Dwight Harrienger of Stantec cuts the ribbon on the new Mud Creek stream monitoring station in the Village of Mayville. Pictured, from left, are Mayville Mayor Rick Syper, County Watershed Coordinator Dave McCoy, County Legislature Chairman Pierre Chagnon, Hans Auer and Linda Swanson of the Sheldon Foundation, Chautauqua Institution President Dr. Michael Hill, and County Executive PJ Wendel
A new stream monitoring network has been unveiled in Chautauqua County.
Six tributary stations that will collect important information about the waters feeding Chautauqua Lake have been constructed. The stations are scheduled to be operational this year on Dewittville, Mud, Prendergast, Ball, Bemus, and Goose Creeks, while a seventh station will monitor flow in the Chadakoin River.
The Jefferson Project oversaw the project and adapted it from a similar project on Lake George.
Funding for this project was provided by the Ralph C. Sheldon Foundation via a Chautauqua Lake and Watershed Management Alliance pass-thru grant that was secured in the summer of 2023.
Chautauqua Institution President Dr. Michael Hill spoke about the progress that has been made to develop science-based solutions to the impairments faced on Chautauqua Lake, saying, “It is amazing to think that when completed, Chautauqua Lake will be one of only two fully computerized lakes in the world. Through a system of sensors and measuring devices tied to (weather) events, modeling computer systems created by IBM, Chautauqua Lake in our backyard is on the forefront of some of the most advanced freshwater lake research technology in the nation.”
While stream sampling has been done in the watershed in the past, these new stations have the capability to measure several different water quality variables instantaneously. The sondes are able to measure things like temperature, flow, and salt content and store that data for future computer modeling.
The stations can also directly pull water samples remotely for further analysis during storm events, and are equipped with weather stations.
For more information about this project and others, contact Alliance Communications Coordinator Jay Young at jyoung@chautauquaalliance.org or 716-661-8918.
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