HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025-04-08-CAC-minutesMeeting notes for the April 8th 2025 meeting with Community Science Institute’s Grascen
Shidemantle, the CAC and members of the public.
For the April 2025 meeting we invited Grascen Shidemantle, executive director of the
Community Science Institute to give us a presentation on what CSI does. Her slide set is
here: https://danby.ny.gov/april-8th-presentation-on-water-health-danby-headwaters-
water-testing-more-with-csi/
The meeting was attended by Joel G, Jonathan Z, Leslie Connors, Anne K, and 3 members
of the public. (Don S and Margaret C excused. Renee O and Britney B absent)
Grascen told us briefly about the community science that CSI does throughout the Cayuga
Basin. This includes Bio-monitoring, synoptic water monitoring, Red Flag monitoring
(ended 2024), HABS monitoring, as well as their educational and community outreach
projects. She described the collaboration with Trout Unlimited in 2024 and 2025 that
involves volunteer monitoring of water quality on the Catatonk tributary of Owego
watershed. 15 trained volunteers will do 3 monitoring events per year (spring summer fall)
at two sites on each of 4 streams in Danby; Michigan, Danby, Sulphur Springs, and
Wilseyville Creeks. This assessment will allow Trout Unlimited to decide if they can
remediate and restock native trout into this part of the watershed, as it has been cut off
from the lower reaches of the Owego by the dam in Owego for many years.
A volunteer training was held on April 12th and the first monitoring event successfully
occurred on April 27. Future monitoring will be in July and October 2025 and 3 more in
2026.
Information about this project can be found on the CSI website here:
https://communityscience.org/monitoring-partnerships/owego-creek-monitoring-project/
And data is being uploaded here:
https://www.database.communityscience.org/events/3268
Submitted by Anne Klingensmith