Submitted by Program Manager Mark Burger and Staff
The SLWAP held their 28th annual meeting on Monday, Dec. 5 at Grace Chapel in Skaneateles.
Guest speakers included Dr. Frank Rossi of Cornell University and Rick Jordan of CNY Drone Services.
Rossi, the Richard C. Call Director at Cornell University was this year’s speaker.
Rossi began his presentation with an update on agricultural sciences at the university. He continued his presentation by comparing the similarities between practices employed by golf courses to preserve water quality on golf courses and lawns to the preservation practices of farmers.
It was very interesting to learn that many of the Best Management Practices (BMPs) that are required by farmers to protect the environment and water quality can also be used by golf courses.
Rossi emphasized that the difference between the two industries is that currently agriculture “shall” use these BMP’s and golf courses “should” use these BMPs.
Also of interest were the statistics, that once again indicate that the northeast portions of the United States are seeing 55% more downpours (increase in heaviest precipitation events) while other portions of the United States are only seeing a 9% increase in downpours. Another interesting comparison was that golf courses have to address the effects of shade on golf course turf care just as farmers have to address shade as it reduces crop production; “farmers farm the sunshine”.
Eric Jensen from the SLWAP delivered a review of the first year of cover crop seeding using a drone.
Rick Jordan of CNY Drone Services spoke after lunch. He presented the results of a drone cover crop seeding project recently completed in the watershed.
This was one of the first drone cover crop projects done in the area.
At the conclusion of the annual meeting CNY Drone Services performed a drone demonstration and answered questions for future applications and potential future projects.
Megan Vandewarker from the Onondaga County SWCD presented data on the two-year study comparing tile outlet water from an agricultural field to water coming naturally out of a nearby woods.
Her results showed that water coming out of the tile lines had an overall lower concentration of total phosphorous, total dissolved phosphorous, and nitrogen oxides, as compared to the water coming from the woods.
Additionally, concentrations of the analytes were very low. She also updated the audience with data on seven years of sampling two denitrifying bio-reactors. Results of that study showed that the Denitrifying Bio-Reactors are performing their purpose at further reducing low nitrate as nitrogen concentrations coming from the tile lines.
In support of our local vendors, Byrne Dairy milk, cookies and brownies from The Patisserie, and soup, salad, and sandwiches from Wegman’s comprised the refreshments for the luncheon. A total of 35 people attended the annual meeting.
These folks were primarily the agricultural producers in the watershed and those agency representatives that assist them with conservation opportunities throughout the year.
Fifteen farms representing 67% of the agricultural land base in the watershed were in attendance. Five of those farms brought “the next generation” so that they can learn more about the City of Syracuse’s Filtration Avoidance Program and why it is so important to keep the programming going into the future.
To conclude the meeting, Program Manager Mark Burger reiterated Rossi’s comments that we need, in all of our industries, to do all we can to protect water quality and the environment “until our good is better and our better is best.”
Roland Ivers
The SLWAP held their 28th annual meeting on Monday, Dec. 5 at Grace Chapel in Skaneateles.
