Pictured above, panelists of the Western New York Regional Harmful Algal Bloom Summit.

ROCHESTER – Chautauqua Lake was well represented at the Western New York Regional Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) Summit in Rochester on March 26.

County Executive George Borrello, County Legislator Pierre Chagnon, Water Resource Specialist Bill Boria, Soil & Water Conservation District Field Manager Dave Spann, and Watershed Coordinator Dave McCoy attended the 12-hour session on behalf of Chautauqua County.

They were joined by other lake organization representatives – including Erin Brickley from the Chautauqua Lake & Watershed Management Alliance; as well as representatives from Chautauqua Lake Association, Chautauqua Watershed Conservancy, Audubon Community Nature Center, and Chautauqua Lake Partnership.

The state held the summit as an effort to address the growing problem of algal blooms on New York Waterways.

As part of the state budget, Governor Andrew Cuomo included Chautauqua Lake in his $65 million HABs Initiative as one of twelve priority lakes in New York State.

Officials hope information collected during the summit will help them better address the HAB problem at the local level.