News

Rose Family Foundation Funds HWA Project in Seneca Lake

Funding supports efforts to protect vital hemlock trees and preserve water quality in the Seneca Lake watershed

GENEVA, N.Y. – Seneca Lake Pure Waters Association is thrilled to announce that the Rose Family Foundation is providing over $50,000 in funding to support the Hemlock Woolly Adelgid (HWA) assessment project. This important milestone allows Pure Waters to map, assess and development a management plan to protect critical hemlocks within the watershed. This plan is in preparation for a grant proposal for treatment funding, which is essential to protect the region’s vital hemlock trees.

Hemlocks are a foundational species in the Seneca Lake watershed, crucial for maintaining water quality and the overall health of our ecosystem. These trees reduce runoff into the lake by stabilizing soil along ravines and stream banks. They also provide critical habitat for a variety of wildlife, and their dense shade cools streams, creating an ideal environment for fish. Additionally, hemlocks’ slow-decomposing needles create an acidic soil layer that supports a unique range of plants and fungi. Hemlocks, unlike deciduous trees, are actively taking up water year round – including in the spring, helping to lessen runoff during the spring melt. The loss of these trees would lead to increased erosion and sediment runoff, which would significantly impact the water quality of Seneca Lake.

The HWA project aims to assess the health of hemlocks in the watershed and develop targeted treatment strategies to protect them from the invasive pest. HWA, an aphid-like insect, feeds on hemlock sap, weakening and eventually killing the trees. Without intervention, even a 400-year-old tree can be killed in as little as five years. Through mapping hemlocks on private properties and conducting health assessments, we can identify which trees are most critical for watershed protection and apply for funding to support treatment efforts.

Our approach is modeled after successful efforts in the Owasco Lake watershed and we are partnering with the NYS Hemlock Initiative at Cornell University. Volunteers will play a vital role in the project by helping to survey and report hemlock locations for treatment. Similar projects to treat hemlocks have taken place on public properties, but most of the hemlocks around Seneca Lake are found on private properties, so these trees are still at high risk. In fact many have already died. Pure Waters decided we needed to act now before there were no hemlocks left to save. Our hope is to save as many of these critical hemlocks as we can to help protect Seneca Lake.

We extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone involved in the HWA project, particularly Jim McGinnis, Project Manager for the Seneca Lake Pure Waters Association’s Hemlock Initiative, whose dedication has been instrumental in moving the project forward. We are also grateful to our volunteers, whose efforts will be key in the coming months as we continue assessments and prepare for treatment.

To learn more and how to get involved: https://senecalake.org/Volunteer

Seneca Lake Pure Waters Association is a 501(c)3 organization committed to preserving, protecting, and promoting the abundant resources of the largest Finger Lake. Seneca Lake is a source of drinking water, recreation, and economic opportunity for the greater community and its visitors. Our programs and partnerships make it possible to monitor water quality, educate the public, and evaluate threats to ensure the a healthy future for Seneca Lake and those who depend on it.