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Home My WebLink About04-16-2018 WRC Final MinutesTOMPKINS COUNTY WATER RESOURCES COUNCIL Monday, April 16, 2018 TCAT Main Conference Room Final Minutes Attendance Member Seat Member Seat Sharon Anderson P Cooperative Extension Jon Negley E Soil & Water Cons. District John Andersson P At-Large Frank Proto P At-Large Fay Benson E Agriculture Marjory Rinaldo- Lee P Environment Chris Bordlemay Padilla E Water Purveyor Linda Wagenet P At-Large Cynthia Brock E Recreation Liz Cameron E Co. Environmental Health Bill George P Associate Member Amanda Champion P County Government Roxy Johnston P Associate Member George Fowler P At-Large Jose Lozano P Associate Member Barry Goodrich E Watershed Organization Darren MacDougall A Associate Member Ed Gottlieb P At-Large John Mawdsley A Associate Member Michelle Henry P EMC Representative Todd Miller P Associate Member Kristen Hychka P Municipal Government Steve Penningroth E Associate Member Emelia “Mia” Jumbo E At-Large Elaine Quaroni P Associate Member Joan Jurkowich P Co. Planning Dept. Joanne Trutko P Associate Member Darby Kiley P Municipal Government Tom Vawter E Associate Member Lynn Leopold E Municipal Government Kristin McCarthy P County Staff A quorum was present. Guests: Shannan Sweet, Cornell University Call to Order – Chair Darby Kiley called the meeting to order at 4:20 pm. Privilege of the Floor – None Agenda Review/Changes – None Approval of March 2018 Minutes – A motion by Frank Proto, seconded by John Andersson, to approve the March 19, 2018, minutes was passed by the members present. George Fowler abstained. Anatomy of the 2016 Drought in NYS: Implications for agriculture and water resources – Shannan Sweet, Cornell University, NatureNet Science Postdoctoral Fellow Postdoctoral fellow Shannan Sweet gave a presentation on her work examining the long-term effects on agriculture and water resources from the 2016 drought in New York State. Shannan works in the NatureNet program under soil ecologist David Wolfe at Cornell. The study took a three-pronged perspective: historical data, surveys and interviews with farmers, and agricultural crop irrigation modeling. Low snowpack and low streamflow led to drought. Below are highlights from Shannon’s talk: • Historically speaking, the 2016 drought was considered severe, at least in Western New York. • 50% of surveyed farmers said they had lost more than 50% of their rain-fed crops and over half lost less than 10% of their irrigated crops (latter is an average percentage in any year) • 81% rated the drought’s economic impact as severe • When asked what they would do differently if scientists could predict drought, 22% of farmers surveyed said they’d expand irrigation capacity, 5% said increase crop diversity, and another 5% said diversify planting dates. • In follow-up interviews, farmers reported taking the following measures to adjust to drought conditions: o 16% bought irrigation equipment o 18% abandoned crops or fields o 16% invested in water supply o 7% created makeshift watering system o 7% changed irrigation management o 12% mulched crops o 14% other measures • Summers in New York State are predicted to get warmer, drier, and longer in coming decades. Longer frost-free seasons and hotter summers mean increased crop water needs. Summer rainfall deficit will grow in many parts of the state. • Climate change will lead to more variability and uncertainty in the water supply; increased water resource competition and water use; and farmer adaptation, including increased irrigation infrastructure. • Given the economic necessity for irrigation to maintain crop yields in New York (even in “normal” years), resource managers need to plan for climate uncertainty and increased irrigation water use. Farmers in New York State can no longer rely on historical climate data to know what to plant and when. • Farmers want better forecasting. Scientists at Cornell put out a “Drought Forecast” newsletter. • Farmers in New York State are fairly progressive about taking measures to safeguard soil health, such as planting cover crops. Educational outreach work by Cooperative Extension has had a positive effect. Dave Wolfe is developing a Soil Health Road Map for New York State. Form ad hoc committee to review NYS DEC Proposed Permit for Discharges of Winery, Brewery, and Hard Cidery Wastewater to Groundwater – Darby Kiley • Darby asked if members wanted to form an ad hoc committee to review a seven-page Advanced Notice of Proposed Permit regarding the potential issuance of a SPDES general permit for wastewater discharges to groundwater from licensed wineries, breweries, and hard cideries. • Ed Gottlieb, John Andersson, and Liz Cameron agreed to work on it. They will have comments ready by May 14th to include in the WRC agenda packet. NYSDEC will accept comments until May 31st. Committee Reports Water Withdrawals – Roxy Johnston • Committee’s purpose needs to be defined more clearly. Plan to research which areas in Tompkins County withdraw the most water. • Roxy Johnston is tracking down drinking water facilities to see what they withdrawal. • Members will ask Jon Negley about reporting for large agricultural farms. • John Andersson suggested golf courses as a possible data source for this topic. • Shannan Sweet mentioned the universities as other water withdrawal sources. Water Quality Strategy – Joan Jurkowich and Frank Proto • No report. Committee will meet in the next couple of months. Watershed Rules & Regulations – Roxy Johnston • No report. Committee on hold. Monitoring Partnership – Roxy Johnston • Committee is reviewing Dave Boudin’s data, in particular his findings regarding a lack of change in loading in Fall Creek and in phosphorous levels in Cayuga Lake. Members want to safeguard his 50 years’ worth of data so that it can be incorporated into future water management decision-making. • The Cayuga Lake HABs Steering Committee met in Auburn – the same NYSDEC staff members are working on both HABs and the TMDL. They say the two plans will complement each other. The HABs action plan is scheduled for release in May and the TMDL after that. No concrete time frame has been given for latter. • Cayuga Lake’s nutrient inputs are by and large nonpoint sources. • Members discussed legacy phosphorous. • Per Darby’s request for experts to contact, Shannan Sweet suggested talking to Nelson Hairston and Todd Walter at Cornell for information on nitrogen and phosphorous in relation to HABs. Soil Health – Fay Benson • No report Emerging Contaminants – George Fowler • Revisited their work plan and broke it down into smaller segments. • Refined their definition of “emerging contaminant.” HABs doesn’t fit under “emerging contaminants” but committee want to make sure another WRC committee is tracking that situation. • Jose Lozano updated group on his monitoring partnership with USGS, City of Ithaca Wastewater Treatment Plant, and Ithaca College and Cornell University. • Ed Gottlieb presented a recent state-level bill on providing retainers at pharmacies for people to drop off unused medications. • Committee will meet again in a month. Grants – Frank Proto • No requests for funding have been received. Education and Outreach – Todd Miller • Committee still gathering information for map side of the brochure – e.g. where to find facilities, equipment, docks. • Michelle Henry is researching and collecting relevant GPS data. • Clean boating information will take up on the other side of the brochure. • Publication date is still unknown. They are aiming for end of the summer, but that could be too optimistic. • Kristin McCarthy brought in the rest of the WRC paddling brochures for Committee to distribute throughout the community. Workshop to Protect Water Resources – Kristen Hychka • Committee is partnering with Angel Hinickle and others at the Soil and Water Conservation District. • Workshop will be held in the fall. • Angel would like to see demonstration sites incorporated into the workshop. • Scott Doyle has been contact with Jeff Smith and Rebecca Schneider from the County Department of Public Works regarding construction happening on Duboise Road. Darby suggested committee reach out to Scott in case that is a good possible demonstration site. Chair Report – Darby Kiley Everybody thanked Darby for her service to the Council. Staff Report – Joan Jurkowich Committees should start thinking about budget requests for the next fiscal year. Member Announcements • The Cayuga Lake Watershed Intermunicipal Organization is hosting a Watershed Summit on Thursday, April 19th, in Seneca Falls. Call the Town of Ithaca to register. • Tompkins County Health Department will host the municipal drinking water taste test again at Streets Alive on Sunday, April 29th. Adjournment Chair Darby Kiley adjourned the meeting at 5:35 pm. These draft minutes will be formally considered by the WRC at its next monthly meeting, and corrections or notations will be incorporated at that time. Prepared by Kristin McCarthy, Tompkins County Planning and Sustainability Department. Approved by Water Resources Council: May 21, 2018.