FLLOWPA: Fostering Local Action to Sustain Watersheds

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FL-LOWPA Fostering Local Action to Sustain
Watersheds
Scott Ingmire, Chair Finger Lakes-Lake Ontario
Watershed Protection Alliance Madison County
Planning Department scott.ingmire_at_co.madison.ny.us
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FL-LOWPA Membership

• 25 Lake Ontario Basin Counties
• Planning Departments
• Soil and Water Conservation Districts
• Health Departments
• Environmental Management Councils
• Water Quality Management Agencies

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FL-LOWPA Program Area NY Lake Ontario Basin
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Funding

• 1.3 million in EPF since SFY 1997-2004
• 1.5 million in EPF 2005 and 2006
• 2 million in EPF in 2007
• county water quality programs (gt96)
• watershed research, planning, monitoring
• nonpoint source pollution control remediation
• public education
• coordination through WRB (3.7)

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FL-LOWPA PROGRAMS

• Based on local needs
• Reinforce state, federal programs
• Address identified, site specific problems
• Create and capitalize on partnerships

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In short, FL-LOWPA doesnt just think about
stuff, or plan stuff, or try to get others to do
stuff, WE DO STUFF!
What kind of stuff and how much?
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2000-2006 25 County Survey

• 9.5 million in State Funding in the 6 year
  period.
• Lead to a match of over 12 million in local
  dollars and in-kind services.

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Agriculture A Vital Part of the Upstate Economy

• 35,000 Farms in New York State covering 7,500,000
  acres
• Over 3 Billion Dollars in market value annually.
• 56,000 operators of farms as their principal or
  secondary occupation

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• Support for Agricultural Industry
• Technical support for NYS AEM
• CAFO compliance assistance
• Nutrient Management
• Best Management Practices
• Flexibility to address priority farm operations
  in priority and non-priority watersheds

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A snapshot of FL-LOWPA Funded Agricultural
Projects from 2000-2006

• Technical Assistance to over 1,400 farms in the
  Watershed covering 202,800 acres, an area roughly
  equal in size to all of Schuyler County.

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A snapshot of FL-LOWPA Funded Agricultural
Projects from 2000-2006

• Technical Assistance to over 1,400 farms in the
  Watershed covering 202,800 acres.
• 229 new farms participated in FL-LOWPA supported
  programs since 2000
• 569 Total Best Management Practices Installed
  since 2000.

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• 138 Confined Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO)
  farms assisted, reducing agricultural pollutants
  from 32,115 farm acres
• 186 farms assisted with Agricultural
  Environmental Management (AEM) whole farm
  planning encompassing 124,128 acres.

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569 Best Management Practices Installed

• Including Conservation Tillage, Tile Drainage,
  Riparian Buffers, Manure Storage, Milk House
  Waste Systems, Barnyard Runoff Collection
  Systems, Stream Fencing, Livestock Watering,
  Rotational Grazing, and many more

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ALLEGANY COUNTY
NUTRIENT MANAGEMENT
PIG MANURE STORAGE AREA
CONCRETE PAD WITH ROOF ELIMINATES PRECIPITATION
OVER MANURE STORAGE AREA
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WYOMING COUNTY
INSTALLATION OF BMPS FOR AGRICULTURAL NPS
CONTROL
Silage Leachate Collection Basin
Barnyard Roof Gutters
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CHEMUNG COUNTY
AGRICULTURAL BMPS
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Septic System Programs and Assistance

• Over 6,000 septic systems tested
• 661 failing systems replaced or repaired
• Over 200 professionals served by training
  workshops

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Watershed Stabilization

• Stabilized 459 miles of roadbank
• 32 wetlands constructed for 656 acres of new
  habitat
• 118 acres of erodible land stabilized through
  hydroseeding

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NIAGARA COUNTY
Hydroseeding Agricultural Drainage Ditches
Lake Ontario Shoreline
Stabilization
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Streambank Stabilization Projects

• 50,516 linear feet of Streambanks stabilized
• Over 9.6 miles

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STREAMBANK STABILIZATION USING BIO-ENGINEERING TEC
HNIQUES
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STREAM STABILIZATION
VORTEX WEIR
STREAM BARB
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Monroe County
80 tall, 700 long eroding sand bluff
Massive Streambank Erosion Problem along
Irondequoit Creek at Linear Park
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MONROE COUNTY
INSTALLATION OF STONE RIPRAP AT LINEAR PARK
PROJECT COMPLETED
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Planning and Monitoring

• Stream and lake monitoring
• develop baseline data
• pollutant track down
• measure trends improvements
• Watershed inventory modeling
• 8,504 sites monitored from 2000-2006 covering
  over 150 lakes and streams
• 27,460 samples analyzed

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SCHUYLER COUNTY
WATER QUALITY TESTING MEASURING NITROGEN
PHOSPHORUS
MEASURING DISSOLVED OXYGEN
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Oneida Lake Watershed Monitoring Program Oswego,
Onondaga, Madison, and Oneida Counties
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Before
After
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Public Education and Outreach

• Almost 600,000 people targeted through signage,
  news media, direct mailings, CDs and more.

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Over 56,000 youth targeted through education
programs
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Invasive Species Control

• Research for Biological Control
• Eurasian watermilfoil
• Water chestnut
• Control
• Aquatic vegetation harvesting
• Handpulling
• Over 26,000 tons of vegetation removed covering
  5,675 acres.

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The invasive water chestnut threatens Central New
York waterways. A mechanical harvester cuts and
collects water chestnut in Ox Creek. A conveyor
delivers the plants to shore for composting.
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Research on the Bio-Control of Eurasian
Watermilfoil in Conjunction with Cornell
University and SUNY Oneonta
European Aquatic Moth Larvae - Prefers Milfoil
Diet
Can fish populations be used to control Milfoil?
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The Economics of Water Quality

• High quality water is more than the dream of the
  conservationists, more than a political slogan
  high quality water, in the right quantity at the
  right place at the right time, is essential to
  health, recreation, and economic growth. EDMUND
  S. MUSKIE, U.S. Senator, speech, 1 March 1966

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Water Quality Has a Significant Impact on
Property Values!
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Mississippi River Headwaters Study

• Water quality was shown to be a significant
  explanatory variable of lakeshore property prices
  in all lake groups in both versions of the model.
  Water quality has a positive relationship with
  property prices.
• In other words, buyers of lakeshore properties
  prefer and will pay more for properties on lakes
  with better water quality.

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• For example, if one could see down an extra 3
  feet (down to 13 feet) on Leech Lake, a 40-foot
  lake property's value would rise by nearly
  17,000. If the lake's clarity is reduced by more
  than 3 feet, that would cut values by 23,760

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3/19/06 Syracuse Post Standard

• Even the once-feared zebra mussel may have
  helped boost development by filtering out much of
  the algae in Oneida Lake, which is much shallower
  and warmer than other Central New York lakes
• "Oneida Lake is so underdeveloped compared to
  other lakes," Oot said. "I don't always think it
  was the Mecca like Skaneateles and Cazenovia. I
  think it's coming, though. The water's cleaner,
  the clarity of the water's better - whether
  that's the zebra mussels, I don't know."

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Broaden our View of the World a Bit

• The Great Lakes contain 90 of the fresh water in
  the US and 20 of the Worlds fresh water.
• The Great Lakes Directly impact the lives of
  about 35 million people.

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Great Lakes Regional Collaboration Strategy

• Multifaceted plan to develop goals and costs
  associated with restoring the vitality of the
  Great Lakes. Key Partners
• Council of Great Lakes Governors
• Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative
• Great Lakes Congressional Task Force
• Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission
• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Great Lakes
  National Program Office
• Estimated price tag for doing so 26 Billion

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What are the Economic Benefits Derived from a 26
Billion Dollar Restoration of the Great Lakes?

• Benefits of 6.5-11.8 billion in tourism,
  fishing, and recreation alone.
• Benefits of 12 19 billion due to a rise in
  coastal property values.
• Reduced municipal costs of 50-125 million
• Restored Great Lakes will produce unquantifiable
  but significant economic activity by making the
  region more attractive to businesses and workers

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So, a 26 Billion investment will yield a very
conservative estimate of 50 Billion in long term
economic benefits, and 30-50 Billion in short
term economic multiplier benefits
Healthy Waters, Strong Economy The Benefits of
Restoring the Great Lakes Ecosystem John C.
Austin, Soren Anderson, Paul N. Courant, and
Robert E. Litan1 September 2007
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An estimated 21 Million investment (State and
Local Funds) over the past 6 years through
FL-LOWPA, has gone toward the restoration of the
Finger Lakes-Lake Ontario Watershed in New York
State
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Although not quantified, this has led to numerous
economic benefits and has helped make the region
an attractive place to live and do business!
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Questions??
Scott Ingmire, Chair Finger Lakes-Lake Ontario
Watershed Protection Alliance Madison County
Planning Department scott.ingmire_at_co.madison.ny.us