Help May Be On The Way
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2/19/2007 - Schumer Wants Army Corps Of Engineers To Help With Weeds
By PATRICK L. FANELLI
Until now, receiving the aid of the Army Corps of Engineers was nothing more than a daydream among those responsible for combatting weeds in Chautauqua Lake.
Eradicating the bothersome aquatic plants just wasn’t very high on the corps’ list of priorities.
That may soon change. In a letter to Lt. Gen. Carl Strock, corps commander in chief, U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., called for the corps to help facilitate ‘‘an environmentally-friendly, cost-effective solution to restore the health and vitality of Chautauqua Lake.’’
‘‘These weeds need to be rooted out before more irreparable damage is done,’’ Schumer said. ‘‘Chautauqua Lake is the gem of Chautauqua (County) and we need to be doing everything we can to keep it clean, safe and beautiful. The Army Corps needs to come in with a broad sword and eradicate these weeds before it’s too late.’’
County Executive Greg Edwards, who met with Schumer last week, was excited to hear of his request.
‘‘It’s something we’ve been working on with Sen. Schumer’s staff since the summer,’’ Edwards said by phone on his way back from Washington, D.C. ‘‘I am very thrilled he’s willing to take that aggressive step.’’
Specifically, Schumer is calling for additional money and resources for the corps’ district office in Pittsburgh, which has jurisdiction over Chautauqua County, to tackle what he calls ‘‘the Chautauqua Lake menace.’’ U.S. Rep. Brian Higgins, D-South Buffalo, is also trying to get their help.
‘‘(Last week), I met with Col. Stephen Hill, commander of the Pittsburgh district of the Army Corps of Engineers ... and discussed how the corps might help to combat Eurasian milfoil,’’ Higgins said. ‘‘I am also working with other federal agencies to try to reach some sort of creative — and permanent — solution that will reduce the milfoil infestation in an environmentally safe and effective manner.’’
One of the methods the corps could employ is dredging — an expensive process that involves scooping up the bottom of the lake to pull up the weeds at their roots.
‘‘Dredging would be marvelous,’’ said Terry Turner, Chautauqua Lake Association president. ‘‘It’s just one of the most expensive ways to get rid of the weeds. We always talked about the possibility, but it was pie in the sky because it’s so expensive to dredge.’’
Proponents of dredging say the process is effective at eradicating weeds. Opponents say dredging would have a detrimental impact on the ecosystem and would kick up dangerous contaminants that have settled on the bottom of the lake.
Dredging is just a possibility, though — Schumer is merely calling for the corps to evaluate the problem, determine the best way to fix it and help with the solution.
See WEEDS On Page A-3
‘‘The nice thing about the Army Corps of Engineers is they’re experts,’’ Edwards said.
Schumer’s aides at his Washington, D.C. office said the senator’s call isn’t just an empty gesture. They used Schumer’s successful call for more screeners at Stewart International Airport in the lower Hudson Valley as an example. In January, after the Transportation Security Administration ordered the number of screeners to be reduced, Schumer called for the order to be rescinded, and it was the following day.
‘‘If you think about it, here you have one of the top ranking senators in the United States taking an interest in our situation,’’ said Edwards, who also believes Schumer’s letter will carry a great deal of weight.
The Chautauqua Lake Association is on the front lines of the seasonal war against the weeds — which generally consist of Eurasian milfoil, an invasive plant that thrives in the nutrient-rich waters of Chautauqua Lake. In the warmer months, the plant grows all the way to the surface in many places, especially along the shoreline and in the lake’s shallow south basin. It’s unsightly and it’s a nuisance for swimmers, boaters and fishermen.
During the summer, CLA employees operate numerous weed harvesters to cut and collect the plants along the shoreline, while others seek to eradicate the weeds with herbicides or starve the plants by stopping the flow of nutrients into the lake. Another solution the CLA is studying through its affiliates at Cornell University involves insect populations that feed on milfoil.
‘‘Developing an effective and lasting solution to control Eurasian milfoil on Chautauqua Lake is not only an environmental necessity, it is a matter of economic development,’’ Higgins said. ‘‘Chautauqua Lake is a regional treasure and we need to ensure that it remains healthy and its ecosystem vibrant.’’
By PATRICK L. FANELLI
Until now, receiving the aid of the Army Corps of Engineers was nothing more than a daydream among those responsible for combatting weeds in Chautauqua Lake.
Eradicating the bothersome aquatic plants just wasn’t very high on the corps’ list of priorities.
That may soon change. In a letter to Lt. Gen. Carl Strock, corps commander in chief, U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., called for the corps to help facilitate ‘‘an environmentally-friendly, cost-effective solution to restore the health and vitality of Chautauqua Lake.’’
‘‘These weeds need to be rooted out before more irreparable damage is done,’’ Schumer said. ‘‘Chautauqua Lake is the gem of Chautauqua (County) and we need to be doing everything we can to keep it clean, safe and beautiful. The Army Corps needs to come in with a broad sword and eradicate these weeds before it’s too late.’’
County Executive Greg Edwards, who met with Schumer last week, was excited to hear of his request.
‘‘It’s something we’ve been working on with Sen. Schumer’s staff since the summer,’’ Edwards said by phone on his way back from Washington, D.C. ‘‘I am very thrilled he’s willing to take that aggressive step.’’
Specifically, Schumer is calling for additional money and resources for the corps’ district office in Pittsburgh, which has jurisdiction over Chautauqua County, to tackle what he calls ‘‘the Chautauqua Lake menace.’’ U.S. Rep. Brian Higgins, D-South Buffalo, is also trying to get their help.
‘‘(Last week), I met with Col. Stephen Hill, commander of the Pittsburgh district of the Army Corps of Engineers ... and discussed how the corps might help to combat Eurasian milfoil,’’ Higgins said. ‘‘I am also working with other federal agencies to try to reach some sort of creative — and permanent — solution that will reduce the milfoil infestation in an environmentally safe and effective manner.’’
One of the methods the corps could employ is dredging — an expensive process that involves scooping up the bottom of the lake to pull up the weeds at their roots.
‘‘Dredging would be marvelous,’’ said Terry Turner, Chautauqua Lake Association president. ‘‘It’s just one of the most expensive ways to get rid of the weeds. We always talked about the possibility, but it was pie in the sky because it’s so expensive to dredge.’’
Proponents of dredging say the process is effective at eradicating weeds. Opponents say dredging would have a detrimental impact on the ecosystem and would kick up dangerous contaminants that have settled on the bottom of the lake.
Dredging is just a possibility, though — Schumer is merely calling for the corps to evaluate the problem, determine the best way to fix it and help with the solution.
See WEEDS On Page A-3
‘‘The nice thing about the Army Corps of Engineers is they’re experts,’’ Edwards said.
Schumer’s aides at his Washington, D.C. office said the senator’s call isn’t just an empty gesture. They used Schumer’s successful call for more screeners at Stewart International Airport in the lower Hudson Valley as an example. In January, after the Transportation Security Administration ordered the number of screeners to be reduced, Schumer called for the order to be rescinded, and it was the following day.
‘‘If you think about it, here you have one of the top ranking senators in the United States taking an interest in our situation,’’ said Edwards, who also believes Schumer’s letter will carry a great deal of weight.
The Chautauqua Lake Association is on the front lines of the seasonal war against the weeds — which generally consist of Eurasian milfoil, an invasive plant that thrives in the nutrient-rich waters of Chautauqua Lake. In the warmer months, the plant grows all the way to the surface in many places, especially along the shoreline and in the lake’s shallow south basin. It’s unsightly and it’s a nuisance for swimmers, boaters and fishermen.
During the summer, CLA employees operate numerous weed harvesters to cut and collect the plants along the shoreline, while others seek to eradicate the weeds with herbicides or starve the plants by stopping the flow of nutrients into the lake. Another solution the CLA is studying through its affiliates at Cornell University involves insect populations that feed on milfoil.
‘‘Developing an effective and lasting solution to control Eurasian milfoil on Chautauqua Lake is not only an environmental necessity, it is a matter of economic development,’’ Higgins said. ‘‘Chautauqua Lake is a regional treasure and we need to ensure that it remains healthy and its ecosystem vibrant.’’
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