December OWLA Meeting notice from Joe Wasileski

Hi Owls!!

We will have our December Meeting at the Springside Inn on Wednesday December 2nd at 6:00 pm not 7:00 pm. We should be through by 8:00pm. That way people from Rochester can get home a little earlier. Some Owls will get there early at 5PM for dinner. Committee heads, be prepared to give a committee update, and outlooks and GOALS for 2010! Send a report via email to me, if unable to attend.

Norma and Kathy will be focusing our attention on Owasco Lake Day 2010, in a planning discussion. I will lead a discussion on our 2009 successes, as well as our anticipated goals for 2010. This should be an IMPORTANT meeting from an organizational standpoint. So PLEASE try to come and add your input!! We thought about a Saturday meeting, but most of you voted for next Wednesday, so be there.

We will meet again in January, and probably take a month off in February, at least that is the game plan. Keep an eye out for last month's meeting minutes along with a compilation of your responses as to the important accomplishments of OWLA in 2010. These will be emailed to you shortly. - Joe W.

Interesting Guide to Weed Management

An interesting guide to weed management was written last summer by a group of Finger Lakes Agencies involved in protecting Water Quality. The guide; "Aquatic Weeds: Nuisance and Necessity; Managing Waterweeds in Cayuga, Owasco and Seneca Lakes" is a must read for Fingerlakes shoreline owners and users. The 28 page PDF guide was published by the Cayuga Lake Watershed Network. It does a nice job of explaining the life cycle of weeds, as well as many options available to combat them.

Here is an excerpt from the Introduction and a link to the full PDF document:

"Lakeshore property owners have concerns that most other landowners do not face. Mighty waves erode the shoreline, fluctuating water levels threaten drinking water wells, activities in the yard can have an immediate effect on water quality – and excessive water weeds can ruin the enjoyment of the property. An overabundance of aquatic plants can prevent swimming, foul boat propellers, stink as they rot along shorelines and reduce property values. Lakeshore residents expect reasonable access to, and use of, the lake. For many this includes the need for weed management, used here to mean activities intended to reduce the abundance or species of aquatic plants in a specific area.

Weed management requires knowledge, time, patience and money. There is no magic bullet that will eliminate excess weeds without continued effort and without harmful side affects. Some management attempts can even make the problem worse. A lake, after all, is not a swimming pool but a dynamic, complex system and expectations should be realistic.

The goal of this booklet is to support weed management in Seneca, Cayuga and
Owasco Lakes that takes into account all of the lake's users, emphasizing a watershed approach."

Link to the WQMA web site and PDF guide:http://co.cayuga.ny.us/wqma/projects/Aquatic_Weeds_Nuisance_and_Necessity.pdf

Take a look and tell us what you think!

- Lakeman

Senator Valeski to speak at OWLA meeting

Message from OWLA President Joe Wasileski:

Hello OWLS!!

Greeting from Joe!!!

We are having an OWLA meeting this Wednesday November 4th at 7 PM at The Springside Inn.

Our guest will be Senator David Valesky. He is coming specifically to hear our concerns about the water quality of Owasco Lake, and what he might do to help OWLA and it's Mission. Please come to meet him and also weigh in on your concerns and solutions. Senator Valesky wants very much to help us, and wants to be known as a Finger Lakes advocate! We have been working on putting together specific propositions that he might choose to HELP us achieve. Please come, and bring your friends, to meet him and see if we can move forward to achieve our goals. A strong turn out, will definitely help our cause. This is not a political event, but merely one additional effort to try to help OWASCO LAKE!

Thanks Joe