Town of Chautauqua Mobitrac assists the Town of Ellery with the Shore Acres Canal Clean-up Project (Source: Alliance).
MAYVILLE – (MEDIA RELEASE) – At the Chautauqua Lake and Watershed Management Alliance’s May Annual Meeting, Interim Executive Director Vince Horrigan indicated that more can be accomplished regarding near-shore and shoreline clean-up if organizations work together and unify efforts. Over the past month, municipalities and lake organizations have been collaborating with each other to get an early start on near-shore and shoreline clean-up through the coordinated removal of decaying macrophytes and debris.
Over the past month, two projects have taken place in two different municipalities that involved the removal of debris jams, which were causing impairments to navigation, water movement, aesthetics, and fish passage.
The Vukote Canal Clean-up Project was executed on May 13 and involved collaboration among the Alliance, Town of Busti, and Town of Chautauqua. The Town of Chautauqua provided a Mobitrac, which is an amphibious tracked machine with an 8-foot-wide rake that is capable of navigating in tight spaces such as canals. This machine removed a debris blockage from the canal and offloaded the material onto dump trucks owned by the Town of Busti for disposal. In total, work by the Town of Busti Highway Department and Town of Chautauqua Mobitrac removed 14 truckloads of debris from the canal, which provided improved aesthetics, water flow, navigation, and fish passage.
The Shore Acres Canal Clean-up Project was completed on May 28 and involved collaboration among the Alliance, Town of Ellery, and Town of Chautauqua. The Town of Chautauqua provided a Mobitrac to gather and remove the debris from the canal, which was trucked away by the Town of Ellery. This project resulted in the removal of 3 truckloads of debris from the canal, which restored navigation, water flow, aesthetics, and fish passage.
“These two projects are great examples of how unity of effort can produce responsive and effective results,” the Alliance stated.
Over the past week, the Chautauqua Lake Association (CLA) has been out on the lake performing pre-season shoreline clean-up. These efforts have been targeted at removing nuisance accumulations of decaying debris, which if left unchecked would have contributed excess nutrients into Chautauqua Lake, along with large debris that can pose risks to navigation and safety. Over the past week, the CLA has removed 8 truckloads of shoreline debris.
Starting in July, the CLA and the Town of Chautauqua will begin their inaugural joint near-shore and shoreline clean-up operations program, which aims to increase efficiency and responsiveness to near-shore and shoreline conditions.
The Alliance applauds the collaborative efforts of these member organizations whose work has led to the removal of 25 truckloads of shoreline debris from Chautauqua Lake thus far through a combined approach of near-shore and shoreline maintenance operations. These services provided by the CLA, Town of Chautauqua, Town of Busti, and Town of Ellery not only reduce in-lake nutrient loading by removing macrophytes prior to their decomposition but also promote water movement, improved recreation, and a more aesthetically appealing shoreline environment. Funding for these projects was provided in-part through grants from the Alliance in partnership with the Chautauqua Region Community, Ralph C. Sheldon, and Lenna Foundations.
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