To the editor:
I am a member of a family that has lived on Cazenovia Lake for five generations. Over recent decades we have witnessed the sad deterioration of this magnificent body of water that means so much to our community — both economically and environmentally.
With all due respect to the Town of Cazenovia and Cazenovia Lake Association, I am afraid that current actions are largely band-aids that treat Cazenovia Lake’s symptoms, instead of the serious steps that are critical to addressing the underlying disease. Current actions focus largely on addressing weeds and algae that infest the lake and include killing nuisance weeds with pesticides, pulling them by hand, smothering them under plastic mats and, sadly, having to put systems in place to notify residents of toxic algae blooms.
Rather than relying largely on these band-aids we should get to the root cause of weed and algae infestations that render the lake increasingly unusable, unattractive and sometimes dangerous. The primary cause is run-off from septic systems, lawns, roads, parking lots and fields in the lake watershed that stimulate weeds and algae.
If we are serious about protecting the lake, we need to address this underlying disease in multiple ways. We should require annual checks of septic systems to minimize leaking tanks and leach fields. We should slow run-off of small streams and drainage ways using swales, berms, detention areas and plantings. We should, as many lake communities now do, reduce tree-cutting, soil disturbance and excessive mowing in a narrow band around the lake.
A 25-foot band from the edge of the water towards each property should be required by the town to be installed if not already present. This can be done so as not to obstruct views and still cut runoff from lawns, driveways and other hard surfaces. For those reluctant to spend any money on this, just stop mowing or clearing the last 25 feet to the lake and nature will do it for free.
And we should bite the bullet in two additional ways. First, we should revisit the idea of installing sewers in our rapidly suburbanizing watershed. This is not easy or cheap, but this dying lake demands better control of sewage. Alternatively, annual inspection of septic systems should be instituted. If a system fails, there are many high-performing systems that can be installed that will significantly reduce runoff into the lake and may be attractive alternatives to a municipal sewer system. Finally, we should rethink the rapid development of Cazenovia that is increasingly turning our town into an upland version of Manlius. It is time to revisit our zoning and planning in the lake watershed, just as communities like Skaneateles have done to protect their lakes.
Our family has a friend — an eminent aquatic biologist from Dartmouth College — who had not visited the lake in 30 years. On a recent visit, she was shocked at the weed-infested and algae-blighted state of the lake. She was also surprised how little Cazenovia had done to address the underlying causes. I hope we wake up soon and finally begin to address what’s really ailing Cazenovia Lake.
Dan Reicher
Cazenovia
