Nov 13, 2023
The North American Lake Management Society welcomed attendees to the Bayfront Convention Center in Erie, Pa. for its annual conference last month.
Each year the North American Lake Management Society selects a different location for its annual conference, which is open to any and all those interested in the protection of our water resources.
Fortunately for Alliance staff and other local participants, the 2023 Great Lakes, Local Solutions NALMS event was hosted at the nearby Bayfront Convention Center in Erie, Pa. on the week of October 22. For three days attendees gathered to hear and discuss presentations given on a wide range of different topics and research interests, many of which are directly linked to the work being done here on Chautauqua Lake.
Because NALMS offers such a wide range of presentations, attendees were able to set their own agendas using a mobile app, and join larger networking and poster viewing sessions. Monday’s opening presentation was delivered to all those in attendance by Dr. Jason Corwin, a Clinical Assistant Professor and Director of Undergraduate Studies at the University at Buffalo’s Department of Indigenous Studies. Corwin’s address focused on the indigenous history of the region, and the relationships that exist between water resources and Native Americans. A filmmaker with extensive experience in environmental advocacy, and a citizen of the Seneca Nation, Corwin showed the audience a selection of his documentary work, much of which focuses on issues in resource management and the perspectives of indigenous populations.
Following the opening remarks, attendees selected which of the day’s three presentation sessions they would like to attend. These sessions were organized by topic, and typically featured four presentations followed by question and answer periods. Sessions were organized around popular themes like the research and management of harmful algal blooms, nutrient loading, community science and data collection, fisheries, invasive species, drone programs, stormwater management, and more. This flexible schedule followed throughout all three days of the conference, and was supplemented by exhibitions by vendors from around North America. Lake and watershed organizations, as well as a variety of different businesses in the field, were represented by booths and eager to discuss their work.
Presenters working directly on Chautauqua included Chautauqua Lake Association Executive Director Doug Conroe, who outlined how multi-tasking lake maintenance equipment can be used to achieve versatility of services. Conroe discussed the unique history and characteristics of Chautauqua Lake, and the work that is performed on an annual basis by CLA to address challenges like plant growth. The issue of harmful algal blooms was a common theme for presenters working both on Chautauqua and at other lakes across the country. Dr. Allison Hrycik spoke to attendees on the algae research she has been performing on Chautauqua Lake with Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and The Jefferson Project. Throughout the summer Hrycik and her fellow researchers monitor the lake’s algae populations using collection tiles and water sampling. Dr. Courtney Wigdahl-Perry of the State University of New York at Fredonia delivered a presentation during a ‘Remote Sensing of HABs’ session. This outlined her research on hyperspectral imaging of shoreline blooms using drones, and the datasets that this work produces.
Drones continue to be a hot topic of discussion for both research and management. A talk given by Andrew Howell, a research scholar with North Carolina State University, focused on the new capabilities of drones and how they can be used to not only image plant growth, but also perform management. Of particular interest to Chautauqua Lake attendees were a number of talks focused on invasive starry stonewort, which has emerged as a significant concern. Mark Apfelbacher of the CD3 General Benefit Corporation explained the programs that are currently underway in Minnesota to help contain the invasive algae since it was first discovered there around a decade ago. The conference also featured a large number of presentations related to nutrient loading, and the techniques that are being used to address that issue.
Alliance staff presented an update on some of these presentations at our public meeting last week, and will be following up over the coming months to see how some of these new ideas and technologies may be put to use back in Chautauqua County. As we have some time to evaluate our existing lake and watershed programs during the winter months, these types of events are a great way to bring in new suggestions, and asses how our local practices compare with those being used elsewhere. They are also a two-way street, and allow us to share positive updates with other stakeholders, such as results from the pilot starry stonewort Mobitrac removal done on Chautauqua this fall.
Familiar names and faces were never far away throughout the three days of NALMS. Attendees included representatives of Findley Lake, The Jefferson Project, SUNY Oneonta, New York State’s Partnerships for Regional Invasive Species Management (PRISM), Solitude Lake Management, Princeton Hydro, CLA, the Chautauqua Watershed Conservancy, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, and more. Thanks to all those who helped to make this year’s NALMS event a success. A full program of events can be found at www.nalms.org/nalms2023/program/, including abstracts from presenters.
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