HomeMy WebLinkAboutCB Packet 2024-03-07
DEPARTMENT OF PLANNING
215 N. Tioga St 14850
607.273.1747
www.town.ithaca.ny.us
TO: CONSERVATION BOARD MEMBERS
FROM: MICHAEL SMITH, SENIOR PLANNER
DATE: FEBRUARY 29, 2024
SUBJECT: UPCOMING CONSERVATION BOARD MEETING – MARCH 7, 2024
This is to confirm that the next meeting of the Conservation Board (CB) is Thursday,
March 7th at 5:30 p.m. The agenda for this meeting is enclosed (see the back of this
memo).
The draft minutes from the January 4th and February 1st meetings are attached. Please
email me any spelling, grammatical, or other minor edits you have prior to the meeting.
At this meeting we will have Katie Borgella (Tompkins County Department of Planning
and Sustainability) and Andy Zepp (Finger Lakes Land Trust) join us to discuss the
upcoming NYS Open Space Conservation Plan update (https://dec.ny.gov/nature/open-
space).
The CB will also need to review the nominations received for the 2023 Richard B.
Fischer Environmental Conservation Award and select a winner. The nomination
material for the three nominations are attached. For those not familiar with the award,
additional information about the award, criteria, and previous winners can be found on
the Towns website at: http://www.town.ithaca.ny.us/richard-fischer-award.
We will also continue the conversation regarding the CB assisting with deer browse
monitoring (https://aviddeer.com/) as part of the Town’s Deer Management Program
and the conversation on indigenous environmental justice with Mike R.
Eva is signed up to take minutes at the March meeting.
If you have any questions prior to the meeting or are not able to attend, please contact
me at msmith@town.ithaca.ny.us or 607-273-1747.
Conservation Board Members and Associates (*)
Lori Brewer (Chair), Frank Cantone (Vice-Chair), Lindsay Dombroskie*,
James Hamilton, Eva Hoffmann, Michael Roberts, Ingrid Zabel
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TOWN OF ITHACA
CONSERVATION BOARD
5:30 p.m., Thursday, March 7, 2024
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Aurora Conference Room
215 N. Tioga Street
Ithaca, New York 14850
(The rear entrance is handicapped accessible)
(607) 273-1747
Members of the public are welcome to attend in-person at Town Hall
or virtually via Zoom (https://zoom.us/j/6750593272).
AGENDA
1. Discussion of upcoming NYS Open Space Conservation Plan Update (5:30 pm)
- Katie Borgella, Tompkins County Department of Planning and Sustainability
- Andy Zepp, Finger Lakes Land Trust
2. Persons to be heard
3. Members comments / concerns
4. Environmental Review Committee Update (Lori)
5. Chair and Coordinator reports
6. Approval of minutes from January 4, 2024 and February 1, 2024
7. Discussion of the 2023 Richard B. Fischer Environmental Conservation Award nominations
and selection of a winner
8. Town’s Deer Management Program – continue browse monitoring discussion
9. Continue discussion of Indigenous Environmental Justice (Mike)
10. Regular reports and updates (6:30 pm)
a. Scenic Resources Committee (Eva)
b. Communications Committee (James)
c. Tompkins County EMC (Ingrid)
d. Six Mile Creek Volunteer Monitoring Program (James)
e. Cornell Botanic Gardens Natural Areas Program (James)
11. Other Business (6:50 p.m.)
12. Review 2024 Work Goals / Discuss March Agenda
13. Adjourn (7:00 p.m.)
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Town of Ithaca Conservation Board (CB) Meeting
January 4, 2024, 5:30pm
(In Person at Town Hall and via Zoom Video Conference)
Draft Minutes
Members present: Lori Brewer (Chair), Frank Cantone (Vice-Chair), James Hamilton,
Ingrid Zabel. Quorum was not established.
Staff present: Michael Smith (Senior Planner)
1. Persons to be heard: None
2. Members comments/concerns: None
3. Environmental Review Committee Update: (Lori)
• Sub-division of 160 Seven Mile Drive. The owner wishes to divide their 52-acre
parcel into three parcels. The existing parcel contains some regulated streams.
Proposals include the construction of permanent residences, connected to
municipal water, sewer, and electric, logging, and the building of stream
crossings. This project is tentatively scheduled for the 6 February Planning Board
meeting.
• Cornell Meinig Fieldhouse, Indoor Sports and Recreation Facility, proposal. The
project would be located off Tower Road, with the majority of the project within the
City of Ithaca, as well as a portion within the Town. The City will take the lead on
the environmental review, whereas each municipality will conduct their own
building review. The project is tentatively scheduled for the 16 January Planning
Board meeting.
4. Chair & Coordinator Reports:
a. Chair Report: (Lori) contacted Katie Borgella of Tompkins County Planning and
Sustainability Department to come to our 7 March meeting to discuss the NYS
open space planning update.
b. Coordinator report: (Mike S)
• The Town re-authorized the deer management permit and submitted it to the
DEC.
• The DEC is seeking comments on a proposed rulemaking regarding new
freshwater wetland regulations. Among the major changes are a regulation of
smaller wetlands of “unusual importance” if they meet one of 11 newly
established statutory criteria, and the decrease in regulatory threshold from
12.4 to 7.4 acres, beginning in 2028.
5. Approval of minutes from June 2023 meeting: Tabled
6. Continued discussion of Indigenous Environmental Justice: (Mike R)
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Tabled since Mike Roberts was unable to attend the meeting, though Mike R is
working on examples of plant labels.
7. Continued discussion of deer browsing monitoring:
AVID (Assess Vegetation for Impacts from Deer) is a project that monitors and
evaluates the impact of deer browsing (https://aviddeer.com/). Lori inquired of
Kristie Sullivan about conducting a hands-on workshop that we can co-sponsor and
invite the public. It is difficult to identify areas that have not already had an impact
on native plants. Consequently, how would we assess deer damage on impacted
areas? Could we engage with other conservation boards? How would we recruit an
audience? The Board would work with Ms. Sullivan to identify appropriate locations
for monitoring, though such locations may not necessarily align with areas included
in our culling program. James suggested other monitoring strategies such as dung
collection to estimate deer abundance. James posted photos on Facebook of dung
harvest from his backyard. James referenced an article in the British Ecological
Society’s Journal of Applied Ecology, “Estimating deer abundance from line transect
surveys of dung: sika deer in southern Scotland”
(https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1046/j.1365-
2664.2001.00584.x). James is commencing a twice monthly dung assessment,
though not necessarily posting regularly on Facebook. Trying to balance the
awareness of deer impacts as a way to support deer management.
8. Discussion of Work Goals 2024:
• Conduct and improve environmental review process, site visits - Lori
• Promote awareness and importance of scenic resources, update scenic views
map, signage on Cornell land at corner of Snyder Hill and Pine Tree roads - Eva
• Communications via traditional and social media, solicit input and foster public
participation in resource and environmental conservation, outreach events (e.g.,
pollinator gardens) - Ingrid
• Fischer award, earth day, invasive species week, update Conservation Board
brochure - James
• Recruitment and public engagement (i.e., host public events) - Lori
• Tutelo Park improvements, installation of plant labels - Mike R
• Quarterly and year-end review of goals and accomplishments - Frank
9. Committee Reports:
a. Scenic Resources: (Eva). No report at this time.
b. Communications Committee: (James)
James was locked out of Facebook again and is hoping that Ingrid will take over
as chair.
c. EMC: (Ingrid)
Update on natural areas. Presentation on the Tompkins Pollinator Pathway
(https://blogs.cornell.edu/tompkinspollinatorpathway/).
d. Six Mile Creek Volunteer Monitoring Program: (James)
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• Adrianna Hirtler and six volunteers started analyzing a September sample from
the first decent riffle upstream of Brooktondale in Six Mile Creek. So far they’ve
identified over 400 organisms, with 23 different families in that fraction. Finding
over 13 families often proves a stream healthy, though other metrics need to be
applied.
• Open lab nights at Community Science Institute have been moved from
Thursday to Wednesday evenings, 6-9 pm at CSI’s Langmuir Lab Suite 283. I
got a precision rain gauge through a CSI grant program and have been
reporting daily precipitation to the Community Collaborative rain, Hail and Snow
Network since 12/11/23.
e. Cornell Botanic Gardens Natural Areas Program: (James)
Volunteers weeded woody invasives from south bank of Beebe Lake below
Toboggan Lodge, and from south bank of Fall Creek gorge below Fiji and Chi Psi:
jetbead (Rhodotypos scandens) and wineberry (Rubus phoenicolasius) were thick
there, with the usual honeysuckle, bittersweet, buckthorn, privet, and multiflora
rose.
9. Other Business:
Mike S to distribute the press release requesting nominations for the Fischer Award.
10. February Agenda:
• Deer management
• Environmental Justice
• Wetlands
11. Adjourn: 6:46pm
Minutes drafted by Frank A. Cantone.
1
Town of Ithaca Conservation Board (CB) Meeting
February 1, 2024 5:30 pm
(In-Person at Town Hall and via Zoom Video Conference)
Draft Minutes
Members Present: Lori Brewer, Frank Cantone (via Zoom), Lindsay Dombroskie (via Zoom), James
Hamilton, Eva Hoffmann, Mike Roberts, Ingrid Zabel
Staff Present: Michael Smith, Senior Planner
Guest: Yayoi Koizumi, Zero Waste Ithaca
1. Persons to be heard: Yayoi Koizumi, the founder of Zero Waste Ithaca, wanted us to help oppose
Cornell’s plan to install artificial turf on an outdoor field hockey field and in an Indoor Sports and
Recreation Center between Bartels Hall and Tower Road. She said this plan not only contradicts the
wishes of 85% of Ithacans responding to an Ithaca Times poll in May 2023, but also raises significant
environmental and health concerns. When Ithaca College installed artificial turf recently, they faced a
backlash from students who noted the toxic and polluting nature of synthetic turf. Its contribution to
micro-plastic pollution is comparable to that of car tires, and poses risks to our environment and to
public health. There are higher injury rates to athletes playing on synthetic turf; the NFL Players
Association is opposed to it. Even the fossil fuels used to produce it are polluting, and their use is in
conflict with Cornell’s commitment to sustainability. New York State’s recent carpet recycling law
A9279A that passed both Senate and Assembly last year prohibits the sale of carpets, including
artificial turf, containing PFAS. NYS Senate Bill S7239 calls for a moratorium on installing artificial turf.
Yayoi urged us to oppose Cornell’s plans to install plastic turf that not only goes against our
environmental conservation values, but against Cornell’s pledges to promote sustainability. Yayoi
provided a handout from Beyond Plastics (www.BeyondPlastics.org) explaining “Synthetic Turf is
HAZARDOUS,” and linking to more information at www.safehealthyplayingfields.org. Lori noted that
our Environmental Review Committee agreed with her, and had recently submitted a letter objecting
to the environmental risks of plastic turf in Cornell’s proposed athletics facility project. The Planning
Board has been advised of our opposition. The state regulations on artificial turf have not been
passed, however, and are still in committee. Mike R asked if worn out fake turf can be recycled. Yayoi
said a Pennsylvania documentary showed one instance in which old astroturf that was supposed to be
recycled, but simply got disposed of somewhere else. Lori noted that there is yet no Town regulation
to back up our advice. Eva wanted us to resolve that the Town regulate a ban on artificial turf sports
fields. As there will be a public comment period on an environmental review of Cornell’s construction
project, we assured Yayoi that the CB would try to help oppose plastic turf, even though the sports
fields in this project are located in the City, and only a portion of the proposed field house in the
Town. The importance of Town/City cooperation made us wonder if we should advise the City to be
equally opposed to plastic playing fields; we hope that a full environmental review will show the many
problems with plastic grass.
2. Member comments/concerns: James wanted the agenda corrected to reflect Ingrid’s now
chairing the Communications Committee. Ingrid heard from Brandon Hoak of Pollinator Pathways,
who wanted to know if the Town of Ithaca had any pollinator gardens in its parks or preserves. No
one knew of any. Frank asked how we would resolve to regulate a code banning artificial turf on
sports fields if we were to do so. As an advisory board, we’d have to advise the Town Board of the
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importance of doing so. Mike S noted we’d need to refer to credible findings in environmental
science to support this advice. Yayoi says some California towns have banned plastic turf, as has the
City of Boston.
3. Environmental Review Committee Update: Lori noted that the ERC’s letter opposing plastic turf
had been recently sent to the Planning Board, with CB’s objections to plastic playing fields made
clear.
4. Chair and Coordinator reports: Lori had no further report. Mike is getting the Deer Management
shooting over bait program ready (starts February 1st), with some changes over previous season’s
bait stations. He reported two farmers applied to have agricultural easements for conservation on
their property. Soon the Town will move its website and emails to a new dot.gov address.
5. The December 7, 2023 minutes were approved (Ingrid moved; Mike R. Seconded), with minor
corrections. We don’t have a draft of the January 2, 2024 minutes yet.
6. Members discussed the invitation for public comments regarding new NYS freshwater wetland
regulations. Mike S, Lori, and Lindsay had attended the DEC’s webinar about the proposed changes.
All of us found them extremely technical and hard to follow, though the general idea of regulating
smaller wetlands has our approval. Mike S summarized the change as extending controls for wetlands
from the current 12.4 acres down to smaller ones of at least 7.4 acres. When a wetland is found to be
of special local significance, for instance as habitat for rare species, even smaller wetlands could be
protected. There will also be a change from paper maps to Geographic Information System (GIS)
mapping technology. Lindsay wondered if local laws could be established to elevate tiny crucial
wetlands to special protected status. Mike S noted that Coy Glen is the Town’s only official Critical
Environmental Area so far, though Tompkins County GIS maps have a lot of fine details such as Unique
Natural Areas and wetland and stream maps. None of the CB members felt competent to answer the
particular questions posed in the NYS DEC Advanced Notice of Proposed Rule Making, due February
17, 2024, but we’re glad to see the rules getting closer to the fine details of freshwater wetland
ecology.
7. Monitoring Browse for the Town’s Deer Management Program: Lori found that Kristi Sullivan
could lead a workshop on AVID (Assessing Vegetation Impacts from Deer), if we could find 15 CB
members and/or volunteers willing to monitor 6 plots with 5 to 6 woody species of native saplings on
them. We should set up such sites in late May when their leaves would help identify the plants that
deer had not yet killed by over-browsing. James thought it might be hard to find such sites, as every
place he’d been in Ithaca’s natural areas had their young native saplings eaten, leaving mostly
invasives. We hope Ms. Sullivan can find sites suitable for the AVID deer management protocol.
8. Mike R reported he’d be meeting Steve Henhawk next week. He expects to get a list of plants and
their Gayogo̱hó꞉nǫʼ names for a guided plant walk at Tutelo Park. He hopes that the Town’s paying
Henhawk $1000 for 20 hours of his consulting work will result in a project they can install in Tutelo
Park this year.
9. Regular reports and updates:
a) Scenic Resources Committee is still waiting for Cornell permission to install a view sign at the Pine
Tree/Snyder Hill Roads intersection. Eva noted we’ve been waiting since May 18, 2022 for Cornell’s
3
Real Estate and lawyers to give us a license to plant the 3rd interpretive sign there. We don’t want to
fabricate a sign or pay for its professional design until we’re sure Cornell will allow it on its property
there.
b) Communications Committee: Ingrid, Lindsay and James met 1/13/24 to discuss its work plans.
They’ll ask Mike S to print a new draft of the CB brochure with some revised work priorities and
photos. Ingrid will email everyone a more detailed update.
c) Tompkins County’s EMC wants to have an outdoor meeting at Stewart Park in May, to which all the
County’s conservation boards or councils will be invited. The chair of the EMC is considering the
formulation of a source water protection plan.
d) Six Mile Creek Volunteers at CSI’s Langmuir Lab have analyzed two new BMI samples upstream
and downstream of Brooktondale, finding some interesting new results. All samples analyzed so far
show 6MC is healthy, though in some riffles it varies moderately from the DEC model BMI community.
Only one summer sample, preserved in alcohol, is yet to be analyzed. A summer synoptic water
sample of Six Mile taken 8/16/23 has been entered on CSI’s database: it shows elevated E. coli,
turbidity, phosphorus, suspended solids and conductivity similar to a stormwater event even though
the creek flow was not very high. Previous dry weather interrupted by a half-inch rainfall the day
before sampling suggests this sample found the creek between base-flow and stormwater, though
making a new in-between category for such a flow would probably make the database too
complicated. 6MC water monitors will meet at Langmuir, with a Zoom connection option, at noon,
Friday Feb 9th to arrange sample times for 2024. Volunteers will meet at James’s house Feb 3 to
analyze the last 2023 preserved summer sample from 600 Rd riffle in Slaterville Springs.
e) Cornell Botanic Gardens Natural Area Program volunteers meet less often in this off- season, and
one scheduled job was cancelled by rain, but they did meet once to again weed woody invasives
from a Groton fen, where a rare American globeflower needs more space and less shade to thrive.
10. Other Business: Ingrid wondered if CSI’s lab examined monitored water for microplastics.
None of the regular parameters measured in chemical water sampling includes such analyses,
though Yayoi believes microplastics have been found in Cayuga Lake.
11. For March, we’ll have Katie Borgella and Andy Zepp, Regional Advisory Committee Members,
visiting to discuss New York State’s new Open Space Conservation Plans. We’ll choose a 2023 Fischer
Award winner from nominees received by the February 28, 2024 deadline.
12. We adjourned at 7:03 PM.
Meeting minutes submitted by James Hamilton.
1
MikeSmith
From:GrascenShidemantle<gshidemantle@communityscience.org>Sent:Tuesday,February27,20244:21PMTo:ConservationBoard
Subject:RichardFischerConservationAwardNominationforAdriannaHirtlerAttachments:RichardFischerConservationAwardNomination.pdf;Richard-Fischer-Award-Nomination-AdriannaHirtler2024.pdf;Final-2022-Water-Bulletin.pdf
**WARNING**Thisemailcomesfromanoutsidesource.Pleaseverifythefromaddress,anyURL
links,and/orattachments.AnyquestionspleasecontacttheITdepartment
DearTownofIthacaConservationBoard,
PleaseacceptthisemailasCommunityScienceInstitute'sofficialnominationofAdriannaHirtlerforthe
RichardFischerConservationAward.Ihaveattachedthenominationformaswellasthreeadditional
attachmentstothisemail.OneofthoseattachmentsisaPDFwiththeformresponsesasthefirsttwo
answersappearquitesmallontheform.PleasenotethattheMonitoringSitesmapisattachedasa
GoogleDrivelinkasitwastoolargetoattachtothisemail.
ThankyouinadvanceforyourconsiderationandforprovidingthisopportunitytorecognizeAdrianna's
manyyearsofservicetotheTownofIthacaandtheCayugaLakewatershed.Ifyouhaveanyquestionsor
hesitationsregardingournomination,pleasefeelfreetocontactmedirectly.
CSIMonitoringSitesMap.jpg
Thelink edimagecannotbedisplayed.Thefilemay havebeenmoved,renamed,or deleted.
Verifythatthelinkpointstothe correctfile andlocation.
Kindregards,
GrascenShidemantle,Ph.D.
(she/her/hers)
Executive Director
Community Science Institute
gshidemantle@communityscience.org
607-257-6606
Richard Fischer Award Nomination Form
Background:
The Richard Fischer award is presented annually to those who help improve the Town of Ithaca’s
natural environment. Richard B. Fischer spent decades advocating for the conservation of the
natural environment. He worked to conserve habitats for the State Bird of New York (Eastern
Bluebird), he led a campaign which successfully gained State legislation mandating bottle return
deposits, he taught at Cornell University and wrote hundreds of articles for both scientific and
popular publications. The award is presented to people or organizations in the Town of Ithaca
community who carry on his legacy through similar environmental action. More about Dr.
Fischer can be found in his obituary at https://news.cornell.edu/stories/2005/08/conservationist-
and-educator-richard-b-fischer-dead-86.
Submission Details:
The nomination deadline for each award is February 28
th of the following year. We invite
supplemental materials, such as news articles, photos etc. to be submitted along with the form.
Each March, the Conservation Board will review nominations and select awardees based on the
following criteria:
o The nature of the project, be it physical, educational or research based.
o The size, scope, location and ultimate potential of the project.
o Cost-effectiveness.
o Applicability of the project, whether it is reproducible or meant for widespread use.
o Level of public awareness or visibility of the project.
o Impact on the Town of Ithaca and its public image.
o The type of benefit produced (preservation, restoration, creation, protection, etc.)
o Potential negative outcomes offsetting benefits.
The final decision will be made during the March Conservation Board meeting. Please fill out
and return the form on the subsequent pages to be considered. The form can be filled out
electronically or printed and the return email and address are listed at the bottom of the form.
Nominator Contact:
Name: ________________ E-mail: __________________ Phone Number: _________________
Nominee Contact:
Name/Group: __________________________________ E-mail: _________________________
Phone Number: _________________ Address: _______________________________________
Website: _________________________ Group Leader: ________________________________
Size, scope, and location:What size area and/or audience? What ultimate potential scope? Is the
area affected fully or partially in the Town? Does it aim to provide Town-wide benefits, or
focused more specifically?
Summary of project/action prompting nomination:
Grascen Shidemantle gshidemantle@communityscience.org 607-257-6606
Adrianna Hirtler adrianna@communityscience.org
607-257-6606 319 Center Street Ithaca, NY 14850
http://www.communityscience.org/biological-monitoring-2/
It is my pleasure to nominate Adrianna Hirtler for the Town of Ithaca’s Richard Fischer Award on behalf of Community Science Institute (CSI). Adrianna possesses a unique combination of being a curious
naturalist, disciplined scientist, and public educator making her well-suited for this award. CSI’s board of directors voted unanimously to nominate Adrianna to recognize her many years of leadership in CSI’s
biomonitoring program and vital contributions to our Cayuga Lake Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) monitoring program and 4-H2O youth education program, all of which serve residents of the Town of Ithaca and
surrounding Cayuga Lake watershed.
Adrianna has served as CSI’s biomonitoring coordinator since 2011. In this role she leads volunteers in the collection and analysis of benthic macroinvertebrate (BMI, aquatic insects and other stream-dwelling
organisms) samples from local streams in an effort to understand the ecological health of these waterbodies. Adrianna is largely responsible for designing the program and making it into the success that it is
today. In this program, Adrianna provides an opportunity for volunteers to get outside and become acquainted with the incredible aquatic biodiversity living in our streams. She leads volunteers through sample
collection using a kick net and stream characterization using accessible field worksheets. One of the strengths of this program is that Adrianna not only helps volunteers collect samples, but she also facilitates
volunteer participation in sample analysis. In the winter, Adrianna holds BMI Open Lab Nights where volunteers sort through the samples collected in the summer to identify the organisms that are present.
Various metrics are applied to BMI organism counts which are used to characterize the stream segment as having “no impact”, “slight impact,” “moderate impact,” or “severe impact” – corresponding to water
quality categories developed by the NYSDEC. The data collected by CSI volunteers under Adrianna’s leadership are posted on CSI’s database at this link: http://www.communityscience.org/bmi-results/. You
can read more about the biomonitoring program by visiting this link: http://www.communityscience.org/biological-monitoring-2/.
As CSI’s resident biologist, Adrianna has also played a pivotal role in the development and implementation of CSI’s Cayuga Lake HAB monitoring program. When HABs began appearing on Cayuga Lake in
unprecedented numbers in 2018, Adrianna and the rest of CSI’s team leapt into action to create a coordinated monitoring effort around the lake. Adrianna serves two major roles in our HABs program. First,
she examines every HAB sample that passes through CSI’s laboratory doors under a microscope to determine the genera of cyanobacteria present in the bloom samples. This work has revealed important
information about the seasonality of cyanobacteria in blooms throughout Cayuga Lake. Second, Adrianna led the Cayuga Lake Plankton Project (2019-2023) in which she collected samples of plankton and
cyanobacteria from around Cayuga Lake to characterize the communities of planktonic life around the lake. This project allowed us to understand cyanobacteria diversity and abundance under non-bloom
conditions on Cayuga Lake. In 2022 and 2023, Adrianna also investigated reports of strange clumps of floating cyanobacteria that appeared on Cayuga Lake and Cayuga Inlet. She presented this work at the
2024 Finger Lakes Research Conference. You can access her presentation at this link:
http://www.communityscience.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/2024-FLRC-Poster_BenthicCyanos_FINALsmallerfile.pdf.
In addition to her official role as biomonitoring coordinator, Adrianna also co-leads CSI’s 4-H2O youth education program. This is one of the only free summer youth education programs in Tompkins County.
Through our 4-H2O program for kids and their families, CSI aims to foster and support the next generation of scientists and environmental stewards through hands-on water science and engaging activities
that allow children to “dip their toes” into the world of water. In 2022, Adrianna conceptualized the Journey of Water series for our 4-H2O program. This series of events provides children and their families with
hands-on water science education, covering topics such as the water cycle, basic water chemistry, BMI water quality monitoring, and more. The events in this series also provide a unique opportunity for kids
to connect to the journey of water right here in the Cayuga Lake watershed, from streams like Six Mile Creek, to the faucet in their homes, and eventually to Cayuga Lake. Adrianna’s Journey of Water concept
was so successful that it continued in 2023 and is slated to continue in 2024 and 2025. She has designed a number of outreach materials to complement the program including the Journey of Water Passport,
the Cyanobacteria of Cayuga Lake Guide, and field notebooks for water quality cruises. You can read more about the 4-H2O program by visiting this link: http://www.communityscience.org/4h2o/.
Adrianna’s pursuit of the protection of our natural world and community engagement is not limited to her work at Community Science Institute. She regularly leads informative walking tours of Ithaca including
creek walks along Six Mile Creek. Adrianna also serves on the steering committee of the Finger Lakes Native Plant Society. In this role, she designed a beautiful pictorial key titled “Goldenrods of the Finger
Lakes”, a user-friendly identification tool for local goldenrods (https://flnps.org/sites/default/files/newsletters/Solidago%2019(3)%20September%202018%20final%20color%20to%20post_Redacted.pdf see
page 16). Finally, Adrianna serves as an advisory board member for the Gayogo̱hó:nǫˀ Learning Project.
Adrianna’s work as CSI’s biomonitoring coordinator has an impact in the Town of Ithaca and throughout the Cayuga Lake watershed. She currently oversees BMI sampling at nine monitoring locations in the Town of Ithaca on
streams such as Fall Creek, Six Mile Creek, Cascadilla Creek, and Buttermilk Creek. In the entire Cayuga Lake watershed, Adrianna oversees over 50 active biomonitoring sites (see yellow circles on attached map). Her work not
only benefits the Town of Ithaca, but the entire Cayuga Lake watershed as well. In addition to leading the data collection, she provides a unique educational experience to the roughly 50 volunteers who participate in biomonitoring
each year. Volunteers had this to say when asked about Adrianna’s impact through the biomonitoring program:
David Weinstein: “She has done a terrific job in organizing the whole BMI sampling strategy and implementation, and has made it easy for us to help participate in this program to identify the conditions of our streams. She has a deep
interest in researching the stream biology, making the laborious task of identifying and sorting through the wide array of critters that we haul up in our nets into a great fun and learning experience.”
Lucy Gagliardo: “Before joining this CSI program I knew little about the freshwater BMI. Now I am always curious to see what I will find in the creeks.”
Paul Allderige: “I will say that at bug lab her cheerful enthusiasm, positive encouragement and friendly instruction make lab nights fun, enjoyable, educational, and very worthwhile for me as someone with no background in science. I
probably wouldn't have started coming to lab nights if not for her good work and good cheer.”
River Santina: “She gives 100% of her energy, has countless ideas and a willingness to seriously listen and discuss the ideas of others, patience with all age groups, and always a gracious smile throughout.”
Adrianna’s work for CSI’s 4-H2O program also has a tremendous impact on our future water stewards. Adrianna is incredibly skilled at working with young people. She embraces their curiosity and never talks down to them, instead
treating them as equal collaborators in their shared pursuit of scientific knowledge. In 2023 alone, Adrianna was able to reach over 120 kids and over 90 adults through the 4-H2O program. In 4-H2O, Adrianna leads Biomonitoring
Fun! picnics and assists with tours of the Ithaca Area Wastewater Treatment Facility and Bolton Point Drinking Water Facility. CSI volunteer, Diane Chu, had this to say about Adrianna’s work in the 4-H2O program: “Adrianna has
been especially good with the youngest naturalists (i.e. children), including them in collection forays to local streams and welcoming them to sort and identify the creatures at the lab.” Another CSI volunteer, Marie Eckhardt, who
works closely with Adrianna on phytoplankton identification shared, “Adrianna provides a pivotal role in increasing public awareness of what’s in the lake through her extension programs - especially to children who may never have
looked through a microscope before. The magic of seeing a rotifer scoot across a microscope slide, or seeing a star-like bright green diatom for the first time opens a whole new world to young eyes. Looking at a water sample under
the microscope is kin to birdwatching....you never know what you might see.”
Overall, Adrianna leads critical data collection that helps us understand the health of our waters in the Town of Ithaca and the surrounding Cayuga Lake watershed. Through this, she provides valuable education to watershed
residents that empowers them to protect our shared water resources. Finally, her thoughtful approach to youth education and infectious enthusiasm for our natural world prepares the next generation of water stewards to commit to
protecting the unique environment of the Cayuga Lake watershed.
Cost-effectiveness:Does it achieve much for little expense?
Applicability:Is this easily reproduced, or is it applicable for widespread use? Is this likely to
encourage other beneficial actions for the Town?
Awareness/Visibility:If a project is physical, how obvious/visible is it? If not, how has the
public been made aware?
The biomonitoring program that Adrianna has developed at CSI is incredibly cost-effective compared to other
water quality monitoring programs. It requires no expensive or specialized equipment beyond a simple dissecting
microscope. This contrasts with monitoring water chemistry which requires expensive testing equipment and
reagents. While water chemistry monitoring provides a snapshot of water quality during one moment in time,
biomonitoring for benthic macroinvertebrates gives an overall sense of water quality in a stream segment over
the preceding year or so as it takes time for the biological communities to respond to changes in water
chemistry. In one year, Adrianna, alongside the biomonitoring volunteers, is typically able to collect 20 samples
throughout the watershed. Because the monitoring is done largely by volunteers under Adrianna’s leadership,
the cost of the program is lower than if professionally trained scientists were to perform the work.
In addition, CSI’s 4-H2O youth education program, co-led by Adrianna, is incredibly cost effective to its
participants as all activities are offered free of charge thanks to a generous grant from the Park Foundation and
reduced rates for boat charters offered by Discover Cayuga Lake.
The entire body of Adrianna’s work would be difficult for another individual to independently reproduce. However, Adrianna has
provided volunteers with the tools and the confidence to sample benthic macroinvertebrates independently. For example, there is a
dedicated team of volunteers on Six Mile Creek who not only are skilled in independent sample collection but are also able to sort
and identify organisms on their own (under all the proper collection permits, of course). In this way Adrianna has empowered these
volunteers to take data collection into their own hands.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, Adrianna developed a Water Quality Report Card to keep folks engaged with CSI’s mission when
we could not be together. The Water Quality Report Card is an educational tool that guides kids and families through a self-led
exploration of the aquatic life found in streams and what different types of life indicate about water quality. The report card is a
wonderful tool for outdoor and at-home education, providing children and families with the opportunity to learn more about
environmental sciences. These guides are made free to our community.
Adrianna’s work is highly likely to encourage beneficial actions for the Town of Ithaca and the surrounding watershed by building
care and interest in our local streams. CSI volunteer, Marie Eckhardt shared “Adrianna’s enthusiasm and curiosity is contagious!”
That enthusiasm and curiosity are what we need to inspire the next generation to care for our unique local freshwater resources.
The public has been made aware of Adrianna’s work through various media including:
- CSI’s Annual Water Bulletin Newsletters: http://www.communityscience.org/outreach-and-education/newsletters-annual-reports/
- CSI’s Annual Reports which highlight yearly progress within the Biomonitoring Program, HABs Monitoring Program, and 4-H2O Program:
http://www.communityscience.org/annualreports/
- CSI’s social media (Facebook and Instagram): https://www.facebook.com/CommunityScience, https://www.instagram.com/communityscienceinstitute/?hl=en
- CSI’s monthly email updates which feature calls for volunteer opportunities and descriptions of the latest BMI and HABs results:
http://www.communityscience.org/outreach-and-education/csinews/
- Flyers for the 4-H2O Youth Education Program posted in local libraries, laundromats, and community centers. Adrianna designs these flyers each year.
- Ads for the 4-H2O Youth Education Program featured on the TCAT bus line.
- Presentations for research conferences, town board meetings, and local non-profits:
http://www.communityscience.org/outreach-and-education/public-event-presentations/. In 2024, Adrianna gave a poster presentation at the Finger Lakes
Research Conference on clumps of benthic cyanobacteria that are popping up in the Cayuga Lake watershed:
http://www.communityscience.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/2024-FLRC-Poster_BenthicCyanos_FINALsmallerfile.pdf
- Emails to local county health department officials confirming that a bloom received by CSI is a HAB.
- Reports to New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) when a HAB has been confirmed on Cayuga Lake.
- Emails to NYSDEC whenever a biomonitoring location is found to be “moderately impacted” or “severely impacted”.
Impact on the Town of Ithaca:Does the project enhance the Town's public image? Does it
present potential for Town government to take additional steps to benefit the environment?
Type of Benefit Produced:Preservation? Restoration? Removal/reduction of negative
conditions? Creation of habitat or visual enhancement? Education?
Negative Impacts: Could these have been foreseen and possibly avoided/reduced? Do they
outweigh the benefits?
Adrianna’s work enhances the Town of Ithaca’s public image by creating a community of scientifically
engaged water stewards and naturalists who are committed to protecting the Town’s (and the entire
Cayuga Lake watershed’s) shared water resources. Her work also presents potential for the Town
government to take additional steps to benefit the environment through her important work collecting
and analyzing water quality data. Thanks to Adrianna’s leadership of local volunteers, the Town of
Ithaca has access to 12 years of BMI data (http://www.communityscience.org/bmi-results/) on local
streams. The Town also has access to data on HAB cyanobacteria composition in the Town of Ithaca
(and other lakeshore municipalities) thanks to the tireless hours that Adrianna has spent examining
HABs under the microscope (http://www.database.communityscience.org/hab). The data from these
monitoring programs can be used for water resource management decisions and outreach and
education around important topics like HABs.
Adrianna’s work is directly centered on education. However, the work that she does to
educate community members of all ages aims to inspire others to preserve and care for
our local environment. CSI volunteer, David Weinstein, shared “The countless hours
she dedicates to helping us understand what is happening in our streams has helped
us all appreciate our natural world that much more. Obviously, her interests about the
natural world don’t stop at the streams, and she has been a resource for the rest of us
for many aspects about the environment in which we live. She has advanced the goal
of conserving precious resources of that environment an enormous amount.”
I could not identify any negative impacts of Adrianna’s work in our community.
Additional Items Attached:Alist naming each is fine. Ex: news articles, photos, web site etc.
To submit this form in writing, address it to the Town of Ithaca Conservation Board, 215 N.
Tioga Street, Ithaca, NY 14850. It can be mailed or dropped off in person. To submit
electronically, email to .
- 2022 Water Bulletin Article on Journey of Water (Page 11):
http://www.communityscience.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Final-2022-Water-Bullet
in.pdf
- CSI Volunteer Monitoring Sites in the Cayuga Lake Watershed: Yellow circles reflect
all biomonitoring sites overseen by Adrianna
- PDF of form responses for easy reading
2022 Edition
Inside this Edition
The Clean Water Act - 50 Year
Anniversary • page 1
CSI Staff Highlights: The Faces Behind the
Organization • page 4
The Not-So-Apparent Implications of
Drought • page 8
Journey of Water: Cultivating a Place-Based
Sense of the Water Cycle • page 11
How Does Weather Impact Harmful Algal
Blooms? • page 12
Community Science Institute • www.communityscience.org • (607) 257-6606 • info@communityscience.org
The Clean Water Act - 50 Year Anniversary
Ithaca Falls
Photo by Nathaniel Launer
The year 2022 was the 50th anniversary of the Federal Water
Pollution Control Act Amendments of 1972, more commonly known as the
Clean Water Act. After decades of limited and ineffective water quality
legislation, the Clean Water Act improved standards, regulation, and
enforcement of water protection.
A History of US Water Legislation
1899—The Refuse Act
This was the nation ’s rst water-related regulation and was intended only
to prevent dumping that would physically impede navigation.1 The Refuse
Act banned direct dumping of solid waste or refuse into navigable waters
or their tributaries but did not ban the dumping of liquid waste from
streets and sewers directly into waterways.
1948—The Federal Water Pollution Control Act (FWPCA)
This was the rst legislation directly aiming to address water quality. It
formed the basis of what would become the Clean Water Act. While the
1948 Act encouraged state action and interstate cooperation to tackle
water quality problems, its enforceability was severely limited because it
only governed interstate waters. Abatement actions could only be
authorized when pollution affected the health or … continued on page 2
Page 2
welfare of people outside the state where the pollution originated. Even in cases where abatement actions were
authorized, the state where the pollution originated could veto them.
1956-1961—Amendments to the FWPCA
These aimed to improve the enforceability of the act, including allowing
federal action on intrastate pollution. However, effective enforcement
mechanisms were still lacking.
1965-1970—Laws Expanding the Federal Government’s Reach
These broadened water quality standards to include chemical and
biological indicators rather than just risks to public health, and these
standards were expanded to address a broader range of pollutants.
Enforcement was expanded by instituting reporting requirements for
pollutant discharge and civil penalties for noncompliance. Despite this
expansion of the federal government’s regulatory reach, the enforcement
mechanisms were still unwieldy and largely ineffective.
1972— The Federal Water Pollution Control Act Amendments, or the Clean
Water Act
The Clean Water Act (CWA) expanded the scope of federal regulation of
surface waters and empowered states to enforce water quality standards
under the authority of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). It
established a basic regulatory structure for controlling pollutant
discharges, giving both the EPA and the states enforcement authority.
Furthermore, it provided funding for the construction of wastewater
treatment plants and encouraged programs for mitigating non-point source
pollution. While previous legislation governed only interstate waters, the
CWA expanded federal and state jurisdiction to cover all waters
considered waters of the United States (WOTUS). The exact denition of
WOTUS has been the subject of legal battles in recent years. The currently
accepted denition includes all interstate waters and wetlands, any
intrastate waters and wetlands the degradation of which could affect
interstate commerce, such as by inhibiting interstate tourism or shing, as
well as any tributaries of these waters. Each water body included in
WOTUS is dened by its designated uses, which describe how the water
body has been or is likely to be used (e.g. drinking water, shing, recreation,
etc.), which therefore determines what water quality standards are necessary to maintain those uses. A broad
denition of WOTUS signicantly increases the scope of surface waters and wetlands that are subject to
regulation by EPA and the states. One of the cornerstones of the CWA is the combined National Pollutant
Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) and State Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (SPDES), which govern
the issuance of permits for the discharge of pollutants.
Implementation of the CWA and Citizen Involvement
The CWA does not ban the discharge of pollutants into WOTUS entirely. Instead, it tracks point source
discharge of pollutants through permits issued through the NPDES or SPDES programs. All
point sources of pollution such as factories, boats, landll leachate systems, concentrated … continued on page 3
The Clean Water Act - 50 Year Anniversary
Page 3
animal feeding operations, or sewage treatment plants that discharge water into WOTUS have to obtain a permit
in order to operate. These permits must be renewed every ve years and usually require either a monthly or yearly
Discharge Monitoring Report (DMR) demonstrating that discharge is within the limits set by the permit. In addition
to reviewing DMRs, state and federal agencies can perform on-site inspections.
The CWA specically promotes citizen involvement as an important part of ensuring point sources are in
compliance with their permits, as state and federal agencies are stretched thin and inspections tend to be relatively
infrequent. The permits and DMRs are publicly available, allowing citizens to check whether a point source is in
compliance. If citizens or grassroots organizations suspect a permit is being violated, they are encouraged by the
CWA to collect data by monitoring the impacted waters and lodge a complaint requesting that the state or federal
agency enforce compliance. The CWA allows citizens to sue the government if it fails to remedy the SPDES or
NPDES permit violation. Many enforcement actions begin with a complaint brought forward by the community,
meaning public awareness and concern are an essential part of addressing pollution. Due in large part to
community engagement, the permitting system established by the CWA has been extremely successful in bringing
the rampant point source pollution of the 1960s under control.
Concerned citizens can also take an active role in setting limits on pollution by taking part in the NPDES or
SPDES permitting process or by participating in the establishment of a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) for a
waterbody. When water quality becomes degraded to the point where it is insufcient for one or more of a water
body’s designated uses, the CWA requires a TMDL to be established for the out of control pollutants. The TMDL is
set to achieve certain water quality goals and is accompanied by a management plan for achieving them. The plan
accounts for all point and non-point sources of pollution and adjusts discharge permits and watershed
management practices to reduce pollutant loads and restore water quality. The pollutant load from point sources is
relatively easy to determine, but pollutant load from non-point sources, such as agricultural runoff delivered
through streams, is much more difcult to estimate. Estimates are difcult in large part because stream ow can
vary dramatically throughout a year as well as
between years. These estimates are likely to
become more difcult as climate change
progresses and rainfall becomes more erratic
(see 2022 Water Bulletin article: "The Not-So-
Apparent Implications of Drought").
Developing a TMDL is complicated,
which is why the CWA requires public
involvement in the identication of impaired
water bodies and the development of TMDLs to
mitigate impairments. Data collected by
volunteers from grassroots organizations like
Community Science Institute can support the
identication of a water body as impaired with
respect to its designated use. These data can
also be used to determine when a water body is no longer impaired. For example, in 2014, CSI data were used to
help demonstrate that the southern shelf of Cayuga lake was no longer impaired by pathogenic bacteria, and the
lake was therefore removed from the list of impaired waterbodies.10 Community collected data can also inform the
design of the TMDL to restore the water body to its designated use. For example, CSI’s data on phosphorus loading
from Fall Creek were used to validate the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model for Cayuga Lake which is
an integral component of the draft Cayuga Lake TMDL for total phosphorus.11 In sum,
community stewardship is essential to the success of the CWA. … continued on page 4
A 9 Element (9E)6 watershed plan is
similar to a TMDL. Taking into account a
water body’s potential sources of
pollution and its designated use, a 9E plan
creates a strategy for improving water
quality for water bodies that are not
included on the impaired waterbodies list.
9E plans have a special emphasis on local
community involvement.
CSI is part of a group of stakeholders in
and around Seneca and Keuka Lakes who
joined together in 2018 to reduce nutrient
loading7 by designing a 9E plan. With
logistical and laboratory support8 from
CSI, Seneca Lake Pure Waters Association
(SLPWA), and Keuka Lake Association
(KLA) nalized9 the Seneca-Keuka
Watershed 9E plan in October 2022.
Monitored sites within the
Seneca-Keuka Watershed
(map by Nathaniel Launer).
The Clean Water Act establishes a robust regulatory structure to determine what waters are polluted, what
action needs to be taken to restore water quality, and how much pollution is permissible to allow economic activity
while maintaining the health of the waters of the United States. Chronic underfunding of state agencies means that
community involvement is more important than ever to meeting the goals of the CWA. While agencies like the DEC
and the EPA play a role in monitoring, they are not able to monitor as many locations and as frequently as CSI
volunteers. Check out our public online database to see just how many sites are monitored by CSI’s dedicated
volunteers. CSI’s mission to empower community members to become stewards of their local water resources
through water quality monitoring falls squarely within the framework of the Clean Water Act. We offer a range of
programs to educate the public about water quality and foster stewardship, while partnering with volunteers to
collect regulatory quality data to help improve water quality and inform water quality standards in and around our
communities.
If you now feel spurred to action (or maybe just want more detailed information) please check out the
programs on our website to get involved with monitoring water quality in your neighborhood. You can also read The
Clean Water Act Owner’s Manual5 by The River Network, which describes the CWA’s systems in more detail, shares
some CWA success stories, and gets into the nitty gritty of the legal framework of the CWA. It’s a great resource for
anyone passionate about protecting natural waters and was hugely helpful in writing this article.
- Seth Bingham, Water Quality Scientist
I recently moved from Minneapolis, MN to join
the CSI team. With a B.A. from UCLA in the humanities
but a lifelong interest in natural science, it’s been a bit of a
journey to get here. Professionally-speaking, I found my
way to the realm of science through community
engagement and entomology. Over the years I've worked
and researched in many different areas. I worked as an
AmeriCorps member and crew leader at American
Conservation Experience, a conservation corps in
California, where we built trails, restored habitat for the
threatened desert tortoise, and removed countless
invasive species from habitats across the state of
California. From there I explored the world of research,
supporting scientic studies ranging from element
limitation in hardwood forests to the way monarch
butteries use roadsides as habitat. Ultimately, I pursued
an MS in Natural Resources Science and Management
from the University of Minnesota, where I studied the
ecology of the introduced velvet longhorn beetle.
Combining my background in Humanities and
Science is highly ful lling. I enjoy working towards
integrating “soft” and “hard” skills and believe that the
best science is done when we keep social implications in
mind. An understanding of the way science works
improves our communication with and understanding of
each other. My role as Outreach and Programs
Coordinator at CSI affords me the opportunity to make
science more accessible and understood by a broader
community. It also allows me to continue collecting and
analyzing scientic data while building community
connections.
CSI Staff Highlights: The Faces Behind the Organization
Page 4
Grace Haynes - Outreach and Programs Coordinator,
Grace enjoying the boundary waters in northern Minnesota.
Cayuga Lake HABs Monitoring Program Coordinator
Throughout my career, I’ve donned many hats in a
wide range of scientic disciplines, but the driving force
behind my choice of projects has always remained the
same; a deep desire to be involved in meaningful work
that positively impacts the greater good both globally and
in my little corner of the world. I hail from a small farming
community in New York that borders Lake Ontario and
spent my childhood on its shores as well as summers in
the Adirondacks. The forests, lakes, and streams have
always been intertwined in my everyday life. When I am
able, I visit them daily to recharge. Here at CSI, I am
honored to have the opportunity to protect our waters
and the life that they sustain.
Having previously worked 15 years in various
Cornell University research laboratories, and with a deep
appreciation for the natural world and all its beauty, I am
excited to combine my love of science and nature to
further CSI’s mission. With a B.S. degree in Plant Sciences
from Cornell University along with a diverse research
background in Molecular Biology, Biochemistry,
Chemistry, Entomology, and Horticulture, I enjoy my role
as analyst in the laboratory testing the community’s
drinking water and our streams, lakes, and tributaries for
indicators of the presence of pathogenic bacteria.
My role at CSI also includes that of administrative
support which allows me to engage with a diverse
clientele including the general public. Helping our
community daily to nd answers to their water quality
concerns and determining if their water is safe to drink or
to recreate in is a meaningful and rewarding endeavor.
Contributing data to CSI’s long-term database by
continuing the work of those who came before for its
current use as well as by those who will follow is my
privilege.
In my spare time, I volunteer in animal rescue
throughout the Finger Lakes, enjoy hiking, paddling,
cross-country skiing, snow shoeing, fossil hunting, wood
working, bird watching, studying geology, and spending
time with my beloved dog and two cats.
Charlene enjoying the sunset at Myers Point on Cayuga Lake
Charlene Mottler - Administrative and Laboratory Assistant
Page 5
Seth Bingham - Water Quality Scientist
Seth hard at work at 95 Brown Road
I only started work at CSI this past June, but I have been an
upstate New York local my whole life. My family is from North
Carolina, and I was born in Syracuse shortly after they moved
there. I enjoyed every science class I took in high school, and went
off to Colgate University with a broad interest in the sciences, but
no specic plan. After experimenting with different disciplines, I
ended up getting a BA in chemistry with a minor in geology. I enjoy
chemistry and am fascinated by all the things it can tell us, but an
unfortunate downside is that much of the work occurs inside. My
geology minor helped remind me that I want to feel connected to
the world around me. The sense of immersion in the natural world
you get examining bedding structures while squatting in the mud
can be hard to come by in the lab. My work at CSI allows me to
enjoy the nitty gritty of lab work, rening processes to get work
done quickly and minimize sources … continued on page 6
Page 6
From my upbringing to my education to my
current role at Community Science Institute, water has
always had an important presence in my life. I am
originally from Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania, a small
college town north of Pittsburgh, named after the
stunning Slippery Rock Creek, which forms a gorge of its
own in McConnells Mill State Park. As a student of
biology, my studies regularly focused on how water
quality impacts sensitive aquatic wildlife. I earned a B.S. in
Biology from Slippery Rock University where I
researched the effects of neonicotinoid insecticides
(namely, imidacloprid) on amphibian development. I also
had the opportunity to study weakly electric sh
behavior through a National Science Foundation
internship at Indiana University. From there, I earned my
PhD at Binghamton University working in Dr. Jessica
Hua’s aquatic ecotoxicology lab. For my dissertation
research, I studied the impacts of light pollution on native
larval amphibians and their wetland communities. I also
led and contributed to several research projects
investigating the effects of road deicing salt runoff on
amphibian physiology.
As the executive director of Community Science
Institute, I am passionate about using scientic
knowledge to empower and support the health of our
community for the benet of humans and wildlife. I
believe that I have one of the most fun and meaningful
jobs out there. Each day is different and engages my
scientic curiosity and creativity in new ways. Perhaps
one of my favorite parts of my job is that I get to work
closely with so many people, including research scientists,
government ofcials, and volunteers, who are dedicated
to the protection of water quality in the Cayuga Lake
watershed. I especially value the on-the-ground
knowledge that our volunteers contribute to our
monitoring programs including their personal
observations and water quality concerns. Working
alongside these diverse stakeholders as a community
united in our effort to monitor and protect local water
resources is truly inspiring. I am grateful that I can be a
voice for the water quality data in our area. The Lorax
may speak for the trees, but I get to speak for the
streams.
When I’m not at 283 Langmuir Lab, you can nd
me hiking local trails with my partner, Taylor, and our
dog, Kita. I have hiked many famous locations including
the historic Camino de Santiago in Spain and the
Ecuadorian Amazon Rainforest, but my favorite trails by
far are right here in the Finger Lakes. I also enjoy
crocheting and practicing yoga. Along with my dog, Kita, I
also have two cats, Minerva and Hippie, and many
aquarium animals including an axolotl.
Grascen Shidemantle - Executive Director
Grascen at Buttermilk Falls.
of error, while also being able to feel like the work I do is directly connected to the world I see when I look out the
window.
Working at a state certied laboratory comes with its fair share of challenges, and this type of work is still
relatively new to me. My research work in college was computational, meaning I spent my time in the lab looking at
3d models of molecules not even wearing closed toed shoes. There’s been a lot to learn in my short time here, from
developing prociency in the techniques of wet chemistry, to understanding the quality control system required of
a certied laboratory. At rst I felt a bit like a sh out of water, but, especially now that I ’ve settled in, I'm glad that
each day brings an opportunity to learn and stretch myself while doing work that benets my local community.
As CSI’s biomonitoring coordinator, I
organize yearly, volunteer-driven evaluations of
benthic macroinvertebrate (BMI) communities in Finger
Lakes streams. CSI’s biomonitoring program has collected
BMI biodiversity-based water quality data on over 30
streams at nearly 100 individual locations since it started
in the early 2000’s. In recent years, the biomonitoring
branch of CSI’s work has also extended into the realm of
Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs). As biomonitoring
coordinator, I look at each of the volunteer-submitted
HABs samples to verify and record the presence of
cyanobacteria and other plankton and am always trying to
pay attention to what’s happening in and around water
from the perspective of tiny forms of life.
I graduated from Cornell University with a B.S. in
Natural Resources in 1999, but my love of water comes
from the two gorge streams I grew up between near the
Southeast end of Seneca Lake. I missed them terribly
when I lived in the Western US and internationally for
over a decade on international exchanges in Germany and
Italy, earning an M.S. degree in Environmental Studies at
the University of Oregon, working as a ranger-naturalist
for the National Park Service, and studying relationships
between “nature” and “culture” in Latvia. When I returned
to the Finger Lakes seasonally in 2007 (still working
summers in Yosemite National Park for another decade), I
was excited to sign up as a volunteer with the Community
Science Institute. My life experiences have convinced me
that water, above all else, deserves our utmost reverence
and attention. Getting involved with CSI’s developing
biomonitoring program, then led by the lab chemist Michi
Schulenberg, I found a niche that brought together my
passions for water, for the Finger Lakes region and for
cultivating cultural connections between humans and the
other-than-human world. I was eventually hired by CSI to
manage the program. I have always been fascinated by the
idea that if you pay close attention to one aspect of life on
Earth (e.g. communities of tiny stream or lake-dwelling
creatures) you can learn important things about other
aspects of life on Earth that are not typically treated as
being related (e.g. water quality as a reection of human
activities on the land).
I have worked as the part-time biomonitoring
coordinator for CSI since 2011. The part-time nature of
the job has allowed me to raise a water-loving child and to
continue to work locally as an “interpreter” of nature and
culture, leading walks and programs and developing
interpretive materials.
Noah Mark - Laboratory Director
As laboratory director, it’s a given that the title carries a
responsibility for the lab’s performance. In a sense, a certied lab should
work like a well-oiled machine that records every action it takes:
samples submitted to the lab move efciently from analysis to results
reporting, passing through a series of checks along the way so that the
lab feels condent in the data being produced. You, the reader, might
get a militant impression of the lab’s practices—in some respects, this is
an apt description. Besides the strong emphasis on good performance
and thorough documentation, chemistry’s risky reputation (perhaps
justiable) supports the heightened need
for vigilance in the lab. Despite these
Page 7
Noah in CSI’s laboratory
Adrianna sharing her love of benthic
macroinvertebrates. Photo by Hilary Lambert.
… continued on page 8
Adrianna Hirtler - Biomonitoring Coordinator
Page 8
The Not-So-Apparent Implications of Drought
concerns, the lab bench isn’t without its nerdy and
artisanal satisfactions. There is nothing like coating metal
granules with a copper-based solution, separating the
components of a mixture in two immiscible liquids, or
watching a magenta color change unfold in a reaction.
Now, I should state that we are not reinventing
the wheel to conduct water tests. My rst brush with the
“bible” of water quality, that is Standard Methods for the
Examination of Water and Wastewater, was while
obtaining my M.S. in Soil, Water, and Environmental
Science. As a research assistant at Biosphere 2 in
Arizona, I felt then as I do now the magic of chemistry,
and although I am no longer investigating the behavior of
emerging contaminants in my current role, leang
through an established method, there’s still a standing-on
-the-shoulders-of-giants feeling that pervades my work,
as the toil of other scientists affords the convenience of
adapting rather dependable test methods for CSI ’s lab.
Fortunately, I still clock a fair amount of time at
the bench, gleaning what microbes and chemistry can tell
about the quality of various kinds of water, and keeping
sharp the necessary muscle memory needed to conduct
certain analyses and preparations with relative speed. I
believe some types of knowledge reside in the body.
Coming from a farm family in western New York, and in
another chapter of my life, having co-owned and
operated a diversied vegetable farm, I feel that the
knowledge of wet chemistry as well as raising food lies in
the hands as well as the head. Although automation has
its advantages, CSI’s lab continues to see the benets of
methods that rely on hand-eye coordination.
As lab director, I am proud to play a part in CSI’s
vision of how to practice science, which as our mission
suggests, places people (and data) more squarely at the
center of things, both in how we conduct our brand of
science and in striving to democratize science. As a
former grassroots organizer for environmental issues
and sexual assault prevention, I still admire working more
directly with the community. Over the years, I am
thankful to have participated in some outreach and
fundraising events/projects, for this also allows me to
advocate for our brand of science outside the lab.
- Curation by Charlene Mottler, Administrative and Laboratory Assistant
In the Finger Lakes region, we are fortunate to be surrounded by abundant freshwater resources in our
glittering lakes, winding streams, and rushing waterfalls. Indeed, the eleven Finger Lakes alone hold 8.1 trillion
gallons of freshwater.12 However, if you visited any of our natural wonders this summer, you likely came across dry
creek beds or trickling waterfalls. This August, under the direction of governor Kathy Hochul, the New York State
Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) expanded the state’s drought watch* to include most of
western NY and other parts of the state.13 During this drought watch (which was lifted on October 8th), areas
throughout Cayuga and Seneca counties and all of Tompkins County faced abnormally dry to moderate drought
conditions14 (Fig. 1). Although the drought watch was expanded to our area ofcially in August, many Community
Science Institute volunteers throughout the Cayuga Lake watershed remarked on the dry conditions prior to this.
Dry summer conditions signicantly impacted CSI’s synoptic stream monitoring program in 2022 (Box 1). To
collect samples that are most representative of a stream’s water quality, it is essential to have sufcient stream ow
and depth so that volunteers can fully submerge sample bottles below the surface of the water and allow water to
ow easily into the bottles. Unfortunately, ve separate base ow monitoring events in the Cayuga Lake watershed
were canceled or rescheduled this year due to dry or low owing streams. Similarly, volunteers on the Cayuga Inlet,
Milliken Creek, Yawger and Great Gully Creeks, and Six Mile Creek monitoring teams … continued on page 9
and Grace Haynes, Outreach and Programs Coordinator
*NYSDEC denes a drought watch as “The rst of four levels of state drought advisories ("watch," "warning," "emergency" and
"disaster"). There are no statewide mandatory water use restrictions in place under a drought watch, but residents are strongly
encouraged to voluntarily conserve water. Local public water suppliers may require conservation measures, depending upon
local needs and conditions.” You can nd more information on drought, including denitions and classications, here.
were forced to forgo sampling at several of their
regularly monitored sites, citing insufcient ow or
dry creek beds as the primary reason. USGS
hydrographs, which depict stream ow, showed
ows largely below the median daily statistic
throughout much of the monitoring season (see
Salmon Creek at Ludlowville, Fig. 2; note log scale on
y-axis).
In addition to challenges collecting
representative base ow stream samples, volunteers
also faced hurdles in collecting stormwater samples.
It is important to collect stream samples under
stormwater conditions in order to understand the
loading of pollutants into Cayuga Lake. Under
stormwater conditions, levels of nutrients, total
suspended solids, turbidity, and E. coli are elevated.
High stream ows during storms also carry these
elevated pollutants into the lake more quickly than
under baseow (i.e. non-stormwater) conditions.
This year, it was not possible for CSI volunteers to
collect stormwater samples from most of our
regularly monitored streams and creeks in the
Cayuga Lake watershed.
Page 9
CSI’s Cayuga Inlet monitoring team volunteer, Barbara Chase,
captured these photos which show the stark difference in stream conditions
on Eneld Creek Upper Treman in 2021 (A) and 2022 (B). Featured in photo
B is Bill George, Cayuga Inlet volunteer and CSI’s own data entry specialist,
taking detailed notes about the site. Barbara shared, “In the ve or so years I
have been collecting synoptic samples at this site, this is the rst time I have
seen that green algae on the surface of the right hand side of the stream (B).
I think usually the water is owing too fast for it to collect like that. One of
the things I love about doing this is seeing
the same sites on the streams in different
seasons and ow conditions.”
Box 1. Volunteer Observations
This year’s dry conditions posed challenges
for the Sheldrake Creek monitoring team,
leading to several canceled monitoring events.
This photo (C) by volunteer, Jody Price, shows
the low ow and water level at the mouth of
Sheldrake Creek on June 17, 2022. Jody
remarked, “It was very early in the summer for
the water level to be so low.” Fellow
Sheldrake Creek volunteer, Chuck Tauck noted, “Sheldrake Creek completely dried up
during this year's lengthy dry spell with no noticeable ow at all.”
… continued on page 10
Figure 1. U.S. Drought Monitor map and table of drought conditions
on August 2, 2022 in the northeast United States. Colors on the map
and table reect intensity in drought conditions. The U.S. Drought
Monitor is jointly produced by the National Drought Mitigation
Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, the United States
Department of Agriculture, and the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration. Map courtesy of NDMC.
Similarly, our sister organizations on Seneca
Lake (Seneca Lake Pure Waters Association) and
Keuka Lake (Keuka Lake Association) faced
challenges collecting stormwater samples within
their watersheds. The only stormwater samples
collected in the Cayuga Lake watershed this
year were collected by the Canoga, Burroughs,
and Williamson Creek monitoring team in
Seneca County. The Fall and Virgil Creek team
was able to collect water samples this November
that fell somewhere between baseow and
stormwater, representing moderate, rather than
true stormwater conditions. The only other year
in CSI’s history when there were so few
stormwater events due to dry conditions was
2020, when only three out of the eleven
volunteer monitoring teams were able to collect
stormwater samples.
Unfortunately, 2022 will likely not be the
last year that CSI volunteers have to contend
with collecting water samples in dry, drought-
like conditions. Global climate change is
expected to lead to an increase in both the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events like drought and
ooding.15 Increasing global temperatures interfere with once predictable precipitation patterns and alter the timing
and amount of snow accumulation and snow melt.16 Although drought is a concern, our region is predicted to
experience an overall increase in precipitation as a result of climate change.17 When extreme precipitation events
follow dry conditions, there can be cascading consequences on harmful algal blooms (HABs).18 One of the many
contributing factors to HABs formation are nutrients such as phosphorus and nitrogen. During dry years, excess
nutrients can accumulate in soils, and, if followed by a wet year, those nutrients are ushed out of the soil, leading to
elevated nutrient loads which can impact HABs formation several weeks after the storm event.18-20 Similarly, drought
conditions in 2016 were followed by the rst year that community members started reporting signicant HABs on
Cayuga Lake. In 2021, a particularly wet year, CSI HABs Harriers reported a record number of HABs on Cayuga
Lake.21 In contrast, during this year ’s dry monitoring season, HABs Harriers spotted less than two thirds the number
of blooms that were reported in 2021 (See 2022 Water Bulletin article: “How Does Weather Impact Harmful Algal
Blooms?”). This poses the question: After a dry 2022, will we see a spike in HABs in 2023? We will have to rely on our
dedicated HABs Harriers volunteers to nd out!
When the Clean Water Act was established fty years ago, not many scientists or legislators were thinking
about climate change and how it would impact water quality, and in turn, the way water quality is monitored and
regulated (see 2022 Water Bulletin Article: “The Clean Water Act - 50 Year Anniversary”). Many water quality
standards in effect today are based on historical data which may no longer be meaningful under a changing climate.5
This highlights the need for long-term monitoring and data-gathering like we do here at CSI. We rely on our dedicated
community scientist volunteers to collect the most current water quality data on our streams to identify pollution and
to contribute to the development of water quality standards that may be more appropriate for the emerging era of
climate change. Many thanks to the volunteers who committed their time and energy to partnering with CSI in
collecting this valuable data and for providing excellent
descriptions of the dry creek conditions this year!
Page 10
- Grascen Shidemantle, Executive Director
Figure 2. Screenshot of USGS hydrograph depicting streamow measured
in cubic feet per second on Salmon Creek at Ludlowville (42.5526111,
-76.5338333) from March 2022 - November 2022. Solid lines refer to
stream ow data from 2022 and dotted lines refer to the median stream
ow from 2007-2022. Dark blue lines represent approved USGS stream-
ow data, while orange line represent provisional data, meaning the data
have not yet been reviewed and approved by USGS.
Apr 2022 Aug 2022Jun 2022 Oct 2022
Through the Community Science Institute, volunteers have spent two decades documenting water quality in
streams and lakes in the Cayuga Lake Watershed and throughout the Finger Lakes region. It’s probably fair to say that
many CSI volunteers are motivated by a sense that water is critical to our quality of life in this region. Through their
monitoring work, CSI volunteers understand that our activities on land inuence the quality of water in surrounding
water bodies.
We wanted to highlight these connections of land and water for local youth through our 4-H20 2022 summer
programming, so we adopted “the Journey of Water” as our theme. The Journey of Water series included nine free
programs for youth and their families that were designed to give everyone a place-based sense of the water cycle, with
opportunities to help monitor water quality along the way. Participants were given a Journey of Water “Passport”
which they could get stamped at the end of each program they participated in. Kids who completed the whole passport
received a CSI Journey of Water t-shirt.
The program kicked off with a “Build Your Own Water Filter” event where kids and families worked together to
make water lters out of repurposed water bottles and natural materials.
They then tested their lters by running different kinds of “dirty” water
(muddy, salty, and acidic) through them and doing some basic water
quality tests on the water before and after running them through the
lters. It generated some interesting discussions about how living plants
and wetlands in our watersheds do a lot of work toward maintaining good
water quality in our streams and lakes.
We also invited Journey of Water “travelers ” to join us for tours of
the City of Ithaca Drinking Water and Wastewater Treatment Facilities.
At the Drinking Water Plant, our excellent tour guides, Roxy Johnston
(Watershed Coordinator and Lab Director) and Alejandro Gonzalez
(Assistant Chief Operator), showed us how water is taken from Six Mile
Creek, piped to the plant and then journeys through a variety of processes
that make it safe to drink when it ultimately comes out of faucets
throughout the City of Ithaca. This left some kids thinking that it certainly
takes a lot of work to get water “clean” enough to drink once there is any possibility of contamination. At the
Wastewater Treatment Facility, we also had an amazing guide in Ed Gottlieb (Industrial Pretreatment Coordinator &
Safety Manager) who led us through the processes that water goes through once we ush it down our toilets or when
it leeches off of landlls and needs to be treated before it can be released back into the lake. This led some of us to
marvel at the remarkable ways that bacteria (just like the myriad bacteria in our own guts and out in the natural
environment) do a lot of work to break down and consume some of the “dirtier” parts of “wastewater” so that the
water that they release back into the lake won’t transmit disease or seriously increase nutrient loading in the lake.
These tours should be required for all city residents! We are grateful to both facilities for accommodating our groups.
As in previous years, we also offered our regular suite of three Water Quality Monitoring Cruises
on Cayuga Lake in partnership with Discover Cayuga Lake’s Floating Classroom and three Biomonitoring Fun! events
in partnership with New York State Parks. On the water monitoring cruises, kids get a chance to learn about the lake
while helping to collect samples and analyze water quality at a number of different locations on Cayuga Lake, using
scientic equipment such as Van Dorn samplers, Secchi disks, plankton nets and microscopes. The results of this
monitoring contribute to CSI’s long-term data sets and are publicly accessible through the CSI database. At
Biomonitoring Fun! events, kids literally get their feet wet exploring four different State Park stream locations as they
look for small organisms called benthic macroinvertebrates that tell us a lot about water
Page 11
Biomonitoring coordinator Adrianna
Hirtler demonstrating the correct use of a
kick net to collect a biomonitoring sample.
Journey of Water: Cultivating a Place-Based Sense of the Water Cycle
… continued on page 12
Page 12
How Does Weather Impact Harmful Algal Blooms?
One of the most common questions we are asked at Community Science Institute is “what causes HABs?” The
scientic literature on HABs implicates various, interacting factors in cyanobacteria bloom formation, including
nutrient runoff, higher temperatures, and decreased mixing of lake layers due to low wind speeds or extended
summers.22 Increased precipitation has also been linked to bloom formation.23 Given this context, it is interesting that
the summer of 2022 was drier than recent years (see 2022 Water Bulletin article: "The Not -So-Apparent Implications
of Drought") and also saw the rst decrease in the number of blooms reported on Cayuga Lake since the onset of our
program. However, any conclusions based on this correlation alone are merely speculation; collecting long-term,
reliable data, like we do in our HABs monitoring program, is valuable because it allows us to observe and analyze
trends over longer periods of time. While some patterns in HAB formation on Cayuga Lake are becoming clear (See
Box 2), some trends, such as the impact of weather, are not as straightforward. Our case study demonstrates the
complex relationship between weather and bloom formation on Cayuga Lake. … continued on page 13
Figure 1 Number of harmful algal blooms on Cayuga Lake reported through our Cayuga Lake Harmful Algal Bloom Monitoring Program
annually from 2018 -2022. Note the different colors within each bar which correspond to different concentrations of microcystin toxin.
quality. By trying to answer ve questions about who they nd living under rocks, they decide whether the water
quality at each site is good or if the site warrants further investigation. Interested kids and families also help
participate in collecting full biomonitoring samples at the end of each event that are analyzed by volunteers at Open
Lab Nights over the winter (which kids and their families are also invited to join).
CSI’s 4-H20 program grew out of a parent -led 4-H club that wanted to focus on water quality monitoring,
working within CSI’s existing volunteer monitoring structure. In recent years, with the speci c families that had been
involved aging out of the program, CSI has rejuvenated 4-H20 as more of a program-based offering in partnership
with Tompkins County 4-H. For the past three years, the Park Foundation has helped fund this programming so that
we can offer it free to all. The Journey of Water series this summer felt like a big success, coming out of the
uncertainties and low program attendance of peak Covid times, with lots of interest expressed by folks who were
new to our 4-H2O program. Even for CSI staff, the process of participating in all of these events that followed and
highlighted water’s journeys throughout our lives felt like an important summer ritual that we hope to be able to
offer again in the future. - Adrianna Hirtler, Biomonitoring Coordinator
Community Science Institute and our dedicated HABs Harriers* have now completed ve years of monitoring
cyanobacteria blooms, also known as Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs), along the shoreline of Cayuga Lake (See Box 1 for
details and background on the program). Since the start of the program, the number of blooms reported to CSI has
consistently increased.21 This year, for the rst time, we have instead seen this number decrease (Fig. 1).
*Harrier: noun, from the verb harry, to harass or attack repeatedly. Example: A Harrier Hawk attacks small game. This term was
applied to our HABs volunteers to describe their vigilance.
Page 13
Case Study: King Ferry Blooms, 2019-2022
To begin looking at ways in which weather impacts HABs, we analyzed HAB trends over four years (2019 -
2022), concentrating on blooms reported just south of King Ferry, NY. This included HAB Harrier zones 3416, 3460,
3478, and 3492 and spanned Lake Ridge Point to Elmwood Point. This area was chosen for several reasons. First,
there is a weather station near the shoreline of the Lake (KNYKINGF5, accessed via: www.wunderground.com) with
data on wind speed, temperature, and precipitation going back to 2019 (no 2018 weather data were available). This
area of shoreline also has broad volunteer coverage dating back through the beginning of our HAB monitoring
program, giving us more certainty that the majority of blooms that occurred there were reported to us. Finally, this
area had 18 blooms reported over the past four years, a large enough sample size to hopefully detect some patterns.
In this case study, we compared the weather at the station on days when our volunteers reported blooms to days
when they did not report blooms. On days when blooms were not reported, wind speeds tended to be higher than on
days when blooms were reported (Fig. 2). No relationship was found between bloom observations (whether a bloom
was observed or not) and temperature or precipitation on the same
day as a bloom.
Our consideration of the presence or absence of bloom
reports and weather data on any particular day of the 2019-2022
bloom seasons suggest that wind can impact a bloom’s visibility.
The windier a day is, the less likely a bloom is to be reported. This
idea is consistent with anecdotal reports from our volunteers, who
often observe that a bloom disappears quickly on a windy day.
Scienti c literature similarly demonstrates that higher wind speeds
on a lake can be linked to smaller bloom extents on the surface of
the water.25
Our exploration of the King Ferry HAB reports and
weather data is one preliminary attempt to look at connections
between weather and HABs on Cayuga Lake. This investigation did
not take into account water temperature and only addressed air
temperature and precipitation on the same day that the bloom
occurred. Further, previously published work links precipitation
and temperature with bloom formation over the course of days
or weeks leading up to the bloom event, rather than the day of
the bloom.18, 23 This may explain
Figure 1 Maximum daily wind speed in King Ferry from
2019-2022 on days on which no blooms were
observed vs. days on which blooms were observed.
The boxes represent 50% of the data with the center
line of each box demonstrating the median. Lines
extending above and below the boxes represent the
spread of the data, while dots depict outliers. … continued on page 14
Box 1: How exactly does CSI’s “HABs Harrier” program work?
Community Science Institute currently has a team of 88 volunteers, or "HAB Harriers," who monitor Cayuga Lake for
harmful algal blooms (HABs). This comprehensive program, a collaboration between CSI, Cayuga Lake Watershed Network, and
Discover Cayuga Lake, integrates community engagement with rigorous science. Our Harriers, most of them concerned
community members, survey sections of the shoreline weekly for blooms. Blooms can look like parallel streaks, green clumps,
spilled paint, or even pea soup. These cues signal to our harriers that explosive growth of cyanobacteria is taking place.
Cyanobacteria are always present in the water, but usually at concentrations too low to be visible. They can produce various
chemical compounds, which may be benecial or harmful to humans.24 In Cayuga Lake blooms, the cyanobacteria we see most
commonly belong to the genera Microcystis and Dolichospermum. Once our volunteers observe a bloom, they collect a sample and
bring it to CSI’s laboratory. There, we conrm blooms by checking to see if and what kind of cyanobacteria are present.
Approximately 94% of samples collected by volunteers in 2022 contained cyanobacteria. We also test the samples for
chlorophyll a concentration (to estimate bloom density) and microcystin toxin concentration (to estimate bloom toxicity).
Microcystin is the only toxin for which we test, but microcystin toxin levels are not necessarily predictive of concentrations of
other toxins.
Page 14
- Grace Haynes, Outreach & Programs Coordinator, Cayuga Lake HABs Monitoring Program Coordinator
why precipitation on the day of the reported bloom was not associated with whether or not a bloom was
observed. Finally, matching weather data to the bloom events observed by our volunteers is difcult because the
weather conditions pulled from the weather station in King Ferry may not align precisely with the weather occurring in
the exact location of a bloom. Recording weather conditions and water temperature at the time a bloom sample is
collected would be preferable to pulling them from weather stations retroactively.
Exploring the impacts of weather on HAB formation and composition is an exciting area of research. It is
especially interesting to consider the variability in how weather may impact HAB formation at different locations on
Cayuga Lake as there may be geographical features that impact susceptibility to changes in wind, precipitation, and air
temperature. The decrease in the number of lakeside blooms reported across all of Cayuga Lake in 2022 may be
connected to the lack of precipitation experienced this year. However, our case study on blooms in King Ferry also
showed that wind was a relevant factor in that region. To more denitively identify patterns in HABs formation, we
need more years of data that reect varying weather conditions. This is what makes broadly-collected, long-term data
so important to scientic inquiry. With more Cayuga Lake shoreline coverage and additional years of data with our
volunteer partners, effects of weather on HABs formation, as well as other factors such as bloom composition and
characteristics, may come into clearer view.
Box 2: Consistent trends 2018 - 2022
Some trends noted in previous years persisted in 2022. For example, blooms in the northern fth of the lake tended to be
more numerous and have higher microcystin toxin concentrations compared to blooms at the south end of the lake. While
nutrients generally favor HABs formation, and northern tributary streams are known to transport signicantly higher
concentrations of bioavailable phosphorus and nitrogen compared to tributaries at the south end of the lake,26 it is not clear that
elevated nutrients are the cause of northern shoreline HABs. Consistently denser populations of cyanobacteria in the genus
Microcystis (even when blooms are not occurring) have been documented in the northern end of Cayuga Lake,27 and the lake is
shallower on the north end, making it generally warmer. Either of these factors could also contribute to this observed pattern of
higher microcystin concentrations being found in the northern end of
Cayuga Lake.
As in previous monitoring seasons, in 2022 microcystin toxin
concentration was correlated with total chlorophyll a concentration
(Fig. 3) in blooms dominated by Microcystis sp. In contrast, we do not
observe this same relationship between chlorophyll a and microcystin
in blooms dominated by Dolichospermum, another cyanobacteria
genus. Chlorophyll a concentration reects the biomass of a bloom,
while microcystin levels are one measure of a bloom’s toxicity.
Therefore, in Microcystis-dominated blooms, as biomass (or bloom
density) increases, so too does the bloom’s toxicity, whereas in
blooms dominated by other cyanobacteria genera, there is no
relationship between bloom biomass and toxicity. There are
important caveats to this relationship, however. For example,
chlorophyll a is present in all phytoplankton, not only
cyanobacteria;28 thus, chlorophyll a concentration may overestimate
a bloom's biomass if other phytoplankton are present. Further,
microcystin is not the only toxin that can be produced by
cyanobacteria so there may be other toxins contributing to a bloom's
toxicity that we are not capturing in our laboratory analyses.29 CSI’s
lab analyzes bloom samples for microcystin concentration because
microcystin is a common cyanotoxin with a relatively slow rate of
degradation and the only one for which there is currently an ELAP-
certied test. Microcystin is also the most commonly found
cyanotoxin in New York State.30
Figure 3. Relationship between chlorophyll a concentration and
microcystin concentration in bloom samples collected from
Cayuga Lake with data pooled from CSI HAB data 2018-2022.
Color shows cyanobacteria composition: Microcystis-dominant
blooms are shown in red, blooms with Microcystis sp. present but
not dominant are in yellow, and blooms with no Microcystis sp. are
in blue. Both axes use a logarithmic scale. The solid line denotes 4
µg/L of microcystin, or the contact recreation limit set by
NYSDOH. The dotted black line denotes 0.3 µg/L, the CSI
laboratory reporting limit and the drinking water limit set by
NYSDOH for microcystin.
In Microcystis-dominated blooms, chlorophyll a and
microcystin are highly correlated Microcystin (µg/L) Chlorophyll a (µg/L)
Microcystis dominant
Microcystis present
No Microcystis present
Cyanobacteria Composition
4000
1000
100
10
0.3
10 100 1000 10000
microcystin reporting limit
4 µg/L microcystin
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phosphorus load, and cyanobacteria. PNAS. 119, 48. e221434119.
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harmful-algal-blooms
20)Loecke, T.D.; Burgin, A.J.; Riveros-Iregui, D.A.; Ward, A.S.; Thomas, S.A.; Davis, C.A.; St. Clair, M.A. 2017. Weather whiplash in
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0315-z
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23)Paerl, H.W. and Huisman, J. 2008. Blooms Like It Hot. Science, 320, 57-58. hƩp://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.1155398
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Board of Directors
Robert Barton
President
Stephen Penningroth
Treasurer
Angel Hinickle
Vice-President
Deborah Jones
Darby Kiley
Secretary
Jerry Van Orden
Sheila Dean
Staff
Grascen Shidemantle
Executive Director
Noah Mark
Laboratory Director
Adrianna Hirtler
Biomonitoring Coordinator
William George
Data Entry Specialist
Abner Figueroa
Web Development Services
Grace Haynes
Outreach & Programs Coordinator,
Cayuga Lake HABs Monitoring
Program Coordinator
Seth Bingham
Water Quality Scientist
Page 15
Newsletter
Grascen Shidemantle
Editor
Grace Haynes
Newsletter Design
Charlene Mottler
Administrative and Laboratory
Assistant
Robert Thomas
Stephen Penningroth
Founder
Community Science Institute
Water Bulletin - 2022 Edition
283 Langmuir Lab Send To:
95 Brown Road/ Box 1044
Ithaca, NY 14850
Phone/ Fax: (607) 257-6606
Certied Water Quality Testing Lab
NYSDOH-ELAP #11790
EPA Lab Code NY01518
Partnering with Communities to Protect Water Since 2002
Membership Levels
$25 (Creek)
$50 (Stream)
$100 (River)
$250 (Lake)
$500 (Estuary)
$1000 (Watershed)
Community Science Institute • www.communityscience.org • (607) 257-6606 • info@communityscience.org
It is now more important than ever to work together to tackle the increasingly urgent and
complex environmental issues of our time including climate change, harmful algal blooms (HABs),
and changes in water quantity and quality. To do so, we must enrich our understanding of these
issues through scientific monitoring and data collection, communicate data and their implication(s)
effectively, and facilitate the collaborative development of equitable solutions.
This 2022 issue of the Water Bulletin highlights the capability of Community Science
Institute (CSI) to help tackle these issues by supporting community -based efforts to understand
water quality issues of local concern including E.coli contamination of public swimming areas,
communicating fast and accurate HABs data necessary for people to make safe decisions, and
helping develop regional water quality protection plans such as the Seneca-Keuka Nine Element
Plan through the collection of regulatory -quality data. It highlights CSI’s unique capabilities as a
certified water testing laboratory that supports the work of over two hundred and fifty volunteers,
to help connect community, science, and management so that we can protect our shared water
resources.
You can support our efforts by becoming a member of CSI or renewing your membership
today! Your membership will allow us to advance our mission of empowering community members
to become stewards of their local water resources through scientific water quality monitoring.
Send contributions to Community Science Institute, 283 Langmuir lab, 95 Brown Rd/ Box 1044, Ithaca, NY 14850
To contribute by credit card, visit the “Donate” page on our website at www.communityscience.org/donate/
HELP PROTECT CLEAN WATER! DONATE TODAY
With sincere thanks, The CSI Team
Nominator Contact:
Name: ________________ E-mail: __________________ Phone Number: _________________
Nominee Contact:
Name/Group: __________________________________ E-mail: _________________________
Phone Number: _________________ Address: _______________________________________
Website: _________________________ Group Leader: ________________________________
Size, scope, and location: What size area and/or audience? What ultimate potential scope? Is the
area affected fully or partially in the Town? Does it aim to provide Town-wide benefits, or
focused more specifically?
Summary of project/action prompting nomination:
Lori Brewer ljb7@cornell.edu 6073423969
ICSD Child Nutrition Program beth.krause@icsd.k12.ny.us
(607) 274-2302 Ithaca City School District 400 Lake StreetIthaca, NY 14850
https://www.ithacacityschools.org/page/child-nutrition Beth Krause - Director of School Lunch -Town of Ithaca resident
The Ithaca City School District's (ICSD) cafeterias use approximately 268,740
single-use spoons and forks every year. These single-use plastic utensils which could
amount to 5,000 pounds of waste are sent to the Ontario County Landfill. Under the
guidance of Beth Krause, the Director of School Lunch, the ICSD Child Nutrition
Program initiative to reduce this unnecessary waste has begun with the rollout of 3,200
reusable stainless steel sporks at the Lehman Alternative Community School and
Boynton Middle School. Reusable sporks will eventually be introduced at all ICSD's
campuses. This demonstrates the district's commitment to student well-being,
environmental conservation, and financial responsibility.
Families who reside in the Town of Ithaca register all their school-age children in Ithaca
City School District. Reusable sporks will eventually be introduced at all ICSD's
campuses starting with Lehman Alternative Community School and Boynton Middle
School. This initiative to reduce waste in school cafeterias through a highly visible
campaign around reusable utensils provides opportunity for students to be active
participants in waste reduction which may inspire them to reduce waste by using
reusable utensils as well as other products in their daily consumption of food and
beverages outside their cafeterias. Fostering a culture of reuse in school-age children
would provide immediate and future benefits to the Town of Ithaca's sustainability
efforts.
Cost-effectiveness: Does it achieve much for little expense?
Applicability: Is this easily reproduced, or is it applicable for widespread use? Is this likely to
encourage other beneficial actions for the Town?
Awareness/Visibility: If a project is physical, how obvious/visible is it? If not, how has the
public been made aware?
In a yearly budget, it might possibly be cheaper to use and dispose of single use utensils than to buy and wash
reusable stainless steel sporks.
Though when we consider recent studies have revealed the presence of toxic chemicals, such as PFAS, in
single-use foodware, including those made of so-called "compostable" or "biodegradable" bioplastics, posing risks to
human health and the environment reusable utensils might very well achieve a whole lot for little expense.
Evidence of compost contamination with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from compostable food
serviceware
(https://pubs.aip.org/avs/bip/article/18/3/030501/2894789/Evidence-of-compost-contamination-with-per-and)
Schools that Ditched Disposables
(https://ceh.foleon.com/ceh/ditching-disposables-toolkit/case-studies-schools-that-ditched-disposables)
Reusable sporks will eventually be introduced at all ICSD's campuses. They might
serve as a model and inspiration for a cultural shift across other institutions,
organizations, and businesses including restaurants in our community.
More than 5,000 students are enrolled in the Ithaca City School District. These
students and their families produce an enviable word of mouth awareness campaign.
Impact on the Town of Ithaca: Does the project enhance the Town's public image? Does it
present potential for Town government to take additional steps to benefit the environment?
Type of Benefit Produced: Preservation? Restoration? Removal/reduction of negative
conditions? Creation of habitat or visual enhancement? Education?
Negative Impacts: Could these have been foreseen and possibly avoided/reduced? Do they
outweigh the benefits?
Waste disposal disproportionately affects communities where landfills facilities are.
Reducing solid waste that is shipped out of our community is important and necessary
for a Town that treasures natural resources.
Eliminating single-use plastic utensils in school cafeterias protects our environment.
Reducing what is used can cut down on the volume or toxicity of the waste stream.
Additionally, because we are not creating new material, we avoid all the environmental
impacts and costs of producing a product in the first place.
The primary concern about the effectiveness of this initiative is that students might
dispose of these sporks, rather than returning them to the cafeteria so that they can be
reused. A community effort to educate everyone about the reasons behind this
transition and foster a sense of responsibility in students as they practice caring for the
utensils so that future students can use them is critical to long term success.
To submit this form in writing address it to the Conservation Board, 215 N. Tioga Street, Town
of Ithaca, Ithaca, NY, 14850. It can be mailed in or dropped off in person. To submit
electronically, fill out the form and save it as a pdf file, then email to Michael Smith
(msmith@town.ithaca.ny.us)
Additional Items Attached: A list naming each is fine. Ex: news articles, photos, web site etc.
Article by IHS The Tattler
https://ihstattler.com/blog/2023/10/the-rollout-of-reusable-sporks-in-icsd-a-step-toward-
waste-reduction/
Nominator Contact:
Name: ________________ E-mail: __________________ Phone Number: _________________
Nominee Contact:
Name/Group: __________________________________ E-mail: _________________________
Phone Number: _________________ Address: _______________________________________
Website: _________________________ Group Leader: ________________________________
Size, scope, and location:What size area and/or audience? What ultimate potential scope? Is the
area affected fully or partially in the Town? Does it aim to provide Town-wide benefits, or
focused more specifically?
Summary of project/action prompting nomination:
James Hamilton jameswaldo@bluefrog.com 607 273-1335
Zero Waste Ithaca info@zerowasteithaca.org
http://zerowasteithaca.org/
I don't really know if Zero Waste Ithaca (ZWI) has done or planned anything, but their
publicity and website impressed me. I think I first heard of them as they protested
replacement of IC sports field grass with plastic astroturf. And our Conservation Board's
Waste Awareness Committee was, I believe, disbanded when they found ZWI to be already
doing a good job at publicizing the importance of reducing waste in Ithaca.
I like their focus on food industry single-use plastic waste. They're also concerned with
student household waste left when college school years end. They meet once a
month, according to their website.
Cost-effectiveness:Does it achieve much for little expense?
Applicability:Is this easily reproduced,or is it applicable for widespread use? Is this likely to
encourage other beneficial actions for the Town?
Awareness/Visibility:If a project is physical, how obvious/visible is it? If not, how has the
public been made aware?
Not sure if there are any big achievements, though probably every little bit helps.
I think the "widespread use" is the larger Zero Waste movement, and Zero Waste
Ithaca is trying to apply that notion to our locality.
According to the ZWI website, this group has an annual highway trash cleanup. They
held cleanups at Stewart Park, both on land and via kayaks along the shore. They held
a "Buy Nothing Black Friday Hike" in Cornell's Fall Creek Natural area, picking up trash
and not shopping on Nov 24, 2023's Black Friday. Though concrete physical impact
may be minor, they're engaged at the webpage level via very handsome website and a
facebook page that seems very actively administered.
Impact on the Town of Ithaca:Does the project enhance the Town's public image? Does it
present potential for Town government to take additional steps to benefit the environment?
Type of Benefit Produced:Preservation? Restoration? Removal/reduction of negative
conditions? Creation of habitat or visual enhancement? Education?
Negative Impacts:Could these have been foreseen and possibly avoided/reduced? Do they
outweigh the benefits?
ZWI looks like it might help the Town discourage plastic sports turf, and property
wasted by college students.
ZWI may be more a set of webpages than anything solidly happening In Real Life, but
I'd like to think they may help get some Ithacans involved in reducing waste and
diverting resources from landfill. Their programs promoting restaurants that allow
customers to take out food in the customers' own containers, and to encourange food
service companies in Ithaca to "skip the stuff" like plastic utensils, napkins, condiments
in foil pouches, may help make Ithaca greener.
Maybe too much effort is just text, graphics, and virtual reality online. My "contact" with
this group is through the internet, after all. But according to their website, they do
actually meet in real life and promote public awareness, if not much real action.
Additional Items Attached:A list naming each is fine.Ex: news articles, photos,web site etc.
To submit this form in writing, address it to the Town of Ithaca Conservation Board, 215 N.
Tioga Street, Ithaca, NY 14850.It can be mailed or dropped off in person.To submit
electronically, email to .