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Just off the Beatrice Rosamond All-Access Trail, almost 40 people gathered in a semicircle of chairs to learn, speak, and share about one thing: our water.
The ninth annual Water Quality Conference was hosted at Indian River Lake Conservancy’s (IRLC’s) beautiful, handbuilt Trailside Learning Center at Redwood Hill Preserve. With 360-degree views of the lush greenery outside and fueled by baked goods from Hunney Bee Bakery & Cafe and lunch donated by Corner Market, attendees heard from speakers from Jefferson Community College, various Jefferson County departments, the Preservation Alliance of Hyde Lake, and the Saint Lawrence Eastern Lake Ontario Partnership for Regional Invasive Species Management (SLELO PRISM).
“It was really a who’s who of stakeholders,” said John O’Driscoll, IRLC Board Chair. “This event brought together the most critical voices to help us make a difference for our lakes.”
Among the speakers was Jefferson Community College Associate Professor of Mathematics Andy Draper, who shared his work on the Love of the Lakes survey. For some of the questions on the survey, answers were grouped according the depths of the lakes. Some significant differences were observed in water quality perceptions and concerns, particularly for shallow lakes (less than 20 to 25 feet deep) compared to the deeper water bodies. For instance, 51% of respondents from shallow lakes reported declining water quality in the past five years, compared to 22% or less for deeper lakes.
“The attendees were really engaged with the presentation and asked excellent questions. It was a great discussion! So much came out of it that I know we could do an entire new survey with even more data to explore,” said Draper. “I am looking forward to revisiting the data set we have to see if there are any other helpful results or connections based on the conference discussion.”
Another speaker, Sarah Trick, a former IRLC employee who now works for Jefferson County Soil and Water, described some typical septic system installations and then shared about the various soil types around the Indian River Lakes region and their effect on these systems. For much of the Indian River lakes region, soils are shallow to bedrock, and poorly suited for traditional leech field designs (categorized as “severely limited”). While this online soil information is not meant to be site-specific, it’s an indication of concerns with both past and ongoing development in regard to nutrient overload in the lakes.
“Sarah did an impressive amount to illuminate the alternatives to septic systems,” said IRLC Board member Stephen Swallow. “She also showed us maps of where the soil impairs septic system effectiveness; it was the majority of the area around our lakes, which means a greater risk of failing systems harming our water quality.”
Another threat to the Indian River Lakes region is algae. Joyce Brunet from the Preservation Alliance of Hyde Lake described the extensive problems with algae and HABS on their lake and presented Dr. Siwen Wang’s study on harmful algal blooms. Bottom sediments are coming under scrutiny as a problematic source of “internal” phosphorus loading in many lakes.
“It was great to see how the people of Hyde Lake have been taking action,” said Swallow. “They’ve been advocating for their needs and making substantive progress.”
Two speakers came from Jefferson County Planning and Community Development. Andy Nevin, a Senior Planner, talked about challenges in the Indian River lakes region, and noted that zoning regulations are generally forward oriented, and not very helpful for addressing past activities. He included some case studies of regulatory approaches to water body protections. Also from Jefferson County Planning was Sam Wilson, who talked about a county/state septic system replacement program which provides financial assistance for wastewater treatment upgrades, and the areas currently and projected to be eligible. The last presentation was from Megan Pistolese-Shaw from SLELO PRISM. She described several invasive species already in our region, as well as some in other parts of the state to be on the alert for. (Join SLELO PRISM for upcoming hands-on learning event at the Redwood Hill Preserve on July 10.)
The various speakers and their findings have empowered Indian River Lakes stakeholders with important information as they continue to fight to protect the region’s beloved lakes – for the people and ecosystems that rely on them.
“The Water Quality Conference is evidence that IRLC can play a significant role in spanning the 18 lakes, leveraging everyone’s strengths, making a difference to not only the quality of water chemically and biologically, but also to the quality of life for those in our community that access these wonderful natural assets,” said Swallow. “As IRLC moves forward, the support of regular people – small or large – is critical to realizing the potential that an 18-lake coalition could be.”
“There are a lot of people that truly care about the Indian River Lakes system,” said Draper. “That came across right away for me.”
Please consider making a donation to help IRLC continue to protect the lakes and land we all love.
(Thank you again to our Conference sponsors, Corner Market, Cross Island Farms & the Enchanted Edible Forest, and Jefferson County Soil and Water!)