Written by Ron Klinczar

Seneca Lake Pure Waters’ SNPR continues to advance our new program to aid in the implementation of projects to reduce sediments, nutrients, and pollutants that enter Seneca Lake from within the watershed. Having set aside funds for this purpose, SNPR is prepared to take action this spring!

On February 8, the SNPR team arranged a zoom meeting with County Soil and Water Conservation Districts (SWCD) to explain our program and request project proposals from them. Five Counties within the Seneca Lake watershed were invited to the call, including Ontario, Yates, Schuyler, Seneca, and Chemung County SWCD’s.

Since this partnership meeting, Pure Waters has received several proposals for projects that require matching funding to be constructed. We expect more project proposals to be submitted, and we have asked the SWCD’s for all proposals by the end of March. These projects can include stormwater retention ponds, streambank stabilization, planting of cover crops, stream buffers and plantings, ditch improvements, and research projects that meet the pollution reduction goals of Pure Waters. In April, projects will be evaluated, and we will select those that best meet the criteria that Pure Waters has established to protect the lake. Key criteria include:

• Does the project align with Pure Waters mission?

• Would the expenditure be multiplied by being a matching fund?

• Does the project strengthen our partnership?

• Are the risks of the project minimal?

• Is the project timing reasonable?[SLPW1]

As early as May 2022, we will be announcing the projects that will be funded by SNRP in the upcoming year.

Most of these projects are proposed to be constructed this year if fully funded, so it is likely we can celebrate completed projects by this fall. This is only the first round of project selection, and we expect to award projects year around, as further proposals are received. Pure Waters will continually fundraise for these projects, and your donated dollars will directly affect the water quality of Seneca Lake. We are excited for the opportunity that SNPR can become a program that continues to help improve the lake well into the future, and we hope you will join us in this effort!

LEARN MORE about SNPR

Donate to our 1:1 Matching Fund and see your dollars put to work as early as this summer!