Group invites participation in watershed plan

SENECA-KEUKA LAKES--The public is invited to learn more about the Nine-Element plan for the future of the Keuka and Seneca Lake Watershed during the 10th annual Land Use Leadership Alliance (LULA) training April 25. The session will be held in the auditorium at the Yates County Office Building, 417 Liberty St., Penn Yan.
The LULA training program is an annual opportunity for municipal offices, residents, and business owners to discuss the economic, cultural, and ecological benefits of protecting the watershed. This year's session will focus on the Nine-Element Plan for the Seneca-Keuka Watershed. Registration begins at 5 p.m. Seneca Lake Pure Waters Association and Keuka Lake Association will provide pizza at 5:15 and the presentation begins at 6 p.m.
The Nine-Element plan will lead to improvements in water quality within the watershed that encompasses both Keuka and Seneca Lakes and will include best practices for working landscapes such as timberlands, croplands, and grazing lands; hydrologic resilience (movement of water); and local laws.
The Seneca Lake Watershed spans 712 square miles and stretches from the Town of Italy in western Yates County to the Town of Hector in eastern Schuyler County, and from the Town of Horseheads in Chemung County to the Town of Geneva in Ontario County.
The project is sponsored with funding provided by the New York State Department of State under Title 11 of the Environmental Protection Fund. Additional funding is provided by Seneca Watershed Intermunicipal Organization, Seneca Lake Pure Waters Association, Keuka Watershed Improvement Cooperative, Keuka Lake Association, The Finger Lakes Institute at Hobart and William Smith Colleges, Seneca County, Schuyler County, Ontario County, Yates County, Steuben County, and Corning Inc.
The Seneca-Keuka Watershed Partnership Executive Committee includes Mark Venuti (Seneca Watershed Intermunicipal Organization), Dan Corbett (Seneca Lake Pure Waters Association), Steve Butchko (Keuka Watershed Improvement Cooperative), and Mark Morris (Keuka Lake Association) with Advisors Lisa Cleckner (Finger Lakes Institute), Ian Smith (Seneca Lake Watershed Steward), Colby Petersen (Keuka Watershed Manager) and Administrator Betsy Landre (Ontario County Planning Dept.)
For more information about the Seneca-Keuka Watershed Partnership contact Ian Smith at 315-781-4559 or ismith@hws.edu, or Colby Petersen at 315-536-5188 or Colby@ycsoilwater.com.