Keuka lake

CELEBRATING

60 YEARS

Who we are

History

Volunteers manage the Keuka Lake Association. Its charter is to promote the understanding, preservation and improvement of the water quality, natural habitat, and general environmental conditions of Keuka Lake and its watershed. This is accomplished by collecting, preserving, publishing and disseminating information about Keuka Lake and its watershed, and by encouraging and supporting the enforcement of laws and regulations and patterns of development aimed at preserving and enhancing the water quality of the lake. Over the past 60 years, hundreds of volunteers have served the Association as officers, directors, committee members and project leaders. As we look back with pride at the significant progress the KLA has made, we are mindful of the thousands of hours of work contributed by so many to “preserve and protect Keuka Lake and its Watershed for future generations.”

For 60 years, the Keuka Lake Association (KLA) and its predecessor, the Keuka Lake Shore Property Owners (KLSPO) Association have been at the forefront of advocating for the preservation and protection of Keuka Lake and its watershed. Prompted in part by particularly severe spring flooding in 1956, a small group of lake property owners recognized the need to form an association to find solutions to this and other problems confronting the lake. That fall, the KLSPO Association was incorporated “to associate together the persons owning, or having an interest in, property bounded in part by Keuka Lake for their mutual benefit.”

1956

Keuka Lake Shore Property Owners founded.

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The KLSPO soon targeted five areas for improvement: flood control (lake level), pollution (water quality), zoning (land use), motorboat control, and conservation. Committees were established to study each of these areas and develop action plans for their improvement. Today’s ten standing committees of the Keuka Lake Association still reflect the concerns of the early pioneers of Keuka Lake’s preservation.

1966

1990

Two new steel gates replace old wooden ones (p. 3)

KLSPO changes name to Keuka Lake Association.

1987

KLSPO initiates water testing program (p. 5)

2012

Creation of Hydrofracking and Well Disposal Committee (p. 8)

2008

KLA along with others develops comprehensive land use training (p. 7)

2016-

The Future (p. 10)

2013

Establishment of an Invasive Species Educator (p. 9)

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Water Level The variability of Keuka’s water level had long been a concern. Residents along the lake struggled through frequent flooding brought by rain and the annual spring snow melt, while the commercial ventures that built along the Keuka Outlet were unable to anticipate the volume of water that would flow through their mill wheels.

Early on, settlers recognized the need to provide a mechanism for regulating lake level, even in the face of the uncertainty of Mother Nature. Dams were installed in the Outlet at various locations in an attempt to exercise some degree of control. However, these dams were only modestly effective.

The first action of the newly formed Flood Control Committee was to engage the US Army Corps of Engineers in the dredging of the outlet channel, as well as to conduct a study for improvement of flood control capability. In 1960, the Corps of Engineers issued a report of their findings that included target lake levels for each season of the year. These were adopted by NYSEG (New York State Electric & Gas), who then owned and operated the gates located at the Main Street dam. The strategy involved drawing the lake level down in the late fall and early winter to prepare for the inevitable annual increase in lake level caused by late winter snowmelt and spring rains. Unfortunately, the gate system in place at that time was frequently incapable of achieving these

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targets. In 1966, two new steel slide gates replaced the three old wooden gates in the mill race. The new gates performed more reliably, but provided no additional discharge capacity.

Over the next 25 years the Flood Control Committee, now called the Lake Level Committee, persisted in its goal to obtain additional gate capacity to respond to high water events. This need was underscored in 1972, when Hurricane Agnes brought several days of sustained rain to the region, resulting in severe flooding as the lake rose more than five feet within a threeday period before cresting at 719.7 feet.

In 1992, additional flood control capacity was finally achieved with the addition of three large aluminum slide gates to the dam located at the Main Street Bridge in the Village of Penn Yan, thereby increasing the discharge capability by 150%.

Today, the responsibility for managing the lake level rests with the Keuka Lake Outlet Compact (KLOC).

This inter-municipal organization, established in 1990 with strong support from the Keuka Lake Association, owns the gate system and contracts with the Village of Penn Yan to maintain and operate the gates according to a flood control plan provided by the Army Corps of

Engineers. The lake level target curves have been slightly modified since their first inception to accommodate such factors as delaying the fall draw-down of the lake to extend the boating season. The lake’s towns and villages share costs associated with maintaining the KLOC, including maintenance of the flood control system. In 2005, the KLA installed an automated lake level monitoring system that allows anyone with internet access to monitor lake levels on a real-time basis, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The system was upgraded in 2013 to include better graphics and the ability to access the site from mobile and cellular devices.

We also used the installation of this new technology to automate the temperature readings that are reported at the Penn Yan Water Treatment Plant on a 5 day rolling average basis. The installation and upgrade of the lake level monitoring has been a significant aid to the KLOC in managing Keuka’s levels. Also in 2006, the KLA allocated a grant to the KLOC for the capital improvement of the gates as well as another grant in 2007 to the Friends of the Outlet Trail for the stabilization of the banks along the Keuka Outlet.

Our mission is to preserve and protect Keuka Lake and its natural beauty for future generations

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Keeping the Lake clean The KLSPO recognized early on that the growing number of seasonal and permanent residences around the shore of the lake posed a threat to water quality. At that time, all of these properties utilized septic systems for processing wastewater, and there was little or no regulation for their design and construction. Verification of the systems’ performance was also an issue. The Pollution Committee mounted a campaign urging the adoption of uniform lake-wide pollution regulations. In 1963, an Inter-municipal Perimeter Committee was established, composed of representatives from the various lake municipalities, to develop wastewater regulations. The following year, a uniform watershed regulation ordinance was adopted, with the eight municipalities agreeing to share the cost of implementation and operation. An enforcement officer was hired and assigned the responsibility for overseeing the installation and inspection of septic systems throughout the watershed.

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By the mid-1980s it had become apparent that this task was beyond the capability of one person to perform.

Two of the towns had withdrawn from the agreement, and others were considering similar action. In 1987, the KLSPO initiated a water-testing program. Data from that program further indicated the need for better management of wastewater and upland runoff around the lake. Pollution control moved to the top of the KLSPO agenda.

In 1990, the KLSPO officially changed its name to the Keuka Lake Association.

The following year, the KLA succeeded in establishing a Watershed Protection District consisting of the six towns and two villages around the lake. Initially, it was envisioned that both wastewater management and docks & moorings would be regulated through adoption of uniform ordinances for these activities. However, an assessment of the magnitude of these two tasks soon resulted in the subordination of docks & moorings regulation to the more

pressing need for uniform management of septic systems. It was not until late 2006 that a set of Uniform Docks and Moorings Laws was adopted by all of the municipalities of Keuka Watershed Improvement Cooperative (KWIC).

In the late 1980s, Peter Landre, the lake’s first Watershed Protection Director, facilitated discussions with each of the towns regarding an acceptable model for uniformly managing wastewater throughout the district. This fact-based discussion was supported by the water testing efforts that were initiated by the Keuka Lake Foundation (KLF) in 1987. The KLF was established to serve as the recipient of donations for water quality testing, though it was subsequently merged into the KLA. In 1993, an agreement was reached that called for the local enforcement by each town of a uniform wastewater regulation.

This agreement would be directed by the Keuka Watershed Improvement Cooperative. A Watershed Manager was hired to coordinate septic inspection activities of the various town inspectors. The towns would retain ultimate authority for regulation of wastewater systems while sharing costs associated with maintaining KWIC. In 2009, the KLA awarded KWIC a $20,000 grant to have an automated septic inspection software portal created on the web. This portal contains information regarding each property’s inspection record and other valuable information for the town’s inspectors. It also allows for inspection data to be immediately updated from the field via cellular connection if the inspector desires. The KWIC organization has been functioning for over twenty years despite a few bumps in the road, and is viewed by state and federal officials as a model for inter-municipal cooperation in the management of lake-wide water quality issues. The KLA continues to fund and monitor water quality by collecting water samples on a monthly basis at several sites around the lake for evaluation by certified testing facilities. Jim Balyszak, who heads the Yates County Soil and Water Conservation District, coordinates this program with technical support and analysis from Dr. Tim Sellers from Keuka College. In 2013, the KLA awarded a $15,000 grant to Keuka College for the purchase of a portable water quality probe that provides for the measurement of many important aspects of the lake’s health.

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Land Use Over 60 years ago, there were few zoning ordinances in place around the lake. This deficiency was immediately recognized as a potential source of pollution from runoff caused by unregulated development. The Zoning Committee worked closely with the towns as they established land use plans which eventually resulted in enactment of zoning regulations.

In 2008, the KLA joined with the KWIC and Cornell Cooperative Extension in the development of comprehensive land use training.

This Land Use Leadership Alliance program was funded with a grant from the New York State Quality Communities Program and supported by the KLA, KWIC, Cornell Cooperative Extension, Cornell University Community and Rural Development Institute, Genesee Finger Lakes Regional Planning Council, Pace University Land Use Law Center, and Yates and Steuben Counties. This multi-year program was designed to assist local land use leaders to learn practical strategies for natural resource conservation, how locate development in the watershed, and how to make effective land use decisions. The KLA provided an initial $5,000 cash match to the

Motorboats project as part of the grant application process. The training was presented by Pace University Land Use Law Center with the Genesee Finger Lakes Regional Planning Council. About 70 municipal leaders from throughout the watershed were trained in 2007 and 2008.

A working group of individuals trained by the Land Use Leadership Alliance completed the first version of the Keuka Lake Watershed Land Use Plan, which was presented to the municipalities around the lake as a framework for smart growth and environmentally responsible development in the watershed. More recently this group received a grant from New York State for a threeyear program called Strategy for a Sustainable Keuka. The grant was managed by the Town of Wayne and lead to: the development of a model sustainability program; more land use training and public outreach; and the creation of a water quality internship program and other programs vital to the watershed. This grant was closed out in April 2016 at the 6th Annual Land Use Leadership Alliance Training, which was open to the public and all municipal officials in the region.

Keuka Lake is one of the few lakes in the world that has both its inlet and outlet on the same side (north).

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The Motorboat Control Committee, now known as the Navigation and Recreation Committee, has worked closely with the Sheriffs’ departments of Yates and Steuben Counties over the years to encourage safe boating on the lake. Each county provides a lake patrol during the boating season, enforcing New York State Navigation Laws and aiding boaters in distress. The KLA successfully sought an amendment to the NYS Navigation Law that requires boaters to observe a 5-mph maximum speed limit within 200 feet of shore, rather than within 100 feet of shore as observed on most other lakes. The KLA routinely publishes and distributes a summary of the NYS Boating and Fishing Regulations to inform boaters and promote safety on the water. It has also provided grant funding to the Sheriff’s marine patrol for items such as on board defibrillators and sound measuring devices. Several years ago, the KLA also provided a grant to the Hammondsport Fire Department when they purchased their new fireboat.

Hydrofracking Over the years the KLA has adapted to the changing forces that can and do impact the quality of Keuka Lake and its surrounding watershed. In 2012, the issue of High Volume Horizontal Hydraulic Fracturing and its potential threats to the watershed led to the creation of the Hydrofracking and Well Disposal Committee. This group developed the KLA’s position on the practice of fracking near the lake. The KLA created educational materials and shared them with various state officials while the NYS Government pondered its official position.

The Governor officially banned this practice late in 2014. This Committee continues to be active as other technologies may be in development that could replicate the impact of hydraulic fracturing on Keuka Lake.

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Invasive Species

The Future

The concern for invasive species and their impact on the watershed’s ecosystem brought about another new focus for the KLA in 2013. While we had learned to tolerate the zebra mussel and the Eurasian milfoil, the discovery of the highly invasive Hydrilla in nearby Cayuga Lake led the KLA to again partner with CCE Yates to fund an Invasive Species Educator.

Through the work of Emily Staychock, the KLA initiated a voluntary Boat Launch Steward program in 2015 as well as educational outreach into the community.

In 2016, the KLA received a three-year NYS Department of Environmental Conservation for $100K. This grant requires an incremental 25% in kind match from the KLA. The DEC project funds will be used to expand the KLA’s Boat Steward Voluntary Inspection and Education Outreach programs. Over 90% of the funds will be used to hire 4 Boat Stewards to staff the high-volume launches on Keuka Lake: Penn Yan, the State Park in Branchport, Urbana, and the new kayak livery at the Finger Lakes Museum.

Other funds will be used for uniforms, the construction of Aquatic Invasive Species Disposal Stations at some launches, and necessary supplies. The KLA will also assist the Finger Lake Institute with their outreach program on Seneca Lake when their staffing needs require additional support. With 35 fishing tournaments already scheduled for Keuka Lake in 2016, the stewards will rotate between the launches based upon anticipated launch traffic.

KLA membership has grown to over 1600 members and is no longer an association of property owners. Watershed residents, recreational users and many local businesses are members. The association is open to all who are interested in helping to preserve and protect Keuka Lake and its watershed.

As a 501C3 all dues and contributions are tax-deductible. The Association publishes the Keuka Lake Directory every few years. Members also receive a quarterly newsletter, which provides information regarding program activities and other topics of interest around the lake. We have a website that contains extensive information about the Keuka Lake and its watershed. We urge all who enjoy the lake and its watershed to become members by visiting our web site or mailing us a membership application.

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This history was originally prepared in 2006 by former KLA President Bill Oben and recently updated by current KLA President Bill Laffin.

Booklet Design by Karlem Sivira

Keuka Lake Association P.O. Box 35 142 Main St. Penn Yan, NY 14527 www.keukalakeassociation.org 315-694-7324 or 1-866-369-3781