Silver Lake Water Quality and C.L.E.A.N.@Silver Lake

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Silver Lake Watershed Commission (SLWC).  Improper Leaf and Yard Waste Disposal into Silver Lake. The SLAWQ team shared policies from the Lake Erie Watershed Protection Alliance  (LEWPA) (see link below) with the SLWC and they agreed to look into the leaves-in-the-lake  issue.  http://mansfieldny.org/pdfs/2019/LEWPA%20Yard%20Waste%20Brochure.compressed.pdf SLAWQ suggests the SLA arrange for fall ’23 yard waste disposal options similar to those in  fall ’22.  The Town of Castile Board is also looking into the yard waste issue.  

Walker Rd Bridge. Town of Perry Supervisor Jim Brick reported that the Walker Rd bridge  replacement is planned for spring ’24.  

WNY Partnership for Regional Invasive Species Management (PRISM). The SLAWQ team  has worked with WNY PRISM and its Director Andrea Locke for many years. PRISM staff  have visited Silver Lake several times over the past 10 years and they have executed several  lake-wide surveys.  Andrea informed us that the new DEC Region 9 Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) Coordinator  plans to survey Silver Lake this year. DEC will not perform a full survey (they use a point  intercept method, including rake tosses, that is time intensive), but hope to get a partial survey  completed. A report will follow.  Our most common invasive aquatic plants (macrophytes) are curly leaf pond weed and Eurasian milfoil. Both have been in Silver Lake for decades.  

Follow-up to 2022 Japanese Knotweed (JK) Spraying. We are seeing significant JK die off two (2) months after  our first ’23 follow-up spraying.  

Improved Communications. The SLAWQ team has worked to expand and improve  communication efforts with our membership and with other stakeholders. Examples include  timely postings on the SLA and CLEAN web sites and Facebook pages (shout outs to Michelle  Hess and Joe Caputo!!) and a full page article in the June 22, 2023 Perry Herald (p. 7) (shout  out to Lee Loomis).  We hope to continue working with the Perry Herald on an annual series of articles calling out  our plans, in progress efforts, and accomplishments with one article coinciding with the  SLA/CLEAN Golf Tournament advertising and sponsorship campaigns. 

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SLA/CLEAN Golf Tournament, Banquet, and Basket Raffle.   The 2023 Tournament, Banquet, and Raffle were held at The Club at Silver Lake on Saturday, July 22, 2023. The weather was perfect, and feedback was very positive.  The ’23 Tournament sold out early (22 teams; 88 players) and the basket raffle and luncheon were well attended. The number of business sponsors was down in comparison to previous years, but we still did reasonably well financially.  A sincere THANK YOU to every “player”, each volunteer, sponsor, and/or all basket contributors!  And a special THANK YOU to Joe Caputo, Karen Norton, and Bonnie Bright.    Mark your calendars, the ’24 Tournament is scheduled for Saturday, July 20, 2024.  

CSLAP. The 2022 Silver Lake Report has been posted online and it has been discussed  during the 05/13/2023 SLA Meeting.  The SLAWQ team has completed three (3) of eight (8) sample sets for the 2023 CSLAP  campaign.

DEC Big Panfish Initiative (BPI). SLAWQ briefed members last month on this project.  Please stay informed by visiting the BPI web site: https://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/124966.html  

Harmful Algae Blooms (HAB). Please remember that all HAB sightings, reporting, and  updates are found at NYHABS web site:  https://nysdec.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=ae91142c812a4ab997ba7 39ed9723e6e Please stay up-to-date on HABs by checking this web site as often as you wish. 

 Silver Lake Water Level. Remember that the Village of Perry (VoP) maintains a camera at the  Silver Lake Outlet damn site. The link to this camera is:  https://villageofperry.com/departments/water-sewer/source-of-water/lake-water-level/  3  Please stay up-to-date on the lake water level from anywhere by checking this site.  

Watercraft Inspection Steward. The steward, Will Parker, visited us at last month’s SLA  meeting. He will continue his Friday-Monday, 8:00AM-6:30PM schedule through Labor Day  Weekend (Sept 1st - 4th).  

Silver Lake Sewer System. The SLAWQ team will visit the VoP Waste Water Treatment Plant  on Aug 23, 2023. Our goal is to learn more about the water system in our area and explain the  SLAWQ team’s efforts to improve the health and vitality of Silver Lake.  

Volunteering During the Letchworth Craft Show. The annual Letchworth Craft show moved  to Perry in 2022. This year’s event will be held over the Columbus Day Weekend on October 7,  8, and 9. Several SLAWQ team members plan to volunteer. Please contact Tara Harding for  more information and to volunteer (tara@hardingplumbing.com). 

WEEDS: Benthic Mats – These can be used to eliminate the weeds at your dock. They must come out in the fall and cannot be put back into the water until after June 1. Go to the tip ship on the Clean website for more information.  _1 - Benthic Mats.pdf (wsimg.com)  You can also order on-line: Aquatic Weed Control | Chemical Free Weed Killer for Lakes | Aquatic Weed Killer (lakebottomblanket.com)

 The next SLAWQ meeting is scheduled for September 8, 2023 at 4:00 pm. . 

Native Species Plantings completed on 10/14/2022 - at the Silver Lake State Park (boat launch)   

LIST OF NATIVE PLANTS USED:  

Tress:  Sycamore, Swamp white oak, red oak, bald cypress, sugar maple

Shrubs:  Silk dogwood, button bush, Nannyberry, Am hazelnut

Perennials:  Wild ageratum, cutleaf coneflower, Joepye weed, hoary skullcap, NY ironweed, wild bergamot, clustered mountain mint

INVASIVE SPECIES MITIGATION - JAPENESE KNOTWEED   - SLA, CLEAN, Wyoming County, along with a small contribution from landowners funded a chemical treatment plan for elimination of this fast-growing invasive species.  The sites identified by SLA were sprayed 3 times and dead plants were removed.  More work in 2023 will be needed to complete this important project.  

Silver Lake Dams:  The Silver Lake Dam leak was repaired.

Perry Central School Activities  Todd Shuskey and his students performed their first gravity corer experiments (50 cm, ~20”)  into the lake bed. These types of samples can be used as a “time machine”, allowing students  to quantify the history of inorganic analytes (e.g., heavy metals, nutrients) and biologicals in  Silver Lake. The first samples are being analyzed at UB and PHS.  Todd and the students plan to carry out deeper core measurements to establish a more  complete time line.  

Watercraft Inspection Steward:  Silver Lake has been fortunate to have a dedicated steward in place at the State Boat launch  for the past several years.  2    Jenelle Grigelevich is serving as this year’s steward. She spoke at the last SLA meeting.  She is scheduled to be on-site from Friday, May 27 through Labor Day weekend (FridayMonday 8:00AM-6:30PM).  We will be giving Jenelle a gift card for all her hard work. 

Dredging  There was an update provided at the 07/21/2022 SLWC meeting. Steve Perkins formerly from the Wyoming County Health Department is still spearheading the efforts and he mentioned that the total project may be expanded to include Eberstein Tract. A $3.2-3.4M estimated budget was mentioned. The effort would be multi-faceted with a combination of in-lake, on nearby land, and off-site sediment relocation/removal. Current effort is centering on securing needed land approvals by Fall ’22 with an eye toward targeting grant funding sources after all arrangements and approvals are in hand. The next step after land approvals is in hand is a comprehensive planning grant submission.  

Golf Tournament 

The 2022 Annual Silver Lake Water Quality Golf Tournament was be held July 30th, 2022at the Silver Lake Country Club.    Proceeds are used to purchase native shrubs and perennials that Association members will plant along a tributary identified by the Wyoming County Soil & Water Conservation District as a problematic run-off location. Native plants help to stem the influx of nutrients and sediment into the lake.  

 THE 2023 SLA Water Quality Golf Tournament will be July 22, 2023, at   9:00 am