Chautauqua County, NY (WIVB). Homeowners in Lake Chautauqua express concern about the growth of weeds and algae, which have taken over the lake over the last few years.
On the fourth weekend of July, the Lomas family with a place on Lake Chautauqua said the July fourth weekend is usually a busy bay where they are.
“Last year we spent the boat. We had children’s tubes in the lake. My grandson had his jet skiing on the lake and had a good time to ride the little ones,” Nancy Lom said. “We didn’t do this this weekend, none of them just could take the boat. There were very few boats. If they were, they tried to get off our bay.”
The Lomas family had a place to gather in the bay for 26 years. Nancy said this weekend she tried to take the boat, but she clogged with weeds and started overheating.
“When we bought it, there were some weeds but it was nothing like it. I mean [it’s an] Absolute nightmare, ”said Steven Lom. – We were supported. Everyone sat and just looked at the weed growth. ‘
Burtis Bay is the southern pool of Lake Chautauqua, and Loma is not the only homeowners who feel left in weeds.
“Here’s all the Harvest and Ciration of Lake Chatauqua is here,” said Lisa Masters, owner of Bay Bay. “Last year the lake was perfect, the boat was clear, everything was great. This year it is horrible.”
From January 1 The Burton Bay was appointed as a swamp.
What is the dirty lake of Chautauqua and what is it done? Renewal of the Jefferson project
“We want a healthy lake. We’re not against the swamps, but it is a developed area,” said Kathy Yanus, homeowner. “It doesn’t make sense. Regulation of wetlands makes no sense for every small area of this lake. It must change.”
Senator George Borrell believes that the swamps were not a failure, saying that they had spent more herbicide permits this year than they had ever had.
“The first time the Association of Lake Chautauqua had to obtain permits to remove weeds and did not do so, I think this is currently the main problem of the Bay Gulf,” Borrello said.
“They told me that this year they were a bit postponed to be able to remove the area because they used to apply herbicides that were used in the area earlier and you have to wait until you can put any type of mechanical appliances there,” said John Sheddas, Vice President of the University campus.
Borrello believes that more cooperation and more accountability organizations work at the lake.
“The most toxic thing is not the harmful bloom of algae in Lake Chautauqua, that is, the policy of all lakes organizations that cannot cope,” he said.
“There are a lot of people who work to solve it, and we all work with very coordinated efforts,” Shedd said. “It will take some time. People need to have patience because this problem has created for hundreds of years, and we will have for many years to solve it.”
Shedd said there are a bunch of organizations working with Lake Chautauqua, including Watershed Management Alliance, Jefferson, Dec, Engineers Army Corporation, Suny Fredonia, Bowling Green University and North Carolina State.
“We all work together. There are many organizations,” he said. “Many of us work for an organization called Chautauqua Lake Water Shed Management Alliance, which is a county entity with a board and provides funding through various sources of funding, states and local funding.”
The WIVB News 4 reached the Chautauqua Lake Association, which is asking for an interview, and has not heard from them at this time.
The latest local news
The Hope Winter is a reporter and a multimedia journalist who has been in place since 2021. Participated in the News 4 team. See. More of her work here;
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights are protected. This material cannot be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
For the latest news, weather, sports and broadcast videos, go to News 4 Buffalo.