Paul Swanson, Chautauqua Lake Association general manager, and Randy Sweeney, Chautauqua Region Community Foundation executive director, pose in front of a harvester as it is removed from Chautauqua Lake at the conclusion of the CLA’s season. The CLA removed over 2,000 tons of vegetation and debris from Chautauqua Lake this summer.
A $22,500 grant from the Chautauqua Region Community Foundation’s Fund for the Region assisted the Chautauqua Lake Association as crews removed over 2,000 tons of vegetation from Chautauqua Lake in 2014.
In mid-May, a storm that flooded many parts of Chautauqua County and brought high winds ripping through the area, littered tree branches, debris and other unsafe items into Chautauqua Lake. CLA crews spent the next three weeks removing 20 tons of debris that created unsafe waterways for boaters and were harmful to the lake’s overall health.
Chautauqua Lake Association crews remove debris from Chautauqua Lake following a spring storm.
During the remainder of the season, crews worked diligently harvesting and monitoring the aquatic vegetation for any signs of change in plant growth. According to the CLA’s lake activity summaries, nuisance vegetation control was of a lesser need this year than last year. In 2013, a whopping 7,446 tons of vegetation were removed from the lake. This year, a total of 2,213 tons of debris and vegetation were removed from the Mayville, Bemus Point, and Lakewood areas.
The decrease in nuisance vegetation was attributed to a wetter summer, in which the water levels remained high enough that sunlight could not reach the bottom of the lake and allow vegetation to grow.
For more information on the CLA’s mission, or to make a donation to next year’s lake maintenance costs, visit chautauqualakeassociation.org.
