a map, remember that the 42nd parallel does more than mark our location – it connects us to a world full of similarities, differences, and natural wonders. It makes me appreciate everything here so much more. Article by Bethany O'Hagan, Land Specialist Photo by CWC

Quietly infiltrating the great expanse of forests throughout New York State, invasive pest species continue to wreak havoc on countless ecologically and economically valuable trees. We’ve all learned about the devastating impact of Dutch elm disease and how the blight that made the American chestnut (once the most common tree in our eastern forests) go functionally extinct. More recently, beech blight and emerald ash borer have killed untold numbers of trees in our area. Over the past century these pests have significantly altered the species composition of our forests. And there’s more to come.   Beyond their commercial impacts, the cumulative damage caused by these new harmful invasives is slowly but surely undermining the health and resilience of our entire ecosystem. Like a real-life game of “Jenga,” the extinction or significant reduction of tree species after tree species is leaving our forests increasingly at risk of ecosystem collapse. Their disappearance doesn’t just impact the trees themselves – the damage extends to all other species that depend on them as well.     For many years, the Chautauqua Watershed Conservancy, other area organizations, and many dedicated citizen scientist volunteers have been carrying out pre-emptive surveys for Hemlock Woolly Adelgid (HWA). HWA is an aphid-like insect that threatens the health of the eastern hemlock ( Tsuga canadensis ) throughout the eastern United States. This exotic invasive insect pest is spreading further north and east from its introduction point in Virginia in the 1950s, infesting and causing decline and mortality in ecologically significant hemlock-dominated forests. Based on our surveys, we know that HWA has been present in our area for many years, but until recently, it was limited to only a few sites that were carefully monitored and, where possible, treated. Unfortunately, throughout 2024 we have received and confirmed many new outbreaks of HWA across Chautauqua County, and it appears that HWA is suddenly becoming a real threat to yet another key component of our beautiful forests.    What makes HWA potentially even more impactful than other forest pests is that hemlocks tend to grow in large, single species stands. Being evergreens, hemlocks form dense clusters that don’t allow much light to reach the forest floor year-round. Areas with significant hemlock growth therefore tend to have very little undergrowth because young tree saplings can’t grow in these low light conditions. As a result, once HWA moves in and hemlocks die, entire hillsides and large sections of forest can rapidly be left completely devoid of trees. An added challenge is that hemlock stands tend to cover and stabilize steep slopes above streams and rivers. Losing all tree cover from such areas in a short period of time can lead to erosion, landslides, and significant impact on water quality in the streams below – something that has been happening for some time now in the Catskills, the Blue Ridge and Smoky Mountains, and many other places east and south of us.        Fortunately, there are some glimmers of hope. It’s likely that the recent string of mild winters has allowed HWA to propagate and spread. Even though HWA is suddenly spreading throughout our county, the cold weather we are experiencing this year may kill off some of these bugs. Also, significant strides have been made in recent years with new biological control methods, and field trials in the Allegheny National Forest and in Central NY seem to have promising initial results. Chemical control options are also available in the form of oils, soaps, or toxins that can be used to treat small HWA infections. However, such control methods are costly, need periodic re-application, and are not feasible for large infestations.   Most importantly for Chautauqua County right now is that we continue and expand our HWA monitoring efforts to have the most accurate distribution information available. That will help to ensure that infected areas are on everyone’s radar and informed management decisions can be made accordingly. It will also help us identify areas where trees appear more resilient – information that may help isolate genetic strains of hemlocks that could potentially withstand an infection. Winter is the best time to look for the presence of HWA because the overwintering bugs are immobilized in small, cotton ball-like capsules at the base of each hemlock needle, which makes them easy to detect. In addition, since the bugs are inactive during the winter, there is no risk that well-meaning surveyors inadvertently spread these pests to other hemlocks, simply by touching or brushing against infected trees.       Our forests need your help! We have several HWA surveys taking place in January, February, and March – some of which are open to the public. Please consider joining one! You’ll learn everything you need to know to recognize HWA and infected trees, you’ll learn about potential treatments, and you’ll be able to take that knowledge elsewhere – for example, to check on the hemlocks in your own backyard. And, not unimportantly, you’ll also get to enjoy a beautiful walk in the woods on one of our nature preserves or other forested area!   For more info about HWA or our upcoming surveys, contact our land specialist, Bethany O’Hagan, at bethany@chautauquawatershed.org . For a list of surveys that you can volunteer at, visit our Events page .

This Sentinel 2 satellite photo of Chautauqua Lake shows abundant algal growth in the southern basin and a much clearer northern basin. (Image courtesy Jill Singer) Did you know that there is a war underway each summer in our lakes for nutrients and light?  This war is between plants and algae! Like a football game, each side has many players who excel with differing abilities to use various nutrients and light. In this war, if the plants are winning, the lake has clearer, healthier waters. If the algae are winning, the lake has green or blue-green turbid water. Having moderate amounts of both plants and algae as the base of a lake’s food web is ideal for healthy abundant fisheries.   Chautauqua Lake is a naturally fertile and biologically productive lake with high concentrations of the critical nutrient phosphorus. According to the 2023 CSLAP report, the north basin, which is much deeper than the south basin, had a mean total phosphorus concentration of 0.03 mg/Liter, while the south basin had a mean concentration of 0.0526 mg/L. According to the Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) for Phosphorus (P) in Chautauqua Lake report (2012), both basins violate the New York State’s guidance value for total phosphorus: 0.020 mg/L. This 2023 value for the mean concentration in the south basin is more than double the desired level for enjoyable lake conditions.  Human activities over decades have made this lake more fertile.   Shallow lakes can exist in alternative stable states: a clear-water state that typically supports abundant submerged vegetation and provides high quality wildlife habitat or a turbid-water state with frequent algal blooms, poor habitat, and few plants (Vitense, K. et al, 2019). Stable clear-water lakes generally support abundant fisheries and support recreational uses, but plants may impede uses to some degree. Stable turbid lakes generally suffer from degraded gamefish populations and frequent harmful algae blooms which make the water unfit for swimming. As a result, lakeshore property values are harmed by a lake tipping to the turbid state.   The south basin of Chautauqua Lake, with its excess phosphorus levels, highly developed watershed, and very shallow waters is in the range for a “bistable lake,” meaning that at many times the algae are winning the battle and sometimes the plants are winning the battle. This basin is susceptible to tipping into a stable turbid-state lake, with frequent harmful algae blooms shading out vital aquatic vegetation, resulting in the loss of abundant fisheries. Our valued fisheries depend upon healthy plant communities for reproduction, shelter, and food that plants provide for fish prey species. If algae blooms shade the south basin and the “narrows” make them devoid of most plants for three or more years, we will likely see a decline in our valuable fisheries as well as declining lakefront property values.   Could the south basin tip into a stable turbid-water state? In the 2019 Racine-Johnson Aquatic Ecologists plant and insect survey report, they wrote that the south basin was likely devoid of submerged aquatic plants from July through September, as a result of town- and village-sponsored herbicide treatments, exhibiting characteristics of a turbid state.  During their plant survey, the inventory team noted the observation of “one of the thickest cyanobacteria scums we had observed on the water from Bemus Bay south to Burtis Bay.” They concluded that the herbicide treatments which eliminated the plant communities and were associated with extensive algal blooms, “… were detrimental to the lake community.” The authors noted, “Our late summer/early fall plant survey findings came as a shock and should alarm the stakeholders of Chautauqua Lake.”   Lake scientists know that, in overly fertile lakes, if too many plants are killed, removed, or eaten by fish, algae will take advantage of phosphorus not used by the plants and will grow abundantly.  Vitense et al (2021) note that increases in populations of bottom feeding fish, such as carp and bullheads, and other perturbations can drive transitions to a turbid state. Vitense et al suggest that “encouraging the expansion of submerged aquatic plant cover substantially reduces the probability a clear lake will transition” [to a turbid state].   As a lake property owner, boater, and fisherman, I hope that scientists, community leaders, and consultants will heed this research and: 1) choose to maintain healthy, nutrient-absorbing aquatic plant communities by avoiding management practices that kill or remove significant parts of the plant community in our lake, 2) adopt new laws, and 3) employ conservation and management actions to effectively control phosphorus loading from the watershed and internal sources. Let’s work to push the south basin of the lake to have cleaner, clearer waters and away from the tipping point of becoming a stable turbid-state lake! Article by John Jablonski III, Special Projects Coordinator References :   Citizens Statewide Lake Assessment Program, NYSDEC & NYSFOLA, Chautauqua Lake-North and South Basin Reports 2023 https://extapps.dec.ny.gov/data/IF/CSLAP/2023_Lake_Report_Chautauqua%20N%20Cslap%20Site%2033_0202CHA0122.html   ; https://extapps.dec.ny.gov/data/IF/ CSLAP/2023_Lake_Report_Chautauqua%20S%20Cslap%20Site%2033.1_0202CHA0122.html   The Cadmus Group, Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) for Phosphorus in Chautauqua Lake, Prepared for: USEPA & NYSDEC, November 2012 (Search on web for “Chautauqua Lake TMDL”) Vitense K, Hanson MA, Herwig BR, Zimmer KD, Fieberg J. Using hidden Markov models to inform conservation and management strategies in ecosystems exhibiting alternative stable states. J Appl Ecol. 2021; 58:1069–1078. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2664.13855 https://www.researchgate.net/publication/349413871_Using_hidden_Markov_models_to_inform_conservation_and_management_strategies_in_ecosystems_exhibiting_alternative_stable_states (may only be available by subscription) Vitense K, Hanson MA, Herwig BR, Zimmer KD, Fieberg J. Predicting total phosphorus levels as indicators for shallow lake management. Ecological Indicators 96 (2019) 278-287  (may only be available by subscription) Racine-Johnson Aquatic Ecologists. 2019 Status of Chautauqua Lake’s Aquatic Macrophyte Community Determined by a Late Summer/Early Fall Survey and Estimates of the Associated Invertebrate Community  https://chautauqualakeassociation.org/science/aquatic-reports/ For further reading on lake stable state tipping point information : Alternative Stable State Theory and Regime Shifts, U. of Nebraska-Lincoln https://passel2.unl.edu/view/lesson/bcbd3f35f2e0 (has an excellent photo comparing examples of a lake in a turbid state vs. a lake in a clear state) Carpenter, S. R., and K. L. Cottingham. 1997. Resilience and restoration of lakes. Conservation Ecology [online]1(1): 2. http://www.consecol.org/vol1/iss1/art2/ Carpenter, Stephen R. National Academy of Sciences Profile, by Zagorski, Nick, July 11, 2005 https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.0504706102

Western New York is getting its fair share of snow right now. Six days into 2025, and Jamestown already has more snow than it had in the entire month of January 2024. Needless to say, we here in Chautauqua County are used to it. Our area is home to a variety of animals that are well-adapted to thrive during the winter snowy months. When I see birds darting in and out of hedges, I can’t help but wonder what other species are thriving as much as I wish I was in all of this snow. So here are a few animals that absolutely love and thrive in these snowy times, as well some reminders of the perks that snow provides for our soil.   Animals have developed various adaptations to survive and thrive in the harsh winter conditions of Western New York. Like this area’s humans, we all know that it takes a certain type of living creature to weather these cold temperatures. For example, White-tailed Deer are more than common in the region. They have thick fur that helps them stay warm and can clear fences as tall as eight feet. They can also change their diet to browse on woody plants and shrubs when food is scarce. Snowshoe Hare, which are similar to their Arctic relatives, change their coat color to white in the winter for camouflage in the snow. Also, their large feet help them move easily over the snow, like wearing a pair of snowshoes. Red foxes have dense fur and a bushy tail that they wrap around themselves like a scarf or blanket for warmth. They are opportunistic feeders and can adapt their diet to available food sources. Northern Cardinals are the vibrant red birds that I keep seeing and are a common sight at bird feeders during the winter. Their bright red plumage and hearty nature make them well-suited for the cold. Black-capped Chickadees are small birds known for their resilience in cold weather. They fluff up their feathers to trap heat and often visit bird feeders for seeds. The American Tree Sparrow migrate to Western New York for the winter and are busy visitors in winter backyards and weedy, snow-covered field. These birds that I can totally relate to not liking hot weather can be seen foraging for seeds on the ground or at feeders. The Snowy Owl can occasionally be spotted in Western New York, too. They are well-adapted to the cold with their thick feathers and hunting skills. The Eastern Gray Squirrel remains active throughout the winter, relying on their stored food and their ability to navigate snowy landscapes. These are just a few but not all the types of animals that do well in the snow. Not to mention all the mice trying to cohabitate with me and my family.   Snow isn’t just well suited for certain animals – it has positive effects on soil too. Snow provides an insulating layer of protection for soil and plant roots from extreme temperatures, which also prevents frost from penetrating too deeply into the ground and ruining that garden you planted in the fall. When snow melts, it gradually releases moisture into the soil, which is beneficial for recharging groundwater levels and providing a steady supply of water to plants. Snow can capture and carry atmospheric nitrogen down to the soil so that, as it melts, nitrogen is released into the soil, which helps plant growth. Snow cover can also protect the soil from wind and water erosion, which helps to hold the soil in place, especially on barren crop lands during the winter months. Snow can help break down organic matter like all the leaves I didn’t rake up in the fall. When it melts, it helps decompose plant residues and other organic materials, enriching the soil with nutrients.   Winter snow offers a fantastic opportunity to get out and watch all these animals, as well as enjoy the benefits of snow in our area. In summary, snow is an amazing thing even though it makes your car cold in the mornings, makes you put on a whole different set of tires, and makes you wear a ton of layers of clothes. Remember though – snow acts as a protective and nourishing layer for the soil that contributes to its health and fertility and is home to many amazing creatures adapted to the snow, including you. Article by Bethany O'Hagan Photo by Heather Kinal

It’s that time of year when snow echoes its beautiful silence. Most people are watching this beautiful display of winter all cozy and snuggled from the comfort of their warm living room and not thinking much about the plants and perennials that lie beneath nature’s white. But we at the Chautauqua Watershed Conservancy are!   The Conservancy’s LakeScapes program, a watershed-friendly landscaping and lawn care program, was launched in 2020. Since then, we have been traveling around the county spreading guidance and knowledge to nearly 800 Chautauqua County homeowners. Not only have we been helping create critical wildlife habitat and beautiful backyards, but we have also been teaching homeowners how to better absorb and filter their yard’s runoff and improve water quality.   We cannot forget that our yards are part of a vast interconnected ecosystem and that everything we do in them affects our local lakes, waterways, and drinking water. Contaminants from every home and community – such as sediments, sewage, manure, pet waste, fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, motor oil – are all carried into our lakes and waterways from storm drains. It is more important than ever for us to realize that we as homeowners hold the power to clean water no matter where we live or what size property we own. And this is the most important concept to understand and what has inspired us to make a change!   As we welcome in the new year, please also welcome in a new name for this program . . . YARD SMARTS – Native Plants, Happy Waters!   Although the program has a new name, consultations will remain free and available to all Chautauqua County residents. And remember, you do not need to live by or on a lake to take advantage of it!   Let us help you take a step towards a more watershed-friendly landscape! We can help you create a yard that is friendlier to pollinators and wildlife. We can teach you about native plants and controlling invasive species. And we can discuss ways you can help to conserve water and protect Chautauqua County’s water quality.   Working together, we can create a healthy community . . . one yard at a time!   Please contact our conservationist, Carol Markham, at carol@chautauquawatershed.org and find out how a few simple YARD SMART changes to your landscape can make a huge difference to the water quality and health of our watersheds! Article and photo by Carol Markham

The phrase “fight fire with fire” is not just an idiom – it actually works in practice. For example, when combating forest fires, crews will carry out controlled burns in the path of an approaching inferno to remove any burnable materials from the area, thus depriving the blaze of fuel. Fire extinguishes fire!   When trying to remove ecologically harmful and/or economically costly invasive species from an area, the controlled use of fire is sometimes an appropriate tool as well. But unfortunately, that is not always the recommended, or most feasible, approach. And in the case of aquatic invasive plants that grow underwater, fire really doesn’t get you anywhere. However, in the spirit of this idiom, which refers to responding to a threat in the same manner as it presents itself, why not fight plants with plants?   In terrestrial settings, this is already a mainstay of invasive species management. It is one thing to remove a patch of Japanese knotweed or other invasive, but if that area is left unvegetated, then the most likely plants to move into that void will be highly successful colonizing species, such as invasives. When unwanted vegetation is removed and not immediately replaced with native species of plants, the problem will not go away. But desirable plants can be used to fight undesirable ones.   Anyone who has walked the Riverwalk in downtown Jamestown recently may have seen our staff and numerous hard-working volunteers planting almost 3,500 plugs of a variety of native wildflowers and grasses on the newly restored Chadakoin Riverbank below the train station. After removing invasive and diseased trees and all manner of invasive species, and after rebuilding the bank sections that were about to collapse into the river, we have now installed our first line of defense against the return of the invasives there. Sure, they will try to recolonize the area, but we will be waiting next spring to spot-treat and remove them as needed. And in the meantime, we will encourage the plants that we do want to grow there and have them fill in the empty habitat areas that were left after construction, until the desirable plants greatly outnumber the ones we want to get rid of.   Although this is not common practice yet, we have just started a small pilot project to see if a similar approach can help us combat unwanted aquatic invasives too, such as the dreaded Starry Stonewort. The Towns of Chautauqua and North Harmony have received funding to try and remove nuisance growth of this harmful invasive from Chautauqua Lake. Together with the Chautauqua Lake and Watershed Management Alliance and the Chautauqua Watershed Conservancy, we are exploring using Diver Assisted Suction Harvesting (DASH), as well as the use of Mobitracs at some point in 2025, to see how effectively these methods can remove the incredibly fast-growing Starry Stonewort. DASH has been used in other water bodies and on other aquatic invasive species, but it has never been done in Chautauqua Lake or at this scale. Earlier pilot removal efforts using Mobitracs in late 2023 showed promise when our staff surveyed the target area in Ashville Bay. However, even though early season results were encouraging, by the end of the 2024 growing season, Starry Stonewort had recolonized the areas from which we were able to remove it.   Back to my earlier point – assuming that we can be successful in removing Starry Stonewort from significant areas in Chautauqua Lake in 2025 (as we are fully intending on accomplishing!), a critical next step needs to be taken: revegetating the harvested areas with densely growing native aquatic plants before unwanted invasives move in. During our many lake surveys this past summer and fall, we have come across several instances where emergent pickerelweed or floating water lilies appeared to suppress the growth of nearby Starry Stonewort. Similarly, dense stands of eelgrass seem to form a barrier to its spread. In the last few weeks, our staff has installed about 20 experimental “rock socks” in the lake, which are biodegradable bags containing head-started pickerelweed, water willow, and water plantain plants. They are dormant right now but will hopefully grow out of their bags and into the areas where we’ve planted them come spring.   Funding permitting, we hope to do a full-fledged pilot project next year, experimenting with how we can best create an underwater nursery of sorts to propagate transplantable and fast-growing native aquatic plants that we can deploy in our fight against harmful invasives. Fighting fire with fire – even under water! Article by Twan Leenders, Conservancy Director of Conservation Photos by Bethany O'Hagan, Conservancy Land Specialist

The Chautauqua Watershed Conservancy’s mission is to preserve and enhance the quality, scenic beauty, and ecological health of the lands and waters of the Chautauqua region for the benefit of the community. Conserving and enhancing lands for water quality protection and habitat enhancement are two of our priority activities. We strive to conserve the lands in the Chautauqua Lake watershed and countywide which provide the highest habitat value and highest benefit to protecting and enhancing the quality of our lakes, streams, wetlands, and groundwaters. The forests and wetlands above and adjacent to our streams and lakes act as filters as water flows through them, thus providing clean water to those lakes and streams.     In its earlier years, the Conservancy’s highest priority was to conserve as many of the remaining natural shoreland sites on Chautauqua Lake as possible. With the help of many, we succeeded in facilitating the conservation of over two miles of natural forest and wetland shoreline on the Lake and its outlet in our lake quality and habitat protection efforts. We have gone on to conserve sensitive shoreline wetland areas on Cassadaga and Bear Lakes and Cassadaga Creek and even over 1,800 feet of creek bank on Chautauqua Creek as it enters Lake Erie. Overall, the Conservancy has facilitated the conservation of 1,346 acres county-wide.   Research tells us that clean waters flow from healthy forested watersheds. Ideally, we’d like to maintain the land cover in our lake watersheds as at least 75% forest and wetlands to maintain high water and lake quality. The lands contributing water to Chautauqua Lake are approximately 63% forested – in the range for significant water quality and lake condition degradation. To cost-effectively guide its land conservation resources and efforts going forward for maximum water quality and ecological benefits, the Conservancy undertook a computer geographic information system (GIS) analysis of available soils, elevation, wetlands, and ecological data for the Chautauqua Lake basin and then county-wide. This project, called the Collaborative Regional Conservation Implementation Strategy (CRCIS), was funded primarily through the New York State Conservation Partnership Program/Environmental Protection Fund administered by the NYSDEC and Land Trust Alliance.   This analysis resulted in the production of various maps showing the calculated conservation value of landscapes across the county. Since the condition of wetlands, floodplains, waterfront, and streamside lands have the most effect on water quality, those sites ranked highly in the analysis. We are using these maps to show where development may occur with the least environmental impact as well as what landscapes are most important to conserve. Conserving these high priority sites will protect important habitats for birds, salamanders, and a variety of other wildlife, while also helping to maintain clean waters flowing into Chautauqua Lake and other waterways. It will also protect and enhance floodplains and wetlands that absorb stormwaters and reduce the incidence of flood damage to protect our communities. Several of the streams in our watershed are home to brown trout and habitat for spring walleye spawning runs, so conserving streamside forests also enhances our important fishing economy.    During 2024, with funding from a grant from the Lenna Foundation, the Conservancy staff has been contacting as many of the owners of the highest scoring lands as possible to inform them of opportunities available for conserving these sites. As we proceed into 2025, the Conservancy has several properties ranking highly in this CRCIS analysis at various stages in the conservation process for donation, acquisition by purchase, and/or protection through conservation easements. As a result of these ongoing conservation outreach activities, and with your help, we hope to conserve another 300 to 500 acres or more of forests, fields, and wetlands that contribute waters to Chautauqua Lake, Lake Erie, other area lakes, and Conewango Creek. Our intent is to use this strategy as a resource for government leaders, businesses, organizations, and individuals to guide conservation and development for a thriving, resilient, and beautiful Chautauqua County for decades to come! Article by John Jablonski III, Special Projects Manager Image by Chautauqua Watershed Conservancy

What are nature preserves, and why does Chautauqua Watershed Conservancy have them? Our planet has a total of 6,555 national parks. Nature preserves are essential to protecting our natural world's diverse species of flora and fauna. A nature preserve is an area of land set aside from development to protect and conserve its natural features, habitats, and wildlife. These areas are managed to maintain their ecological integrity and to provide a safe haven for plants, animals, and other natural resources forever. They are mostly established to protect unique ecosystems, endangered species, or landscapes of significant natural beauty. Nature preserves can also offer opportunities for education, research, and recreation while promoting environmental awareness and sustainability. Examples of preserves include national parks, wildlife refuges, and privately owned conservation lands. Here in Chautauqua County, the Chautauqua Watershed Conservancy owns over 35 nature preserves with over 10 miles of hiking trails that are open year-round to the public from sunrise to sunset.   On average, there are 10.6 percent more animal species inside a protected area than outside one. In the U.S., there are more than 800 wilderness areas in 44 states covering over 110 million acres. Aiding in that number is Chautauqua Watershed Conservancy’s 1,251 (and growing) acres. Eighty-one rivers in the U.S. covering nearly 2,700 miles have been protected under the 1968 Wild and Scenic Rivers Act. In Chautauqua County where water is abundant, our land trust has established protective rights over large swatches of rivers and streams that feed and run into larger bodies of water that interconnect all over the nation.   As a nationally accredited land trust, we establish all these crucial nature preserves for several compelling reasons: Conservation : Protecting natural habitats, endangered species, and biodiversity is one of our primary goals. Nature Preserves ensure these areas remain undisturbed and thrive in perpetuity forever. E cosystem Services : Nature preserves contribute to clean air and water, climate regulation, and soil health, which are essential for human well-being. Education and Research : These areas provide valuable opportunities for environmental education, scientific research, and citizen science projects, which Chautauqua Watershed Conservancy plays an important role in the community doing. Recreation : Nature preserves offer spaces for people to enjoy outdoor activities like hiking, birdwatching, and nature photography, promoting physical and mental health, something that is highlighted with our monthly ‘Wine on the Trail’ walks. Heritage : They safeguard places of historical, cultural, and environmental significance for future generations. Community Engagement : Land trusts often involve local communities in the stewardship of these preserves, fostering a sense of ownership and responsibility for the natural world. One example would be the help we get from local scout troops to help eliminate invasive species at our Cassadaga Lakes Nature Park.   Have you ever visited one of our nature preserves? You can find directions to them, along with noteworthy information about their flowers, plants, and wildlife, at chautauquawatershed.org/preserves . Head on out and visit a preserve today.  Don’t forget to sign in at the kiosk so we can keep track of the number of people our nature preserves reach. Also, if they are present, don’t forget to use our invasive species boot brush stations before and after your hikes to help eliminate the spread of invasive species.   Happy trails, and I hope you can go out and enjoy the crunchy fall leaves at our nature preserves as much as I do. Article and photo (taken at the Chautauqua Creek Oxbow Preserve) by Bethany O'Hagan, Land Specialist

As the late summer yellows and purples of goldenrod and aster fade and hummingbirds wave good-bye to western New York, we watch in awe as nature shares her graceful surrender to change with a gradual chorus of color that sings to our senses and plays to our eyes as their leaves dance and sway to the autumn music. As the pieces of this luminous tapestry begin their descent to the ground, our love and appreciation of them somehow changes, and their beauty is somehow lost. As they lay and collect on the ground and in our yards, we change our focus and see something that is ugly and unusable. In our neighborhoods and communities, we spend tedious hours raking, bagging, and blowing trying to remove every last leaf. Let’s embrace nature’s beautiful change. Instead of viewing leaves as nature’s trash, let’s think of them as tiny treasures that can reward us with more time and money, fertilizer for our lawns and gardens, and protection for our water quality. Yes, water quality. How we manage the leaves in our yards has a profound effect on our watershed’s water quality. In our forests, fallen leaves float down from trees and slowly decay and decompose into the earth. Their nutrients become a rich and valuable fertilizer which nurtures and feeds the forest floor. However, in a more urban community setting, leaves fall on hard structures, roofs, and concrete. They collect and gather in gutters and storm drains and have no time to fully decay or decompose. Their nutrients then flow straight from storm drains to nearby rivers, streams, and lakes. Quite often, it is common to see leaves raked into our streets or piled on top of storm drains. As rain falls and flows through our city and neighborhood streets, nutrients like phosphorous quickly leach out of these leaf piles like a tea bag in water. This “leaf tea” makes its way to our local waterways through our streets’ storm sewer system. Too much phosphorus in our waterways causes unsightly and potentially dangerous algae blooms, turning water green and smelly while also lowering oxygen levels. This is bad for the plants and animals that live in our waterways as well as for people, especially if the waterway is used as a public water supply or for recreation. So what can we as homeowners do to responsibly manage the leaves in our yards and make them an asset rather than a chore, hinderance, or detriment to our water quality? Here are four easy, purposeful steps you can take to save time and money, reap the benefits of our beautiful changing seasons, and help our community’s water quality: Participate in your community’s leaf collection program Fertilize your lawn naturally – mulch leaves with a lawn mower Compost leaves to use in your gardens or use as mulch around your plants Keep streets and storm drains clear of leaves So remember that fall and all of the spectacular scents and vivid colors that come with it are a wonderful reminder that change is beautiful! Let’s change our viewpoint on fall yard care and view leaves as free gifts from nature that give us time and money, free fertilizer, and clean water!  Article and photo by Conservationist Carol Markham

The Chautauqua Watershed Conservancy’s mission is sharply focused on protecting areas that have the highest ecological, hydrological, and scenic value in our region, as well as improving those values in areas that have been compromised by prior land uses. Recently we developed a Geographic Information System (GIS)-based computer model that can combine and evaluate all sorts of important environmental data and then project that information onto a map to show where in our county such high-value areas are located. These maps now inform our Comprehensive Regional Conservation Implementation Strategy (CRCIS) and help our organization prioritize where to allocate our financial and staff resources to get the best “bang” for every scarce conservation buck. Our CRCIS analysis has already proven to be an extremely valuable tool as we review potential candidate properties that we are hoping to protect.    Being able to look at a map of Chautauqua County that has every acre of its surface scored on the value it has for our local flora and fauna, water quality, climate resilience, and scenic beauty provides a very powerful 10,000-foot view. It provides perspective on how different areas could be connected to form habitat and recreational corridors, it shows where important natural areas are located and how much of it is already protected, and it indicates where we should be focusing our efforts to “connect the dots” to ensure that those corridors and habitat blocks are protected in their entirety. However, when it comes to truly assessing the ecological functionality of a particular parcel, there is no better way than to put on boots or waders and get out there!   The Conservancy has an active conservation committee, consisting of staff, board members, and community members. Every time our organization considers a particular property for acquisition or mitigation, it is first reviewed by the committee based on its location and CRCIS scores, followed by a site visit. It is on those visits that the varied backgrounds and expertise of our committee members truly shine, as each one of us sees a site through their own respective experiential lens. Nature has a variety of ways in which it tells us what works – or not.   For example, the presence of certain birds in an area will provide information about the type of habitat that is available. Finding bobolinks, American kestrels, or Eastern meadowlarks somewhere indicates that a sizeable tract of functional grassland is present, whereas a site with scarlet tanagers, ovenbirds, and winter wrens will have stands of functional forest. Seeing these birds during migration (spring or fall) may indicate that the habitat is good enough to provide food, shelter, or other resources for such birds during a brief stop-over on a long migratory journey. However, seeing those same birds during the breeding season, when they rely on the same resources for weeks or months, is more meaningful, as it shows that these birds can have their critical resource needs met for a much longer time. Such a site can be ecologically more valuable. Seeing a spotted salamander under a log in the woods indicates that there is a functional vernal pool somewhere within salamander walking distance from that log. Even if the pool doesn’t hold water in late summer and is not visible as such, we would still know that it exists nearby. Specific plants, insects, mussels, or other organisms each have unique habitat requirements; finding such biological indicator species somewhere will tell the right person all kinds of things about the quality of a stream, pond, forest, or other habitat type. And for the Conservancy, it is a quick and efficient way to take our top-level ecological information from the CRCIS model and see how that applies on the ground. Sometimes, the more general information that the model is built with might look good on paper, but a site visit doesn’t reveal any unique features or the presence of biological indicator species. This can happen if imperfect management practices or previous site uses, for example, have negatively impacted the area over time.   If you are interested in our work, then you might be interested in the photo exhibit that is currently on display at the Lakewood Memorial Library. “At Home In Nature” is on view until the end of October and highlights several of these fascinating biological indicator species in photographs taken by Jan Bowman, Jeanne Wiebenga, and me. All of us are wildlife photographers as well as active members of the Conservancy’s conservation committee. On October 30th at 5pm, we will host a public program where we will talk about our work and about the respective photographic journeys we are on. We hope that you share our passion for our backyard nature, and we know that you will enjoy the exhibit. Hope to see you there!  Article by Twan Leenders, Director of Conservation Photo by Jan Bowman

We’ve come to that time of year when we must decide how to manage the leaves that are falling on our yards and grounds. We humans are the guests in our forest environment. The trees and wildlife preceded our disturbance and occupancy. Over time, we’ve learned that leaves provide valuable fertilizer to our grasses, shrubs, and trees. The trees and shrubs in our yards put nutrients into those leaves, and they need them to fall to the ground and feed the ground and soil-dwelling organisms that shred and decompose them into water-holding organic matter and elements that the tree and shrub roots can then re-absorb and re-use to grow leaves, flowers, fruits, nuts, and seeds in future years.   In addition, a variety of beneficial insects and other animals, such as fireflies, bumblebees, moths, butterflies, frogs, and toads, need fallen leaves and other plant debris to overwinter and flourish in the next growing season. Leaves and grass clippings that fall on manicured grass turf areas should either be: 1) pulverized with a conventional or mulching mower and left in place to provide phosphorus and other nutrients to the grass, 2) collected and used as mulch under trees and shrubs and on planting beds, or 3) collected and composted for future use to improve your planting bed or lawn soils. Compost added to your lawn can fertilize your grass and help your soil retain rainfall, keeping grass greener during dry spells. Also, don’t “deadhead” your dead flowers or “clean up” your flower beds until May. Those seed heads provide food over the winter for insects, and those stems provide wintering shelter for them as well.   Please allow the nutrient cycle and food web to work effectively in your yard. Tree roots absorb nutrients from the soil to produce leaves and fruits. Those leaves and fruits then feed insects, birds, and other animals. Fallen leaves and bird droppings on the ground are decomposed by soil organisms, including bacteria and fungi, to provide nutrients that can be re-absorbed by the roots of trees, shrubs, and other plants to complete this cycle. Collecting leaves to be disposed of elsewhere disrupts this nutrient cycle and food web. Blowing or raking leaves into road ditches, streams, or lakes should be avoided since it adds excess nutrients and sediments to the water and, as a result, fuels aquatic plant and algae growth.   Homeowners and property managers are also encouraged to reduce the size of their manicured turf areas and naturalize or re-wild their yard or grounds to capture, absorb, and purify stormwater and provide native plant habitats for pollinators, butterflies, songbirds, and other wildlife that add beauty and interest to our yards and neighborhoods. Fall is also the best time to plant native trees, shrubs, and many plants. Be kind to your wild neighbors. Don’t rob them of their food and nutrients! Make sure your songbird families have leaf-sheltered and chemical-free fed worms, caterpillars, and flying insects to eat next spring and summer to grow their young.   This fall, please consider doing the following: enlarging natural areas in your yard, allowing leaves to remain in place (especially in naturalized areas), using leaves as mulch under trees and in planting beds and gardens, mowing leaves in place on manicured grass turf areas, and collecting and composting leaves from turf areas to be reused to improve and fertilize the soils in your yard. Your wild neighbors will be happy you did! Article by John Jablonski III, Special Projects Coordinator Second image by Healthy Yards