Paul Torrisi
The Skaneateles Lake Association, Inc. through its membership and generous donors has been fighting the invasion of Eurasian Milfoil in Skaneateles Lake since 2007. Nine years and over $2,000,000 later the potential environmental, recreational, and economic negative impact it would have created has been at least controlled. Although the invasive weed will never be completely eradicated from the ecosystem we feel with continued annual work (and money) we will be able to maintain the status achieved to date.
Not so with Hydrilla, if it ever enters and establishes a foothold in Skaneateles Lake! This invasive weed, originally from Korea, outcompetes native submerged aquatic vegetation and can quickly fill a pond or lake, growing in deep water up to 20 feet, thus choking off the near shore for swimming, boating, fishing and other recreational uses! It’s been located in the nearby Cayuga Lake inlet where it’s being treated with chemical herbicides the past few years and hopefully being contained. It is next to impossible to permanently remove otherwise. Because the Tubers or roots grow transversely under the lake bottom soil they are very difficult to hand pull by divers and resistant to current methods of benthic matting, such as the SLA is using for Milfoil control. We certainly can’t resort to chemical treatment in our precious water supply!
Hydrilla Matted Over a Lake Water Surface
Hydrilla has been battled for years in Florida and elsewhere where many millions have been spent to eradicate and control, relatively unsuccessfully! It can grow very rapidly, up to a foot a day, and form dense mats under water and on the surface, potentially turning the pristine near shore area of a lake like ours into a smelly swamp with growth and decay of the vegetative matter!
SLA has ramped up its Stewardship Program in three short years, currently employing 8 staff to monitor various launch sites around the lake. Using inspection and educating techniques these dedicated young people are promoting prevention and control. Boaters are learning to CLEAN, DRAIN, and DRY their boats and gear and anything that comes in contact with water!
We need to continue to escalate our Stewardship efforts and to keep Hydrilla and other invasives OUT of Skaneateles Lake. This takes money and lots of it!!
Increasing our annual renewed membership to SLA from about 600 the past two years to over 1,000 would be a terrific step in the right direction so we can continue to increase our support of these vital programs to help keep the lake “clear and pure!”
Go to SkaneatelesLake.org to renew or start your membership and support, immediately!
The SLA thanks the following individuals for their additional donations in support of the Milfoil Boat and the Lake Stewards (names with an asterisk are those whose annual memberships and additional donations or a matching donation were received in the last few months of 2014):
Milfoil Boat Sponsors: July 17 Deborah & Joseph Paduda, Mark Allyn, Goffe Cottage, Mary Jane & Gary Lowery; July 20 John MacAllister & Lauren Moranz; July 21 Heather & David Wheat, Jane & Mason Howard, Demetra Vounas, Carolyn kaye & Donald Babcock; July 22 Christine Larsen & Vincent Dopolis; July 23 Deborah & Richard Hole, Ann Kilian, Jaime Tuozzolo , Joyce & Robin Jowaisas; July 27 Lori & James Ranalli, Patti & Marvin Langley, Lynne Boles & John Priest, Jennifer Sutherland; July 28 Candace & John Marcellus; July 29 Sara & Robert Neumann; July 30 Julie Scuderi, Deborah & James Tifft; July 31 Kathy & Paul Leone.
Steward Sponsors: July 16 Judy and Doug Robertson*; July 17 Mary Anne & John Winfield; July 18 Grace & Dan Labeille; July 19 Anonymous 3; July 20 Jill & Todd Marshall; July 21 – July 29 Jeannie & Henry Slauson.
Source: Skaneateles Press 7/29/15