To better guide efforts aimed at protecting and improving the water quality in the Finger Lakes, the Division of Coastal Resources has encouraged communities to develop a planning process that is focused on watersheds and not political boundaries.

Attention has centered on Cayuga Lake, Conesus Lake and Canandaigua Lake. Although various plans had been completed over the years for these lakes, these tended to be dated and lacked the direct involvement of the local governments. This regional initiative has completed and is now implementing three watershed plans. The plans and their implementation is being overseen by a partnership comprised of the local governments within each watershed, state agencies, and advocacy organizations involved in lake protection. Existing planning entities, such as a regional planning board or county planning department, are providing technical support.

Each plan includes three major sections:

• a watershed characterization, which describes existing water quality conditions, watershed characteristics and issues, and current and anticipated threats to water quality;
  
  
• priority projects and actions needed to address such threats, including capital projects and institutional mechanisms; and
  
  
• an implementation strategy identifying the financial and institutional resources needed to undertake these priorities.

Completion of each plan also involved an extensive outreach and education process. The watershed plans serve an important function by establishing a consensus among state and local government on future actions needed to protect water quality. With completion of these plans, the intermunicipal organizations continue this collaborative effort and focus on implementation.

Using a grant from the Great Lakes Coastal Watershed Restoration Program, the Division of Coastal Resources is working in partnership with the Genesee/Finger Lakes Regional Planning Council to assist implementation of these watershed plans. The Regional Planning Council will work in cooperation with each intermunicipal organization to develop specific local stormwater control laws and/or ordinances for municipalities within the Cayuga, Canandaigua, and Conesus Lake watersheds. Key communities within each watershed will be identified, and local controls drafted to address gaps in the implementation of best management practices for non-point pollution prevention.

Cayuga Lake Watershed Restoration and Protection Plan
Cayuga Lake is the largest of New York’s Finger Lakes, with an 800 square mile watershed spanning six counties and encompassing all or portions of 44 municipalities. A watershed protection plan for Cayuga Lake, completed in 2001, identifies priority actions necessary to protect and improve the lake’s water quality. These actions primarily focus on reducing non-point sources of pollution, such as sedimentation from tributary streams in the southern portion of the watershed, runoff from agricultural uses, and road runoff.

Preparation of the plan was financed by Environmental Protection Fund Local Waterfront Revitalization Program grants awarded to the Town of Ledyard on behalf of all the watershed municipalities. Overseen by an organization including representatives from local governments, regional planning boards, and other groups, the work provides an important example of intermunicipal cooperation in watershed planning.

Following completion of the plan, the Town of Dryden was awarded a grant under the Great Lakes Coastal Watershed Restoration Program for implementation projects on behalf of all the watershed communities.

Conesus Lake Watershed Management Plan
Conesus Lake, located in Livingston County in New York’s Finger Lakes region, has a watershed encompassing seven municipalities. These local governments and other lake protection stakeholders have formed an intermunicipal committee to develop a watershed management plan for Conesus Lake. Water quality issues identified for this waterbody include sedimentation, nutrient enrichment, bacterial contamination, and pesticide loading. The Division of Coastal Resources has provided financial assistance to this effort through the Environmental Protection Fund Local Waterfront Revitalization Program.

Canandaigua Lake Watershed Management Plan
The Canandaigua Lake Watershed Council is coordinating implementation of its watershed management plan, completed in 2001. Comprised of the 14 watershed municipalities and other stakeholder organizations, the Council is implementing priority actions including a Homeowners Integrated Pest Management Program and a model local ordinance for controlling soil erosion. The Canandaigua Lake plan, as well as several implementation projects, were financed through the Environmental Protection Fund. In addition, the City of Canandaigua was recently awarded a Great Lakes Coastal Watershed Restoration Program grant for stream corridor improvements to reduce nonpoint pollution along Sucker Brook, a tributary stream of the lake.