CWC Director of Conservation Twan Leenders is pictured in a kayak in Ashville Bay during the first pilot removal effort of starry stonewort on September 30.

Local Lake and Watershed organizations have teamed up against the invasive species, starry stonewart, in Chautauqua Lake.

Starry stonewort can easily be mistaken for an aquatic plant at first glance. It first made its way to North America in 1974 via the St. Lawrence River. Since then it has spread to lakes across the Northeast.

The algae is identified by its thin grass-like branches, which grow in whorls around a central stem. Starry stonewort can appear green or brown in color, may be crunchy to the touch, and can be mistaken for native lookalikes like muskgrass. It can form dense stands in late-summer and early-fall, and can be difficult to detect before this growing season.

If left unaddressed, this invasive has the potential to spread to new areas of the lake, impede recreation, crowd out native plants and animals, and negatively impact game fish species.

Representatives from the Chautauqua Watershed Conservancy, the Chautauqua Lake Association, the Alliance, Chautauqua County Soil and Water Conservation District, the Chautauqua-Conewango Consortium, and Audubon joined volunteers last month to try to remove starry stonewart from Ashville Bay.

The group performed manual removal with a variety of tools including rakes, screens, and baskets. After around four hours of work, the manual removal team had gathered approximately 12 large bags of starry stonewort, or approximately 750 pounds of material to be disposed.

Following the pilot removal, stakeholders are continuing to assess their findings, consult with outside experts, and collaborate to determine the best path forward to manage starry stonewort in the lake.

For more information, contact Twan Leenders at Twan@chautauquawatershed.org.

County Executive PJ Wendel, Jamestown Mayor Eddie Sundquist, Chautauqua Watershed Conservancy’s Carol Markham, Chautauqua Watershed Conservancy’s Twan Leenders

The Chautauqua Watershed Conservancy has kicked off an effort to certify Chautauqua County as a National Wildlife Federation Community Habitat.

Officials, including Chautauqua County Executive PJ Wendel, Jamestown Mayor Eddie Sundquist, as well as representatives from the Roger Tory Peterson Institute, Chautauqua-Conewango Consortium, Jamestown Public Market, and Master Gardeners gathered at an event Thursday in the South Basin area of the Jamestown Riverwalk.

CWC Ecological Restoration Manager Twan Leenders said the restoration area of the south bank of the Chadakoin River by the Board of Public Utilities is now part of the certified habitats, “Which has native plants on it. It has habitats for wildlife in it. We’re not using harmful chemicals on it. It provides all kinds of resources for native plants and animals, and those are really the criteria needed to certify an area, your backyard, a park, as an accredited wildlife habitat.”

CWC Board President Becky Nystrom said there are 98 gardens of the 400 needed are already certified in Chautauqua County.

Leenders said anyone can certify their yard by filling out an online questionnaire. He said this is also how the National Wildlife Habitat Federation tracks how many habitats are in a county, “But it could be any scale, it could be a preserve. Chautauqua Watershed Conservancy’s preserves certainly qualify. The city has already agreed to work with us for city parks. The county, various community partners, corporate, non-profit.. Really, it’s a very easy process but it’s really a way to collaboratively get them into the mindset that if we manage any kind of property that we manage in a way that we provide resources, a place to live, and food for native wildlife we can make this whole area greener, and better, and healthier.”

The certification checklist and link to certify for your property can be found at nwf.org/certify.

Chautauqua Lake Association clean-up of Chautauqua Lake

The Chautauqua Lake Association begins its Spring debris removal on Chautauqua Lake today.

The two week pre-season program, run annually, clears hazardous woody debris that has floated into the lake from the tributaries.

CLA officials said the program will be capped off by a volunteer-based Chautauqua Lake Outlet cleanup event on Saturday, May 21. This event is in conjunction with the Conewango Creek Watershed Association and the Chautauqua-Conewango Consortium.

Last year, during the CLA’s spring cleanup, crews removed 11 truckloads of dangerous debris from the shoreline. Conservation areas were left undisturbed to protect and allow aquatic life habitat to naturally evolve.