AUBURN — The last time Owasco Lake's watershed rules and regulations were updated was 1984. …
The Owasco Lake Watershed Management Council is working to narrow down the many answers to that question — with the full understanding that it can't go it alone.
Members of the council plan to schedule a meeting to discuss the current rules and make suggestions about how they can be strengthened. And they are hoping the public will help refine its proposals before the state is asked to sign off on them.
Owasco Lake's watershed regulations haven't been updated since 1984, but with algae blooms manifesting this year into warnings about toxins in local drinking water, it's clearly time for an update.
But the watershed council can't simply fix everything without help. This needs to be a cooperative effort that involves villages, towns, lakeside homeowners, farmers and so on. It will also require the cooperation — and the pocketbook — of the state. Putting together a list of proposals will be pointless unless those rules have a chance of getting the approval of the state. And our area legislators need to be ready to pitch in, too, because financial aid is sure to be needed along the way.
The importance of the lake and its long-term health to this region cannot be overstated. There are rules in place in other areas that don't exist here, and the evidence is clear that more needs to be done.
Strengthening protections for the watershed is a no-brainer. But getting there is going to take teamwork. We encourage all stakeholders to help shape the future of Owasco Lake by helping define the rules by which it will be managed in the long run.
